Give us grace to live faithfully in a caring community today, where we give and receive support and encouragement through prayer and through gifts

^1:8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. ⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, ¹⁰…

Give us grace to belong to Jesus Christ today, living faithfully, as he lived faithfully, not being afraid of anything which brings death, but having peace arising from the power of his resurrection from the dead

^1:1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, ²which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³concerning…

Heavenly Father
give us grace to notice others today and share their joys and sorrows 

40 After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, . 
² Pharaoh ³ put them in the prison, where ⁴ The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days. ⁵ They both dreamed a dream, in one night,
^6…

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an…

Heavenly father
give us grace to rejoice in humble circumstances

⁹ But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; 
¹⁰ and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. 
¹¹ For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls,
and the beauty of its appearance perishes…

⁵ By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us,
    God of our salvation.
You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth,
    of those who are far away on the sea.
⁶ By your power, you form the mountains,
    ⁷ You still the roaring of the seas.    
⁸ They also who dwell in faraway places are afraid at your…

Heavenly Father, our maker
give us grace to trust in your saving power, even when you are hidden from us

¹¹ Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel
    and his Maker says:
“You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons,
    and you command me concerning the work of my hands!
¹² I have made the earth, and created man on it.
¹³ I have raised him up in righteousness…

Heavenly father
give us grace to express our deep longing to be with you, even when we don’t know what that would look like

¹¹ But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping.
So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, 
¹² and she saw two angels in white sitting,
one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 
¹³ …

Heavenly father
give us grace to see evidence of the kingdom and believe it.

The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first. 
⁵ Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in. 
⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb.
He saw the linen cloths lying, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on his…

Heavenly Father
give us grace to trust you as our father to bring forth righteousness and salvation in us and for us in your own ways 

⁸ Rain, you heavens, from above,
    and let the skies pour down righteousness.
Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation,
    and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it.
I, Yahweh, have created it.

^9 …

¹ Praise waits for you, God, in Zion.
    Vows shall be performed to you.
² You who hear prayer,
    all men will come to you.
³ Sins overwhelmed me,
    but you atoned for our transgressions.
⁴ Blessed is the one whom you choose and cause to come near,
    that he may live in your courts…

Heavenly father
give us grace to refrain from doing what is wrong, whatever the consequences are,
and open our eyes to see your grace whatever our circumstances

⁶ Joseph was well-built and handsome. 
⁷ His master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
⁸ But he refused, and said to his master’s wife,
“Behold, my master has put all that he has into my hand. 
⁹ How then…

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4…

Heavenly father
give us grace to ask for wisdom in faith without doubting

⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 
⁶ But let him ask in faith, without any doubting,
for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. 
⁷ For that man shouldn’t think that he…

⁷ But God will shoot at them.
    They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.
⁸ Their own tongues shall ruin them.
    All who see them will shake their heads.
⁹ All mankind shall be afraid.
    They shall declare the work of God,
    and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
¹⁰ The righteous shall be glad in…

Heavenly Father
give us grace to know and trust your nature which permeates everything, both light and darkness

¹ Yahweh says to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him,
and strip kings of their armour;
to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

² “I will go before you
    and make the rough places smooth.
I will break the doors of bronze…

Heavenly father
give us grace to see you at work, particularly in bad circumstances (such as slavery)

¹Joseph was brought down to Egypt by the Ishmaelites and sold as a slave to an officer of Pharaoh called Potiphar. 
² Yahweh was with Joseph, who then prospered in the house of the Egyptian. 
³ His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that…

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore,…

Heavenly father
give us grace to be joyful and faithful when various temptations come our way 

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, 
³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 
⁴ Let endurance have its…

¹ Hear my voice, God, in my complaint.
    Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
    from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;
³ who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
    and aim their arrows, deadly words,
⁴    …

Heavenly Father
give us grace to trust in you, our creator -our source of knowledge and hope

²⁴ Yahweh, your Redeemer,
    and he who formed you from the womb says:
“I am Yahweh, who makes all things;
    who alone stretches out the heavens;
    who spreads out the earth by myself;
²⁵ who frustrates the signs of the liars,
    …

Heavenly father
give us grace to do the right thing, particularly when we may be embarrassed to do so.

¹² After Judah’s wife died, Judah went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah. 
¹³ Tamar was told this. ¹⁴ She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and sat on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife. 
^15…

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Heavenly father
give us grace to do your will and be well pleasing in your sight.

²⁰ Now may the God of peace,
who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep
with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, 
²¹ make you complete in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

^22…

⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.
    My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
⁶     when I remember you on my bed,
    and think about you in the night watches.
⁷ For you have been my help.
    I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ My soul stays close to you.
…