Evening Prayer Thursday, 29 October 2020
A reading from the Book of Joshua
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: 2 ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the River Jordan into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates – all the Hittite country – to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No-one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7 ‘Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’
Joshua 1: 1–9
Dear God, you placed a huge responsibility on the shoulders of Joshua,
and you promised him that you would never leave him nor forsake him.
You bid him be strong and very courageous, but also to be careful to obey all your laws.
Help us to learn from the story of Joshua, that as long as we carefully strive
to obey all your laws as you would have us do, and love you with all our heart,
with all our mind and with all our strength, you will remain with us,
and fulfil all your promises to us, and to all those who love and serve you.
We cannot know what lies ahead of us and all your people,
but we pray that you will be with us every step of the way,
guiding us in your way, and providing us with the resources to face the future.
We thank you for your Word, handed down to us through so many generations,
and we thank you for the ministry of the leaders you have appointed for us.
We ask for your blessing on the bible studies that are to start again next Wednesday;
may we learn more and more of what your Word is calling us to do.
We thank you for the insights that George is able to offer us so clearly and accessibly,
and we ask you to bless him in all the ways he leads us to your truth.
We pray for your Kingdom, and we pray that we may play a courageous part
in working to establish your Kingdom here in this place, and throughout this world,
as you have established it in the world to come.
We know that we shall inherit the promised land, so long as we live by your laws in their true spirit.
We thank you for the day now ending.
We place into your hands all the good and bad things that came our way,
and pray that you will show us what we may learn from them.
We do not know what the morrow may bring us,
so we pray that you will continue to watch over us and guide us though all the days to come.
We close our prayers this evening by saying the Grace together:
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all, evermore.
Amen
