23 October 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Sunday 23 October 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm 19

The sky in silence, every day and every night shows us that God is magnificent. God’s commandments are magnificent. They are right, they delight the heart, they are simple, they are more precious than gold. And the commandments warn us – but can we ever truly detect all our own faults? David asks for help so that he does not commit presumptuous sins*. He finishes with:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord my rock and my redeemer.”

2 Timothy 3: 1 – 9

Paul talks about the last days and the poor behaviour people will act out. There will always be people who take the instruction and still behave badly. Paul states that their folly will find them out and they will not progress in the faith.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Deep purple tulips
Harrietville  L Osburn

Holy wise and wonderful Lord your commandments are right and bring delight to our hearts and lives. Help us to walk in humility knowing that we cannot detect our own faults so that we love you, speak of you, meditate on you and do your will all our days through the power of your Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Sunday 23 October 2016

Evening Prayer

Jeremiah 14: 7 – 10

Jeremiah prays for the people for the sake of God’s name since God is the Hope of Israel. God replies saying that the people love to wander. Their wickedness is being remembered and they are going to be punished.

Psalm 84

A day living in the presence of God is better than anything imaginable. A journey to God’s dwelling place is filled with refreshment: “they go from strength to strength” (v. 7).

Luke 18: 31 – 43

Jesus tells the disciples they are going to Jerusalem and exactly what is going to happen to him – including the resurrection. They do not understand.

Near Jericho they are walking and a blind beggar calls to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v.38). Jesus asks what the blind man wants. His sight is restored and he follows Jesus glorifying God.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Camellia in the spring rain
Harrietville  L Osburn

God or refreshment and restoration you want us to be full of joy, praise and thanksgiving. Guide us back to you when we wander, have mercy on us when our iniquities cry out against us and we are too blind to see them, grant us your compassion when we don't understand so that we may journey with Christ and come to that final place with you that is better than anything imaginable through the power of your Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

*Presumptuous sins are:

1.     When we do know better

2.     When we deliberately plan to do it or keep nurturing the thought about doing it, or have built up a habit of a particular sin

3.     Sinning to show total disregard for God

4.     Thinking that we are immune from a particular type of sin because we are strong or “able to manage it”. This is risky.

5.     And, “I’ll repent tomorrow…” presumes a tomorrow.

From
Rev. C. H. Spurgeon 1857