Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 17/08/2025
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Saturday 16th August
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your sacrifice. Jesus makes joyfulness possible even in difficult circumstances. Even when things are tough You help us, You lift us up, and often You carry us. Even in our times of disobedience You do not abandon us, instead You "deliver us from evil"
It may take a while for us to recognise how much You love us and that Your Way is the best, but You never give up on us. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"
In the Bible the Israelites wandered for forty years in the wilderness after their Exodus from Egypt. Despite all You had done for them, their time in the wilderness was due to their lack of faith and disobedience. Many people live in the wilderness today. Despite all You have done for them, and all that You do for them, they continue to wander aimlessly, choosing to go round in circles instead of knowing the right path that will lead them home: Jesus
We say: "Home is where the heart is." Our home is with You, but so often our hearts are not with You, so we end up lost and wandering, seeking satisfaction in many wrong places. It takes time for us to realise that a 'Golden Calf' can't save us; it can't do anything for us. Only You can help us to find true Joy in this life, and prepare us for the next in eternity
Lord Jesus, help me to trust You today. Help me to be on the right path with You. If we are walking with the Lord we are on the right path. If we're on the right path we are walking with the Lord. Thank You that we can trust You to lead us home. "I've got joy in the morning, joy in the evening, You keep me dancing in every season. Whatever comes tomorrow, I've got joy"
Amen.
Songs for today:
Joy (What the world calls foolish)
Deliver us
Praise (Let everything that has breath)
No-one but You Lord (Only You)
Friday 15th August
Heavenly Father, occasionally I read in the sports pages that: "The writing is on the wall." Usually this is about something that is about to happen. A run of bad results indicate that a football manager is about to be sacked. The scores in a cricket match show that the result is really a formality. A scandal involving a politician means that their position is now untenable and they will be called upon to resign. In all of these situations we might say that "The writing is on the wall"
When I was teaching, a 'set work' for O level was Belshazzar's Feast. Daniel was called to King Belshazzar at a great feast he had, where he used the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. During the feast, a hand had appeared and written on the wall. The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to explain the meaning of the words but no one could interpret them
The queen told the king that there was a man who could interpret the words, Daniel. He told the king: “This is the inscription that was written: 'mene, mene, tekel, parsin.' Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” For the king, the writing was on the wall. Your Word tells us: "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two"
Lord Jesus, thank You that Your sacrifice means that the writing for us is not on the wall but is in the Lamb's Book of Life. Speaking of Heaven You tell us: "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."
How are our names entered in the book? By trusting in the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all impurity, guilt and shame. There, but for the grace of God, go I. Thank You Jesus
Amen
Songs for today:
The Lamb's Book of Life
The writing on the wall
Salvation belongs to our God
Belshazzar's Feast - William Walton
Thursday 14th August
Heavenly Father, thank You for having Your hand upon my life. Some people will say that it is just coincidence, but I believe it is a clear sign to me that You know me and You love me
Over by the last 24 hours three songs have appeared online as I was watching some old football highlights and looking forward to the new season on various podcasts. The songs and their titles are all things that helped me through the day: 'You're with me' 'God I surrender all my fears to You' and 'God and I leave it all to You.' The first words in the first song reminded me of Your constant presence: "I know You're here, I'm not alone, Your gentle voice will lead me home." I was reminded also that whatever comes we know we are safe
The opening lines of the second song reinforced my belief that You know me, love me and care about me. "I’ve been holding on too tight, to the things I cannot change. Trying hard to fake the light, while my heart is full of pain; but You whisper in the silence, 'Child, you’re safe with Me tonight.' So I’m laying down my worries at the feet of Jesus Christ". King David, writing before Jesus lived, wrote: "I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
The third song opened with words that showed You know exactly what is going on inside me, in my heart. "I’ve been trying to fix this, fighting hard, wearing thin, praying for a breakthrough, but I’m breaking from within. Tired of pretending that I’m strong enough to stand, so I fall down on my knees again, with open, trembling hands." And the song then tells me what I must do. "God, I leave it all to You, every worry, every wound. You know what I can’t carry, so I’ll trust You to get me through. I don’t have to understand, I just have to let go too. God, I leave it all to You"
Lord Jesus, You are strong when I am weak. I put this day into Your hands, trusting in Your strength alone to care for me and those I love. I'm sure there are many others who feel like this. I pray for them too. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
You're with me
God I surrender all my fears to You
God I leave it all to You
Wednesday 13th August
Heavenly Father, I guess a lot of what we say is learned language. I reckon millions of people every morning say exactly the same thing. "Good morning. How are you? Did you sleep well? Have a good day." And the responses are probably similar too. "Morning! Fine thanks. Very well thanks. You too"
Or various other responses, similar in nature across the spectrum, to: "Hello. Feeling awful. Hardly slept a wink! My day is looking terrible, non-stop all day; doubt I'll have time to even eat!" I'm always coming across stock phrases; two struck me yesterday: "Necessity is the mother of invention" and "Needs must where the devil drives." I thought about both phrases and wondered if they could be applied to Jesus coming into the world
I am aware that this is rather fanciful, but Lord I did find my pondering interesting. Our need for a Saviour brought Jesus to live among us. Our need to be shown what You are like as a person brought You to earth in human form. Our need to understand the scripture brought the Word as flesh. Our need to be redeemed, bought back, was met at the cross. Our need, and the cost, of healing was paid for by the blood of Jesus. Our need for forgiveness was fulfilled in Your words on the cross. You invented all this because of our need. And our need in the broken world we live in was started when Your enemy and mine, satan, spoke to Eve in the Garden of Eden, tempting her, and then Adam, to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So much of our need is driven by the devil, and our only way to deal with him is to submit to You
Thank You Jesus, for doing everything we need to be saved. Thank You that we can resist the devil and he must flee when we submit to You. Help me to remember to turn to You whenever the enemy rears his ugly head
Amen
Songs for today:
I will carry you
Truth
From the squalor of a borrowed stable
All my days (Beautiful Saviour)
Tuesday 12th August
Heavenly Father, whenever I enter a dark room the first thing I do is try to find the light switch and put on the light. It means I can see what is in the room and see any potential trip hazards. It is safer being in the light. It doesn't mean I won't trip up, but it is less likely to happen
When I drive my car at night, one of the things I do is to switch on the lights. This helps me to see and be seen. When walking in the dark even a small beam of light from a torch can help to light the way, shining on the path a few feet ahead. We live in a dark world; even in the day time there is darkness
We sometimes describe people as being 'shady'. Things may not always be as they seem. You spoke Your Word to me yesterday: "See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you." If I want to see the world clearly, I need Your Light to shine
The Psalmist recognised the need for Your Word: "Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a Light on my path." He also recognised the wisdom of following Your Way: "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the Law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart - they do no wrong but follow his ways"
Lord Jesus, Light of the world, You set Your face toward Jerusalem, knowing Your Father was with You, trusting His Word: "Because the Sovereign Lord helps Me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set My face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame." You went to Jerusalem, knowing You would be disgraced and shamed by men, but knowing You would be glorified by God
You looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began"
You are the epitome of the saying: "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Your disgrace paid the glorious price for us to live eternally. Help me to live my life trusting in You, the Way, the Truth and the Life
Amen
Songs for today:
Show me Your ways
The Jesus Way
Your words are wonderful
Monday 11th August
Heavenly Father, when I was very young my Dad would often call to me, as I slept in the morning: "Wakey, wakey! Rise and shine!" I'm sure my Dad wasn't the only one to say this, and the fact it has an online entry indicates this. I realise that what he said had more significance than I ever thought; it was a command and an encouragement to get up out of bed and be an influence in the world
Lord Jesus, You said to Your disciples: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven"
Every day I am to rise and shine, do good things and glorify You, my Lord and God. I wonder if this saying actually has its roots in Your Word? The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you"
Every day as the sun rises, Your glory shines upon us and we are to reflect Your brightness. And every day the Son is risen and His Light is within us. You said: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life”. I have the Light of Life in me! Your Light shining through me! "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His Light shine in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ"
I also remember as a young child singing: "Jesus bids us shine, with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness, we must shine, you in your small corner, and I in mine." I cannot change the whole world, but I can be an influence for good in my small corner
Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit, shine brightly in me, and out of me today. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Jesus bids us shine
Mighty to save
Let your light shine
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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