Song: Love Divine
Love divine all loves excelling - YouTube
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 9
Prayer:
Lord, we are often aware of what we lack, but we know that you are with us. We give thanks for friends, brains, imagination, the fruitful earth and time to enjoy them. We know that you hold us in the palm of your hand, and are thankful.
Lord, we acknowledge you as King of Kings. We pray for our new king, Charles III. Give him wisdom to rule for the benefit of the people.
We pray for all leaders, the government and councillors. We pray that they will be aware of their responsibilities, and use the resources available to them for the good of all.
Song: Jesus is King,
Jesus is King and I Will Extol Him (Singing the Faith 327 / StF 327) - YouTube
Reading: John’s gospel, chapter 6, verses 1 to 15
Prayer; this is a difficult subject for many people. It is a means of deepen our relationship with God. It is often associated with a feeling of guilt. It is a bit like healthy living, we know we should do it, but we feel that everyone else does it better than we do!
At the end of our reading, we hear of Jesus withdrawing from the crowd. We are left to wonder whether he was tempted to let the people make him King. Does this compare with the temptations he experienced at the start of his ministry, and are recorded elsewhere.? But, he goes up by himself, away from his disciples, to work things out.
What is prayer, what is it for? It is a way of finding out about ourselves. It is not a shopping list!
Just as the crowd wanted to make Jesus something, we need to reflect on what people want us to be.
The world wants us to be a consumer. When we watch the commercials, ask “Can a shampoo really achieve so much?”
God knows us. He has no agenda beyond love. He is the one who0 helps us to “find ourselves”.
How do we pray?
Begin with praise and thanksgiving. This enables us to remember who God is. Then, we can go to our requests.
We can’t always build trips up into the hills into our routine. Where can we put time aside? When I was at work, I could set time aside to pray on the bus whilst travelling home.
If you don’t have a routine, start one today.
Susanna Wesley, mother of John, had 10 children. She taught them all to read (unusual for the girls on that era) and only then did she teach them to sew. When she needed her quiet time, she would lift her apron over her head. This was her tabernacle, and the children knew not to disturb her.
In the recent coronation, at the time of the anointing, screens were erected as a symbol of withdrawal. This was the king’s time of private prayer.
We can pray any where, because God is everywhere. We are the ones who need to make the time.
Song: What a friend we have in Jesus
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