North Queensferry Church

13th February. 2021. Daily Devotion.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfils the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

Psalm 145:17-21

Hallowed Be Your Name

We don’t use the word hallowed very often today. What then, is this petition asking for? A more current wording could be “May your name be holy” or “May your name be honoured and praised.”

In this appeal, we ask God to show the world who he is—to reveal his almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. We pray that God’s name may be recognized and honoured now, even as we look forward to the day when “­every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Phil 2:10-11.

In other words, “hallowed be your name” provides the foundation for our prayers, for our individual lives, and for our lives together as the church, Christ’s body on earth.

When we pray these words, we are asking God to help us live today as his servants who reflect his glory and lordship everywhere, now and forever.

Father, may you be glorified in and through our lives and the church every­where on earth. Amen.

Morning Prayer

Holy God, thank you for giving me another morning! I am lucky to be alive on your beautiful planet, so full of marvellous things and the beautiful plants and animals and all the people you have created in your image. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, now and all day long, until I go to sleep, because I want to live with you every minute of this day. The time and opportunities I have today will never return, so help me make the best of it, Lord.

And let me remember this one thing: You know what you are doing, whether I can see it or not; I will try to remember today that you are in charge, that you put me here for a reason and that, by your grace, things will turn out with your triumph and the Kingdom of Heaven, for all those who live by your grace. All praise to you forever, Amen.

A Scientist’s Prayer

Blessed be you, harsh matter, barren soil, stubborn rock: you who yield only to violence, you who force us to work if we would eat.

Blessed be you, perilous matter, violent sea, untameable passion: you who unless we fetter you will devour us.

Blessed be you, mighty matter, irresistible march of evolution, reality ever new-born; you who, by constantly shattering our mental categories, force us to go ever further and further in our pursuit of the truth.

Blessed be you, universal matter, unmeasurable time, boundless ether, triple abyss of stars and atoms and generations: you who by overflowing and dissolving our narrow standards of measurement reveal to us the dimensions of God. Amen. ~ Teilhard de Chardin, 1925

Dear Lord, Jesus brought healing during his ministry on earth.
He healed the sick and brought the dead to life.
By his own death and resurrection he brings the promise,
hope and means of healing to us all.
Now we need his healing more than ever.

We need not only the healing from physical illness
brought on by the COVID-19 virus but healing for
human hearts, communities and world society.
Open our hearts that we may not turn in
on ourselves and our own needs.

Let unity, compassion and care mark us all.
Inspire us to serve the poor and abandoned.
May we use our skills in service of others.
May more fortunate countries come to the aid
of those less prosperous.

May we be concerned less about public image
but more about doing the right thing. Amen ~ J. Komiskey
This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples:
if you love one another.”
 (John 13:35).