Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 20/07/2025
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Sunday 20th July
Heavenly Father, I remember from when I was very young watching the Sooty Show, with glove puppets Sooty and Sweep. They starred with Harry Corbett and later his son Matthew Corbett. Sooty had a magic wand and used the words "Izzy whizzy let's get busy" whenever he used it
My favourite character was always Sweep, as he always seemed to create havoc, perhaps a bit like me when I was a kid, but also his squeak was so expressive and funny. "Izzy whizzy let's get busy" getting busy may often seem like the solution to many problems we face, but that isn't always the Way You see things. You said to King David: "Be still, and know that I AM God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth"
You told Samuel to say to the people of Israel: "Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes". And You sent thunder and rain just as Samuel said You would. Moses said to the people: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" While the Israelites watched, You drowned the Egyptians in the Red Sea!
Lord Jesus, when visited two sisters, Mary and Martha, Martha rushed around getting things ready while Mary sat at Your feet listening. This bugged Martha, who complained to You. You said to her: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her"
Help me to remember that sometimes the best thing is to be still, not get busy, but sit at Your feet and listen, and see what You can do
Amen
Songs for today:
Be still for the presence of the Lord
Still / Be still and know that I AM God
The battle belongs to the Lord
The Sooty Show - Izzy whizzy let's get busy
Saturday 19th July
Heavenly Father, I'll be travelling today, as, of course, will be many others. Some journeys will be short and others long, some will be on foot, some in a car, others on buses, trains, boats, or planes. Each journey will have its ups and downs, some will be trouble free and others will encounter problems
As we travel through time and space, (I don't mean outer space) through life, there are also ups and downs; different experiences that can change us, change our mood and change our attitude. As I travel today, keep me alert and keep me holy. Help me to have the same mindset as Jesus
The Bible tells me: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
It is easy to put myself in the centre of everything, expecting life to revolve around me; but if I do that I know I will be heading for continual disappointments. Help me to remember that life is full of troubles, but to not allow them to change my mindset. The world around me is not in my control, but I can be in control of myself; it is part of the fruit of Your Spirit. Whatever comes today help me to enjoy the journey remembering You are with me and that together we can manage anything. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Jesus be the centre
Turn your eyes
With You
Friday 18th July
Heavenly Father, thank You for the sermon in church, last Sunday, which focussed on the parable of 'The Good Samaritan'. It really got me thinking about the love story that the parable tells, and in particular the character and love of the Samaritan
The Jews and the Samaritans hated each other, and the preacher pointed out that the hatred was similar to that of some football supporters, like that of Newcastle and Sunderland, the Magpies and the Mackems. The preacher was a Magpie and I'm a Mackem but our differences are put aside because we both love Jesus. (Even if it were a Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock, and the match was about to kick off, I'm sure we would still love each other!)
Another parallel of the relationship in the parable might be a Jew and a member of Hamas! There is real hatred there, murderous hatred. The cost to the Samaritan was more than we may realise at first. The temptation to leave the Jew lying at the side of the road must have been immense; perhaps even to kick him again... and again before passing by? But the Samaritan didn't do either of those things! Instead of passing by he "bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine... put him on his own donkey... brought him to an inn and took care of him," offering to pay the innkeeper to "look after him." This was a dangerous thing to do on a road notorious for robbers
The preacher described this as "courageous, inconvenient, sacrificial love". It is the love we are called to show in our lives as Your followers. It is the love You showed to us, "the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God"
Lord Jesus, it is the love You showed throughout Your ministry and in giving Your life for us on the cross. Help me to 'pick up my cross' to show the same love to anyone I meet today, friend or foe; any differences must make no difference
Thank You for loving me so much that You did not pass by, You did not ignore me, You do not 'put the boot in’; instead You bandage me, heal me and put others around me to look after me, paying for everything with Your own blood. What a faithful God You are. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Reckless love
Mighty Name of Jesus
You comfort me
What a faithful God have I
Thursday 17th July
Heavenly Father, I wonder how many people feel as though they are the only one left who cares? Perhaps when a person is the only one who turns up to a prayer meeting? Or a pastor looks out over an empty church? Or when only one person comes to tidy a churchyard?
I guess this was how Elijah felt when he said: "I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left..." Later he spoke to You, saying: "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too"
I am sure King David felt all alone when he wrote: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?"
Jesus, too must have felt this desolation when He felt deserted on the cross, quoting David: "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice , 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?')"
But You said to Elijah: "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel - all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him"
And having raised Jesus from the dead, later, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the Gospel, pleading to the people, saying: "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation"
Your Word tells us: "Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." It is quite amazing how often You turn up, by Your Spirit, with the right person, or the right Scripture, or the right song, to reassure us that we are not alone and that You care
Lord Jesus, on days when I feel like I am the only one who cares, remind me I am never alone; not only are You with me but I can trust Your Word: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fishing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"
Even though we may be unfaithful, You are faithful, our Good Shepherd, so we are never alone. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
O come all you unfaithful
I shall not want
Wednesday 16th July
Heavenly Father, thank You for the many creeds that have appeared over the years which act as reminders of who You are and what You have done for us
There are two ancient creeds that I have learned in church, as well as the 'Icthus'. The Apostles creed, dating back to the earliest days of the church, begins: "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son..." There follows some details about Jesus' life, and then states: "I believe in the Holy Spirit". The Trinity expressed in statements of faith and belief, leading to what is offered to those who trust in You: "the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting"
The Nicene creed, from the fourth century, is similar, beginning: "I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible". It took goes on to talk about Jesus giving more details about His life: "I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ the Only Begotten Son of God..." And again states: "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life..." An affirmation of belief in the Trinity, One God in three persons
The Ichthus, the 'Jesus fish' was a secret symbol in the persecuted early church, an acronym in Greek 'Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr' meaning: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. Thank You for these statements of belief and the many songs that have been written in recent years based on the same Truth
You know how quickly we forget so have given us permanent reminders. Your commandments, written in stone and Your sacrifice, written in blood are also reminders to us of who You are and Your love for us. Help me to remember what I know to be the Truth. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Song of the saints
This I believe (creed song)
I believe in Jesus
We believe in God the Father
Tuesday 15th July
Heavenly Father, I forgot to mention the millions of other things You do for us! And I will never be able to of course, for Your goodness and kindness are infinite
A few things did spring into my mind though: light, where would we be without light? Fumbling around in the dark I'm sure! That's how a lot of people live because they won't come to Jesus, the Light of the world. Lord Jesus thank You for helping us to see more and more clearly as You shine brighter and brighter
Thank You for crops that grow; we may think they grow on their own, but it is You that makes it happen. Thank You for the grass under our feet! Thank You for meat to eat. I know some people only eat vegetables and fruit, which is fine, but thank You that You showed us that meat is fine too. Peter's vision was about more than food, it was about Jews, Gentiles and the Gospel, but I think it was true about food too
Thank You for the skills You give us, music for me! Thank You for instruments to play, but also for everyone's hands that clap and feet that tap, bodies that sway and dance, our sense of rhythm. And, of course, thank You for our voices , that can sing and shout Your praise, that can sing in unison and in harmony
Thank You for carpenters (one in particular) and plumbers, and builders and stonemasons, for electricians and engineers, and shopkeepers and deliverymen and women
And thank You for this: this is what the Lord says — He who created you: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life... Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands"
What has God ever done for me? Everything! Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
No greater love
God so Loved the World
Way Maker
Monday 14th July
Heavenly Father, I occasionally hear someone say: "What has God ever done for me?" When I thought about this, a number of thoughts quickly filled my mind. What about every breath that we take? You put the "breath of life" into us and we "became a living being"
And now You sustain us by the power of Your Word. You have given us sight; everything that we can see is part of Your creation. You have given us ears to hear, the birds singing, dogs barking, the wind in the trees, our conversation. You have given us touch, so we can feel the things we have around us, the roughness of tree bark or the softness of satin or silk, the skin of another human being. And You have given us a sense of smell, the sweet fragrance of a rose or the pungent odours, sometimes warning us that milk or an egg has 'gone off'
Every beat of our heart is testament to Your goodness, every pulse of blood around our body, every cleansing through the kidneys and the productivity of the liver, are part of Your incredible design to keep us alive. The food we eat and the water and wine we drink are daily reminders of our reliance on You, not only to keep us alive but also of Your sacrifice on our behalf. And feelings!
You have given us feelings that we may love one another and love You. We know heartache and grief, we know joy and sadness, we know a whole range of feelings because we are made in Your image and we feel because You feel. You were an invisible God, a pillar of cloud in the day and by night a pillar of fire, but then You became one of us, so we could know You fully in Jesus
You became a living, breathing, seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, loving God with a heart like ours, so we could have a heart like Yours. "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls"
Forgiveness, flowing from the cross, is another thing You have done for us. Thank You for everything You do for us, and have done for us, and will do for us
Amen
Songs for today:
Invisible God
It all belongs to You
Simply Jesus
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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