Morning Prayer based on Northumbria Community Prayers and Moravian Readings

Monday 16 January 2023

Pause

As I enter prayer now;
I pause to be still;
to breathe slowly;
to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God

Preperation

Watchwords

Watchword for the Week

God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9

I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me.

Psalm 71:23

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Colossians 1:11-12

Prayer

God of constant delight, we thank you for your unlimited grace given to us. We stand with all those who have gone before us in a community of light that gives hope and healing. Amen.

Opening sentences

In your name Papa, Jesus and Spirit. Amen

The one thing I ask of the Lord — the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord ’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

Psalm 27:4

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:30-1

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19

Declaration of faith

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God. ”

John 6:68-69

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Today’s Scripture Reading

O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude

O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! Show favor to the one you have anointed.

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

Psalm 84:8-12

Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, “Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group.”

One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the pot without realizing they were poisonous. Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “Man of God, there’s poison in this stew!” So they would not eat it.

Elisha said, “Bring me some flour.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat.” And then it did not harm them.

One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought the man of God a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, “Give it to the people so they can eat.”

“What?” his servant exclaimed. “Feed a hundred people with only this?”

But Elisha repeated, “Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the Lord says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!” And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the Lord had promised.

2 Kings 4:38-44

Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”

Mark 7:31-37

Today’s Meditation

Aidan’s statue, Holy Island

Aidan stands.
His head is
close to the
heart of the
cross.

His eyes,
far-seeing,
scan the
horizon,
the joyous
venturing
of little boats.

A torch burns
clearly in his
grasp, a
faithful challenge
in his generation,
meeting,
listening,
heart-connecting.

In his shadow
is a place I covet,
a challenge
in a present time
and confluence of cultures.

Aidan, let me lie down in your shadow.
While I live may I be the shadow of
a Rock in a weary land, a shelter
from the heat.

Andy Raine

Prayers for others

OMS Prayers

Open Doors World Watch List

Pray for Maldives

Father God, enlighten and encourage secret believers in the Maldives as they reach out to You in faith. Embolden expatriate Christians working there to reveal Your heart toward everyone they encounter. Move the hearts of government officials, ultimately allowing Christians to worship openly and minister throughout the country. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Canticle

Jesus, as my light, illuminate and guide me.
As my shield, protect me.
Jesus lift me up; direct me;
Come alongside me, on my left and on my right.

Today be my core and aroma, gently powerfully
In the heart of those I speak to; and speak to me through them.

Today be my center and encircle me with Your powerful love.
You are my light, my shield.
You are on my left and on my right.

Blessing

Your peace go with me, wherever You take me.
Guide me when I am lost. Protect me when I am scared.
Bring me home rejoicing at the wonders You have shown me.
Bring me home rejoicing once again into my flat.

In your name Papa, Jesus and Spirit. Amen

Closing Prayer

Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.
Amen.