Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 31/03/2024
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Sunday 31st March
Heavenly Father, there is a saying, "Never put all your eggs in one basket". On this Easter Sunday, RESURRECTION DAY, I would venture to say that we can, with our whole hearts, put all our eggs in Jesus' basket!
Why? Because, unlike some people, You, Jesus, did not cheat death, You beat death! And because of Your resurrection I too will beat death; as will all who trust in Your name. Hallelujah!
The stone is rolled away and You are risen. Glory to God in the highest, who welcomes You home. It is finished. The debt has been paid and we are set free. This glorious transaction was Your doing. You died, but now You live
So now, when I die I too will live. "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory'"
As Jesus said to Martha, "I AM the resurrection and the Life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" And my reply is the same as Martha's, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is come into the world". All my eggs are in Your basket! Safe and sound! Forever!! Thank You
Amen
Songs for today (Easter Sunday)
See What a Morning (Resurrection Hymn)
Battle Belongs
Sunday is Coming
Saturday 30th March
Heavenly Father, a couple of days ago I was praying about how there is no longer any animal sacrifice. Now, the last prophet was Malachi, right? No prophet for over 2,000 years? So what did Malachi say? Amongst other things he spoke Your Word, "Oh, that one of you would shut the Temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you" says the Lord Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands". So, a little while afterwards, no more animal sacrifices
What was wrong with the sacrifices? "When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the Lord Almighty. "When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the Lord. So, You, Lord, came to make the sacrifice Yourself
The One perfect sacrifice, Jesus, Your Son. The Lamb of God, a pure, spotless Lamb. Jesus was tempted, but was "completely sinless, holy, innocent, undefiled!" He "did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth"
Lord Jesus, our sinless Saviour, thank You for dying in my place, and through Your death freeing me, and everyone who trusts in You, from bondage to sin. "My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth, and followed Thee". Following You Lord. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
And Can It Be
I Am Chosen I Am Free (Nothing Holding Back)
Before the Throne of God Above
Friday 29th March
Heavenly Father, it is so easy to be tempted! As we prayed yesterday two phrases, which I assume come from the world of fishermen, came to mind: 'Don't rise to the bait' and 'Don't get hooked'
The enemy will use any means possible to tempt us, and is very clever at disguising temptation. He will use our own weaknesses, our loves, anything we delight in, anything at all to "lead us into temptation" which is why, I guess, Jesus told us to ask You to, "deliver us from evil"
The enemy is not worried at all about using other people to lead us into temptation; he will wreck relationships within families, between friends, neighbours, in work situations if he thinks he can get us hooked. Addictions begin with a first temptation and once we are hooked it is so hard to break free
We are warned in scripture about envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice, about discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder, about being God-haters, insolent, boastful, disobedient to parents, with no understanding, no fidelity, no love and no mercy. Quite a list of things to avoid!
I don't suppose anyone sets out to be any of the above, but we know it happens; we just need to look at the world around us! And I guess we also need to look within ourselves. I believe fishermen use different kinds of bait to lure different kinds of fish. Help me to see where the bait of satan has been laid, to rise not to the bait and not get hooked. Deliver me from evil, please. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Guide me O Thou Great Redeemer
Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Endless Praise
Thursday 28th March
Heavenly Father, there is no longer any sacrifice of animals. Today is the day the Passover is celebrated; commemorating when the angel of death passed over houses where blood was sprinkled on the door posts. The Passover meal was the last celebration meal Jesus had with the disciples before He was arrested
All of this is significant in remembering Jesus' road to the cross. Jesus said, "Destroy this Temple and I will raise it again in three days". The Bible then explains, "But the Temple He had spoken of was His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken"
The writer to the Hebrews says, "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this Priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool. For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy"
Jesus is the One perfect sacrifice who takes away the sins of the world. No further sacrifice is necessary, other than this, "I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship"
Thank You that Jesus' blood is sufficient for all
Amen
Songs for today:
Your Grace Is Sufficient For Me
Sufficient For Today
How Great Thou Art
Faithful God
Wednesday 27th March
Heavenly Father, a few words from the traditional wedding vows came into my mind, "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish always". I know You keep these vows for each of Your children. In the best and worst of times You remain faithful
I can hear Your voice resonating within me, as You declared to all of creation, "I, God, take you, Derek, to be my child!". The adoption papers were signed in Heaven as my name was added to the Lamb's Book of Life. The adoption signed not in ink, but with the blood of Jesus. From the day I 'signed up' the day I said "Yes" to Jesus, I have been safe in Your hands
At that moment my name was written in the book and nothing and no one can erase it. The blood of Jesus is a permanent ink. Rolling back through the pages of the 'Book of Life' I can see many famous names: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joseph, Elijah, Elisha, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, Abigail, Mary, Mary Magdalene, and all the disciples
Jesus has saved us all, both before and after His life, death, and resurrection. I don't know how You did this, how You still do it, because Your ways are different to mine. As You say, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts"
How You love us is amazing, Way beyond my understanding. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Safe in Your Hands
Your Ways Are Higher Than Mine
How You Love
Tuesday 26th March
Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us, "And God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light". But also there was colour. No light, no colour. Your Light brought colour into the world
Thank You that we live in a world full of colour. The variety of shades of a single colour is amazing. When we think of a tree, especially when drawing a tree as a child, we tend to colour it with a brown trunk and green leaves. But the reality is that trees can be a whole myriad of colours. A search for emojis shows this assumption! (At least it did when I did a search a moment ago! A fir tree, an oak, and a palm tree; all brown and green) One of the great things about visiting the aquarium near where I live, is the amazing colours of the fish in the many tanks
Also the skies as the day closes, it may be blue, but often it is red or orange or black or grey; or any number of colours. All because You said, "Let there be light". We sometimes hear it said, "Variety is the spice of life". You certainly love variety!
When we look around us there so much variety, not just in trees, but in everything! Including us, people. Every one of us unique individuals, each with our own thoughts and opinions, loves and hates. Just like You; made in Your image. Even Jesus seemed to have His favourites, although He loves us all the same
Thank You for giving us all freedom to choose, such love do You have for us. When I go out today, open my eyes to see the beauty of the world You have created, in colour, not black and white!
Amen
Songs for today:
Look At the World
For the Beauty of the Earth
Falling (mainly for the video, look at the trees!)
Monday 25th March
Heavenly Father, thank You for the historical evidence that there is for the existence of Jesus. Thank You for those who have investigated and found the evidence to be true
This is exactly what Luke did, in order to write his Gospel! It begins: "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught". Words like "eyewitnesses... carefully investigated... certainty..." lead me to believe that what Luke wrote is the Truth
An eyewitness, John, writes: "We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and Truth"
And in another letter writes: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life"
Jesus said to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed"
I have not "heard... seen... looked at... touched" but I believe and therefore I am blessed! May those still struggling to find the Truth find Jesus today
Amen
Songs for today and testimony of evidence:
You're Not Done
I Surrender All
Jesus? Testimony of Evidence
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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