Hi Everyone,
Guess what I'm going to say? That's right, there are 3 days until we move from a daily Pause Ponder and Pray email to a short daily prayer text message and a weekly midweek musings email. If you have already signed up to Midweek Musings and have given us permission to text you, this will come automatically. If not, but you would like to receive it, you will need to let Gordon know so that he can add you to the list.
With love
Jess
Pause
Take a moment now to recognise that you are in the presence of God. It might help to slow your breathing. Take a few deep breaths in and out.
Let’s pray together:
Give us the joy of your saving help
and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.
We say together our family prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Ponder
Today’s reading is Luke 11:14-26
Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
Pray
Lord Jesus, thank you that you came to be amongst us. Help me to truly understand what it means to be with you. Amen
Say a prayer today for those who do not know God or feel far from him.
On our church list today we pray for:
Sueli Neves
Dawn, Reuben and Luke Owen-Harris
Let’s finish by praying this blessing:
May the almighty and merciful Lord,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us.
Amen.
Guess what I'm going to say? That's right, there are 3 days until we move from a daily Pause Ponder and Pray email to a short daily prayer text message and a weekly midweek musings email. If you have already signed up to Midweek Musings and have given us permission to text you, this will come automatically. If not, but you would like to receive it, you will need to let Gordon know so that he can add you to the list.
With love
Jess
Pause
Take a moment now to recognise that you are in the presence of God. It might help to slow your breathing. Take a few deep breaths in and out.
Let’s pray together:
Give us the joy of your saving help
and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.
We say together our family prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Ponder
Today’s reading is Luke 11:14-26
Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
- Why do you think Jesus’ miracles caused some people to think he was evil?
- What do you think Jesus meant when he said whoever is not with me is against me?
- What is Jesus saying to you today?
Pray
Lord Jesus, thank you that you came to be amongst us. Help me to truly understand what it means to be with you. Amen
Say a prayer today for those who do not know God or feel far from him.
On our church list today we pray for:
Sueli Neves
Dawn, Reuben and Luke Owen-Harris
Let’s finish by praying this blessing:
May the almighty and merciful Lord,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us.
Amen.
RSS Feed