Time to Pray – Daily Prayer for Wednesday 11 July, 2018

Peace to those who are far off.

Peace to those who are near.

Ephesians 2.17

Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.

A poem: The Song of the Three

Blessed are you, the God of our forebears:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed is your holy and glorious name:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you, glorious in your holy temple:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you who behold the depths:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the heights of heaven:
worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.

Song of the Three 29-34

The opening prayer

By night and by day we worship the Lord; let us pray with one heart and mind.

We remember God’s presence and pause in silence.

Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you as our daily sacrifice; make us a light for all the world, delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

The readings

Hosea 10.1-3, 7-8, 12

Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased
the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The LORD will break down their altars,
and destroy their pillars.

For now they will say:
‘We have no king,
for we do not fear the LORD,
and a king – what could he do for us?’

Samaria’s king shall perish
like a splinter on the face of the waters.
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars.
They shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
and to the hills, Fall on us.

Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Psalm 115.3-10

As for our God, he is in heaven;
he does whatever he pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak;
eyes have they, but cannot see;

They have ears, but cannot hear;
noses have they, but cannot smell;

They have hands, but cannot feel; feet have they, but cannot walk;
not a whisper do they make from their throats.

Those who make them shall become like them
and so will all who put their trust in them.

But you, Israel, put your trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.

House of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.

Matthew 10.1-7

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer (traditional)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

This week’s prayer:

O God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you,
that, loving you above all things,
we may obtain your promises
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We thank God for what we have and pray for what we need.

Today we pray for ourselves, that God would teach us how to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In our local church, we ask God to guide the future of our parish, helping us to work for the mission of the Kingdom of God. In our world, we pray for health professionals and those who act as carers to family and friends. We remember before God those who have asked for our prayers, or who are in need of them.

A prayer for the day

O King enthroned on high,
Comforter and Spirit of truth,
you that are in all places and fill all things,
the treasury of blessings and the giver of life,
come and dwell with us,
cleanse us from every stain and save our souls, O gracious one.
Amen

The Lord be with us

now and forever.

Let us praise the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. May we rekindle the gift of God within us. Amen.

see 2 Timothy 1.6-7