Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 12/05/2024
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Sunday 12th May
Heavenly Father, I remember when I was young, if I felt unwell my mother would give me a glass of water with either Alka-Seltzer, Andrews Liver Salts, or Disprin added. When added the water would fizz or bubble and gradually the tablet would disappear; it would dissolve. After drinking the solution, a little while later, I would start to feel better
When praying yesterday I had a picture of my sin being dissolved, and I now see that my sin is dissolved in the blood of Jesus and when this happens I am absolved of my sin. Thank You Lord that Your goodness takes away my sin and I am forgiven
When You met with the disciples, in the upper room, after the resurrection, You said to them, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I AM sending you". And with that You breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven"
Thank You Lord that now, as Your disciples, we can forgive people and they will be absolved of their sins. The teachers of the Law thought You, as You forgave and healed a cripple, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone". You knew this and said, "I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins". And You said to the crippled man, as evidence, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home"
Thank You that people, crippled in so many ways, can be absolved today, and set free
Amen
Songs for today:
God Forgave My Sin
I Forgive You
I'm Accepted, I'm Forgiven
Saturday 11th May
Heavenly Father, I want to live my life so I do not regret anything I have said! When an axe handle works loose it can easily 'fly off the handle' and cause injury to someone nearby. The pain caused to someone else often causes the person who wielded the axe to feel pain too, not necessarily physically but mentally or emotionally as they are hit by guilt and shame
In burying our guilt or shame, perhaps denying our mistake, we hurt ourselves further. Buried guilt or shame can so easily fester and its damage becomes visible as we continue to 'wield the axe’
I think we all know the phrase, "Sticks and stones can hurt my bones but words will never harm me" is absolute tosh! Rubbish! Words can hurt far more, cutting more deeply than an axe-head! This is why I must always consider what I say very carefully. 'Flying off the handle' can cause an incredible amount of damage
Jesus said, "The things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts - murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person..."
Lord, guide my speech. If my heart is sick give me a new heart and renew a right spirit in me. Help me to think carefully before I speak. Help me to lift people up with encouraging words, compliment them, speak life to them using words that carry grace and kindness. And if my words are hurtful help me to apologise quickly. Keep my axe-head firmly fastened
Amen
Songs for today:
Create In Me a Clean Heart
May the Words of My Mouth
Friday 10th May
Heavenly Father, why do I need to speak to You? You know what I am going to say before I say it! The Bible tells me, "Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely"
Because this is so, why do I need to speak to You at all? To pray? I wonder if what I heard in my head is the answer? Perhaps even from You? "If you don't say it, then you can so easily deny what you said to Me". I might claim, "I never said that," or "I would never say that" or perhaps even, "I would never think that"
But You know my most intimate thoughts. You know my dark thoughts, my prejudices, my nastiness, my worst plans; and yet You love me anyway. You may not, do not, like many of the things I say, or think, but You love me despite them all. And what is more, You want to take them from me and cast them into the depths of the ocean, as far as the east is from the west, and transform my mind, so I think like You
Do You want me to be open minded, closed minded, narrow minded, broad minded, single minded, double minded? Lord, how do You want me to be? I know You hate double minded, so I must be single minded. I need the mind of Christ. I read yesterday, "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace". You give me 'peace of mind'
Thank You for this: "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind towards each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ". Father be glorified today
Amen
Songs for today:
Mind of Christ - Tim George Jose
Mind of Christ - Natalia Chase
Mind of Christ - Brian Doerksen
Mind of Christ - Kim Gentry Meyer
Thursday 9th May
Heavenly Father, following my prayer yesterday, I found myself asking the question, "Do I believe in the supernatural?" The Bible tells us, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"
Well, this makes it quite clear that there is a supernatural world, a ‘spiritual realm’ that we struggle against; but do I believe this? And there is more to think about! Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God"
How I think, how my mind works, greatly affects my ability to live as You want me to. Is my mind set on what the flesh desires or what Your Spirit desires? If my mind is set on the flesh, I cannot submit to Your Law, nor can I please You: in fact, I am working against You! Lord, this is such a vital question! What do I believe? What do I think? "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"
Lord, I trust in You to supernaturally renew my mind, so I desire what the Spirit desires. "Life and peace..." may this always be so
Amen
Songs for today:
The Power of Your Love
Only You
Wednesday 8th May
Heavenly Father, I looked up the definition of a miracle a few moments ago and read: "an extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency"
It then cited an example: "the miracle of rising from the grave". And added a similar idea to ponder on: "Supernatural phenomenon". On looking up this I find 'supernatural' comes from the "Medieval Latin 'supernaturalis' from Latin super (above, beyond or outside of) + natura (nature)"
In the song I composed recently, based on the idea from Einstein, I wrote: "Spoken: I think therefore I am... A living breathing miracle. Made from the dust I'm a miracle. In God's image a miracle. From the womb to the tomb I'm a miracle... Jesus healed the sick, that's a miracle. Gave sight to the blind, that's a miracle. Raised the dead, that's a miracle. Ev'rything He did was a miracle"
Father, You and Jesus, and I guess angels, live in the Heavenly Realm, the Spiritual Realm, and I suppose the miracles defined when I started this prayer happen when the Heavenly Realm touches our realm; when the supernatural touches the natural. I don't believe You interfere 'willy-nilly' in our affairs because You love us and have given us choice, free will
I do believe You answer prayers, miracles happen, and You are glorified. There will be miracles happening today. It would be wonderful to see one or hear about one today. Thank You for the miracle of life, and the supernatural miracles
Amen
Songs for today:
Voice of Miracles
God of Miracles
Countless Miracles
Tuesday 7th May
Heavenly Father, as I was praying yesterday it occurred to me that the phrase, "I've got your number" is often used in a malicious or malevolent way, carrying some sort of threat. The same goes for the phrase, "I know where you live"
When I was younger, and perhaps sometimes even now, I suppose I thought this was how You acted; like some sort of universal, ever vigilant policeman! I thought of You as watching for mistakes, waiting for me to do something wrong, to judge me and find me guilty, then sentence me to death; sentence me to hell! I now know that this could not be further from the Truth. As I once heard said, "Jesus did not come to rub it in, but to rub it out!"
When thinking about prayer at the weekend, I spent a few minutes jotting down what we can or do pray about. The list is just my first thoughts, and is not exhaustive: 'Help. Healing. Faith. Hope. Assurance. Gifts. Problems. Anxieties. Friends. Family. The lost. The refugee. The war-torn. Thanks. Complaints'
I guess the list could double or treble quite easily, and my conclusion is that we can pray about anything and everything. You are not waiting to pounce on me as soon as I make a mistake! You are waiting to help me, to lift me up and restore me
Part of a prayer on Sunday said, "Forgive us, O God; encourage us, protect us and unite us. In Jesus’ name. Amen". Lord Jesus, thank You that You came to open the gates of heaven and close the gates of hell. You say, "You will go to hell over my dead body!" Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
I Am Free
I Will Build My Church
Why Me Lord
Who Is There Like You
Monday 6th May
Heavenly Father, thank You that You know me. In fact, You have got my number! And because I know Jesus I have Your number and can call You any time, night or day. There are many numbers that help to connect us. Each one is individual. My National Insurance number. My driver's licence. My National Health number. My house address. And the number You have written in me, my DNA. Jesus didn't give me an actual number, but because of Your Spirit in me we are connected every day; I just need to say, "Father", or breathe, or think of You
Lord Jesus, thank You for making me Your friend. You are my Lord and my King, yes, but You made me Your friend too, and therefore I am able to speak to God. You said to Your disciples, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you"
I heard a song yesterday which had the words, "I love you more today than I did yesterday. But I love you less than I will tomorrow". I thought of You, but realised immediately, or perhaps You reminded me, that Your love is perfect and You cannot love me any more or any less than You already do! Perhaps, because I am not perfect, my love can grow; I can love more today than I did yesterday, and love less today than I will tomorrow
Thank You for showing us what real love is, and by Your Spirit enabling us to love like You, a little more every day
Amen
Songs for today:
Lord I'm Grateful - Grace
Jesus Lover of My Soul
I Love You Lord and I Lift My Voice
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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