Daily Devotions for Sunday 1st January, 2023

Morning
As we step into a New Year…….we look upward and Pray – to hear and receive from the Living God

Reading : MATTHEW chapter 3 verses 1-12

Meditation : take time and consider these words this Sunday morning.
The Preaching of John the Baptist.
In the desert. Make a straight path!

What words stay with you?
What encourages and challenges you today?

And then pray in response to the LORD our God
Pray your own prayer of praise and thanks.

O LORD our God,
Good and majestic One,
Great and so worthy of praise.
We bow before You.
We lay our lives before You.
Help us to make way for your kingdom rule in our lives
Even today.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Midday
Pray the Lord’s Prayer as your own midday prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
Now and for ever
Amen

Evening
Reading : read these verses again from MATTHEW chapter 3 verses 1-12
Reflect on all that is said here in this particular passage and then Pray in response to this God

O LORD, our Great God,
Hear our evening prayers of praise we ask
As we thank you for what we read
As we look back over our day
As we look ahead to tomorrow
As we name before you those we are concerned about.
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Saturday Evening Prayer with Others

As we step into a new year….. with God – together – you may want to revisit today’s Daily Devotions from LUKE chapter 2 verses 41-52– as we consider the GOOD NEWS about Jesus – on this significant day of the year

We PAUSE with the Lord in prayer as the day closes

We REJOICE in the help and blessings He has given this particular Saturday – to us and to others

We ASK for His presence, peace and strength – for ourselves and for others in our church family and our nation and in our world at this time

We YIELD – say Yes – to His Kingdom ways for tomorrow