Day 20 - ‘in-a-minute’
Good Morning
Today I am thinking about the Feeding of the 5000 (John 6). One surprising aspect of this miracle is that Jesus created so much bread. Jesus said, bring the groceries to me. He gave thanks, broke the bread and two small fish & then he gave & gave & gave, abundant giving, limitless, extravagant giving. The creator who could say let there be light and there was light, who said let there be wine and there was 150 gallons of wine for a wedding. Now He says let there be bread and there was bread, loads of bread, twelve basketsful left over. This is our extravagant God who doesn’t know when to stop giving.
And all out of 5 loaves and 2 fish and there is another lesson, when you offer yourself and what you have to God, it may not seem much but he will transform it to minister to others. Let us give thanks for God’s generosity in blessing us in many ways today.
God Bless
Kelvin <><
Prayer
Dear God, in all I do, in working or in resting, I’ll live this day in you. Another day for praise, another day of blessing, another day of knowing Your presence in all my days. (based on Frances R Havergal 1836-1879 - she wrote the hymn: ‘Take my life and let it be.)
A Follow on prayer
O God, surely it was through your providence that, in the miraculous feeding of 5000, there were twelve baskets of leftovers ... one for each disciple to take and share with others. In the same way, equip us here as your disciples in this place today. Multiply our efforts beyond our imagining. You have done so before; we pray you would do so again, here and now, among us. In your holy name. Amen.
Today Let us pray for:
For your church leaders
For Sunday School Teachers and other group leaders
For Church Unity in your area
For the Evangelical Alliance, United Christian Fellowship
For older people living alone - especially the bereaved - for support and practical help
Pray that local churches will increasingly recognise how important it is to be accessible and welcoming so that vulnerable people can be involved with services and other activities, and feel valued.
Prayer from Homiletics July 2015 issue, p. 26,
PRAYER: Loving God, we give you thanks and praise that, through Jesus, you healed the sick and fed the hungry. With a few paltry fish and loaves of bread, you fed a crowd of famished people, and with grace to spare. We, too, long to be fed. We, too, clamour for your healing touch. We come to you in prayer now, pressing in on you from all sides, with our needs and desires — some trivial, some profound — and through it all, you love us. You are attentive to the deepest yearnings and the most hidden wounds of our hearts. Attend to us, once again, we pray. Amen
