January 2019
New Year Prayer Thought from Wendy
We are entering a New Year. 2018 has gone and we have exciting new beginnings. There will be new spiritual adventures and risks to take, as we lean on God, learn from God, and allow Him to lead us. God’s covenant promise, repeated time and time again in the Old testament, is“I will be with you.” It was endorsed by Jesus in His final words to the disciples: “I am with you always to the end of the age. (Matthew28.:30). Remember! Jesus has made a binding statement, which steadies us, supports us, inspires us, and enables us to live in communion with Him, and to know His presence every passing hour.
We have so much to be thankful for, so much to thank God for.. Our hearts should be overflowing with thankfulness, not least as we appreciate who we are. As human beings living on planet earth we are special I share reasons for our thanking God.
1) God made us – male and female-2 in His image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26-27). By being created in God’s image we have the ability to think spiritually. God has given us the capacity to love and worship Him, to reflect His nature. Thank Him for this privilege.
2) God sustains us by His breath – His Spirit – giving us life. (Genesis 2:7b). Just before His death Jesus promised His followers that they would receive the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, to abide with them forever,” and be in them”.(John 14:16-17). We thank God that the Holy Spirit is at work in us, drawing us closer to Him.
3) You and I are made as God’s work of art, each of us a unique person. The prophet Isaiah spoke of us being carefully fashioned by a craftsman, a potter, so that no two of us are exactly alike. “Yet, O Lord, you are our father. we are the clay, and you are our potter, and we are the work of your hand.” (64:8). The Psalmist found himself praising God for His personal care in forming him. “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works: that I know very well.” (13:13-14).
4) God had a plan in creating us. We were created in His image to display His glory, the beauty of His presence. The writer of Hebrews speaking of Jesus, God’s Son, said: “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.” (1:3). He is God’s glory revealed. Jesus challenges us to shine, and channel, the glory of God in the Sermon on the Mount. “You are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). Here is our reason for living. We ought to remind ourselves of this day by day. We are to live in such a way that we make God more visible to others. The Amplified Bible helps us to understand how. “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble an good deeds and recognise and honour and praise and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Pause/Pray is a free series of Bible reflections, available as a podcast or download. They include original music, guided prayers and themes related to daily life. A new one is available each fortnight. To stream or download the episodes or subscribe to the podcast go to iTunes or your regular podcast app.https://www.engageworship.org/pausepray
United Christian Broadcasters (UCB)
UCB produce a great daily devotional which is recommend by our church. It is a helpful reflection on a very short daily Bible reading which helps readers to apply Biblical truths to their everyday lives. Click on the link below to read or listen to the UCB ‘Word for Today’
https://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today
Our Diocesan Prayer.
Heavenly Father, we embrace Your call for us to make disciples, to be witnesses and to grow leaders. Give us the eyes to see Your vision, ears to hear the prompting of Your Spirit and courage to follow in the footsteps of your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN
This Prayer Page
This page is a focus for our prayer life at All Saints. We believe that earnest, thoughtful, regular and honest prayer is the key to our individual and collective relationship with our wonderful Creator, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If you want to share a prayer or prayers on this page, do not hesitate to contact us with your thoughts. If there is a situation that you wish to bring before God and would like us to be mindful of as a Church family, share it with us. We want to share together what we want to say to Him.