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Dear fellow pray-er,
Prayer Diary for the period Thursday 31st October – Wednesday 18th December 2024.
I find it challenging to see that in the first reading in Leviticus, in this edition of the Prayer Diary, there is a reminder that we need to have a continual connection with the holy presence of God. The lamps are to be kept burning continually! Can we try to keep the lamps of our hearts, continually lit. We learn of how to treat the land, and of the year of jubilee. Two things that struck me – “do not take advantage of each other” and “the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.” Does anyone these days consider this? We then take a brief look in Numbers at the duties of a Nazarite, which reminds me of Sampson and John the Baptist. Then next, the Book of Daniel. What an account of total faith. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the whole book. It relates early events in the lives of Daniel and his three friends, but the emphasis is on Daniel's decisions. These choices show us the basis for his character, and abilities and accounted for the unusually long and successful career that he enjoyed in the service of several monarchs. His godly character provides a key concerning God's choice of him to receive and tell of the remarkable revelations of the future, that this book contains. He was a humble man and I would draw your attention to Chapter 2:30 where, when interpreting a dream Nebuchadnezzar the king had had, he said “30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.” Also, his boldness when interpreting the 'writing on the wall’. He had total trust that God was with him. I would also highlight Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9. O that we as a Benefice, a Diocese, a nation would cry out to the Lord in this fashion then we might see his mighty works for ourselves. You might be interested in listening to Professor John Lennox, an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, talking about Daniel. He brings some great insights in an interesting and disarming way. https://youtu.be/TNlC3TWCltU?feature=shared
Our final foray into the Old Testament is Isaiah and in Chapter 40 we find a wonderful piece of scripture and so encouraging. Are you being called to “go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”” Say to the villages of Farleigh, Candovers and Wield, “Here is your God!”
Our time in the New Testament continues with the last two chapters of Paul’s letter to Titus, a Greek Gentile (cf. Galatians 2:3), who is in Crete. Here, I noticed in 3:5 “5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”. Have you been renewed by the Holy Spirit? We all need that.
Turn the page for the following Epistle to Philemon. Notice that in this Epistle Paul does not describe himself to his dear friend as an apostle as he does in many other letters. Nor does he flaunt his authority as an Apostle but rather appeals in love to Philemon for Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave who had escaped from his master Philemon. It seems that when Onesimus escaped, he fled to Rome and met Paul. Paul, though under house arrest by the Romans, led Onesimus to faith in Jesus Christ (who became my son while I was in chains). Note, Onesimus means profitable. Now that he was a Christian, Onesimus could now live up to his name as he takes this gracious letter to Philemon.
We then turn to the last Book of the New Testament – Revelation. So much has been written about this book. However, as you read the first three chapters I would challenge you to ask God to show you which of the seven churches is most like the one you belong to. And then, to ask Him what He wants you to do. You may like to consider the worship described in Chapter 7 and again in Chapter 19. Does it not remind us of how awesome our God is?
And so, to Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians who lived on the shore of the Aegean Sea. Paul wanted to express his thanks and praise for the Thessalonian believers, to encourage the Christians in Thessalonica, to defend himself against attacks by his enemies, to exhort his readers to stand firm in persecution to encourage them to continue growing in Christ, to clarify the "fate" of Christians who die before the Lord's return and to urge his them to watch for the Lord to return. Finally, he deals with certain aspect of church life. I encourage you, as you read these letters from Paul, to read them as if they are personally addressed to you and then see what comes to your mind.
God still speaks to us today and we pray that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that
you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the
saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19)
May God bless you,
Peter and Sylvia