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Writer's pictureMatt Beaney

PART 21 – GIVE US (23/3/20)

Here's Sunday's message if you missed our broadcast on Sunday (For the foreseeable future, we be running our Sunday morning services digitally. Please go to our website on Sundays at 10:30 to join in)



“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

During the current crisis, I’m sure that we’ve all heard stories or seen people stacking their shopping trolleys with provisions. Watching the news recently an older woman was interviewed as she was walking home from the shops carrying two large packs of toilet tissues. She was one of those ‘salt of the earth’ women with a sensitive conscience, uncomfortable about being seen with two packs of toilet tissue! She quickly said to the journalist, “I’ve got two because I’m buying for an elderly neighbour”. Let’s hope, and I’m sure it’s the case, that many of those who are clearing the shelves are doing it for others, to help those who are isolated.


Let’s pray for others generously. Let’s fill our spiritual ‘shopping trolley’s’ with the needs of others, and bring them to the throne of grace. In Revelation 5:8, we see a vision of ‘golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people’ - let’s fill our ‘bowls’ with the aroma of loving prayer for our communities.

To make this a reality, we all need to be close enough to people so as to know and pray for one another. No Christian should be isolated from God or their brothers and sisters.


Being in community helps us to pray

I’m told that geese can fly 70% further when they fly in their characteristic v-formation. Together we all do better in everything. If we want to be those who pray and give thanks, it’s important that we are in a community that encourages us in this. The quality of your spiritual life is directly linked to the quality of your Church relationships!


So let’s connect with our Community Groups. In community, we will be close enough to people to know their needs and will be able to share and receive prayer for our own.


Presently, we are doing groups digitally. Please contact your Community Group leader or church office (office@communitychurchputney) if you need help in connecting with a group.


Everyday in everything, pray and give thanks! We will only do this if we are in close community so as to pray for others’ needs, have your needs prayed for, and be taught to be such a person.

 

RESPONSE

During this series, let's aim to memorise and meditate on The Lord's Prayer.


TIPS ON MEMORISING SCRIPTURE

  • We will only do this, and persevere in doing this, if we believe that it's truly important to hide God's word in our heart. So get faith!

  • Don't disqualify yourself if it's hard - it is hard!

  • Write the text somewhere that's easy to find and use - a note on your phone, a post-it on the fridge...

  • Include the reference (book/chapter/verse) throughout the process

  • Read it slowly and carefully x 10 (Don't rush or dismiss this accurate repetition)

  • Recall it, without looking as much as possible x10

  • Do this a few times through the day - a habit is best formed by doing this at the same times, and places each day.

  • Revise regularly (and revise previously memorised verses)

  • Make it a habit to learn new verses - skill comes over time

  • USE IT! Actively use it to pray, worship, counsel, prophecy, and counter temptation and lies by quoting truth - it’s the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

TIPS ON BIBLICAL MEDITATION - THE 'COME TO JESUS DAILY METHOD'.

Biblical meditation is to prayerfully read, repeatedly, a section of the bible and pray, worship and respond as God leads. Here are a few tips and questions, what I call the 'come to Jesus daily method', to help you when meditating:

  • PRAY - Ask for the Spirit to help you and to speak to you. Keep the goal in mind - having a relationship with God!

  • WRITING- Writing/journaling is often a great help as you answer the questions below. Remember, don't allow worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar, perfection... to stop you from writing - it's between you and God. In meditation, I encourage you to write in the first-person, speaking to God - "I see that you are...I sense you speaking to me about...I pray for...."

  • GOSPEL- What does God, through this text, say to you about salvation through Jesus?

  • UP- What does God, through this text, say you about Himself – His worth, character, attributes, will, promises…?

  • IN- What does God, through this text, say about you, His church and how we are to relate?

  • OUT- What does God, through this text, say about non-believers and our mission?

  • RESPONSE – Is there anything else that you want to pray, worship God about, do, ask forgiveness about, ask God to help you to change…?

 

COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY – EVERY DAY IN EVERY THING PRAY AND GIVE THANKS.

Opener

Have you ever had a need that God has met?


Introduction - please read in your group

This week we have come to the phrase, ‘Give us today our daily bread’. The title of the message on Sunday was, ‘Every day in every thing pray and give thanks’.

We can often pray and give thanks for the big things in life whilst neglecting to pray and give thanks for ‘daily bread’. We are to come to the Father daily with particular focus on the day that's in front of us. Today, this day, God promises to meet our needs.

It’s also very important to notice that Jesus uses the term ‘give us…’. We are to be in close community so as to know and pray for one another’s needs.


Read The Lord’s Prayer

“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (“…For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”) (Matthew 6:9-13)


Discuss/share together

i) Give us…

To make this a reality, we all need to be close enough to people so as to know and pray for one another. No Christian should be isolated from God or their brothers and sister.


Discuss: How can you deepen relationships through this current crisis?


ii) Today…Daily

Our relationship with God is to be like old-style shopping where one acquired what was needed each day. Jesus promises “your heavenly Father knows what you need” but we are still taught to pray this every day. The Father wants us to come to Him every each day and not just in a crisis!


Discuss: Do you ask and give thanks about all your needs? How could you make prayer and thanksgiving a natural part of your lifestyle?


Pray together

Go around your group, each one sharing what they would like prayer for at the moment. Pray for each person in turn. In particular, what are your 'daily bread' needs at the moment?


Notices

Please share from this week’s Church News.

In addition:

  • Please use the devotional every day for daily encouragement and important messages.

  • If you can, please share and promote our on-line Sunday service on whatever social media platform that you use.


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