7 November 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Monday 7 November 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.”

Jonah 1

Jonah receives God’s word to go to Nineveh and to tell the people they have been wicked. Jonah does his best to get away from God and gets on a boat going to Tarshish. A storm comes. The boat will be lost. The sailors pray to their gods then wake Jonah to pray to his. They cast lots to see whose fault this is and Jonah loses so he tells them his story. The sailors recognise they need to throw him overboard but instead keep rowing. When they give up they pray not to lose their lives for the sake of this one man and not to make them guilty of killing someone innocent. They throw Jonah overboard. The storm ceases immediately and they fear God, sacrifice and make vows. Meanwhile God provides a great fish that swallows Jonah. He is in that fish for 3 days.

Matthew 22: 34 – 46

The Pharisees ask Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus replies, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hand all the law and the prophets” (vv. 37 – 40).

In return Jesus asks them what they think of the Messiah and whose son is he? They reply – the son of David. Then Jesus asks if that is so, why does David say, “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet”? (v. 44). No one was able to give him an answer and they ceased asking questions.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Spring's new variegated leaves
Harrietville Vic  2016

Holy Lord there is only one god and we thank you for the gift of your love and care for us through all time. Keep us obedient to you this day: loving you above all else and loving our neighbours as ourselves so that we walk the way you have built for us and for our peace through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord and Your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

Monday 7 November 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalm 119: 1 – 16

This portion of the psalm celebrates those who know and follow the laws of God. The psalmist asks to be taught and to be assisted to follow these laws.

“I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (v 16).

Bel and the Dragon 1 – 22

The Babylonians have an idol called Bel. Cyrus the new king worships it and makes offerings. Cyrus asks Daniel why he does not worship Bel. Daniel replies that he worships the living God not one made by human hands. Cyrus calls the priests of Bell and challenges them to show that Bel is actually eating the offerings. If it is the case Daniel must die for blasphemy.

The king seals food in the temple but before Daniel has ash sprinkled on the floor inside. In the night the priests and their families sneak from a hidden place and eat. In the morning the food is gone and the King praises Bell but Daniel shows the King footprints in the ash covered floor. Cyrus learns of the secret passage. The priests and their families are killed. The idol and temple are destroyed.

Revelation 3: 1 – 6

John is instructed by Christ to write a fifth letter this time to Sardis. The letter is to tell them that their works are known, they seem to be doing things but actually they are spiritually dead. They are to wake up and strengthen the remnants of their belief. They are to remember what they heard – the gospel – obey it and repent. There are some in Sardis who are faithful and they will walk with Christ and be saved. If the others conquer themselves like the worthy ones they too will be saved.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Cascade of Roses
Harrietville Vic 2016

Holy Lord there is no other God but you. Help us to be courageous and put you before everything in our lives, recognise and repent the things we have done wrong, and live and work in this world to your praise and glory so that we may confidently walk with you all the days of our lives in delight of what we have been taught and in joyous anticipation of what is to come through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

*Presumptious 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. And,

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

From
Rev. C. H. Spurgeon 1857