Bible Prayer Points for Lenten Ember Day Three: ARM Canada Call to Prayer

Thanks to the Prayer Book Society of Canada for this image. 

That it is St Matthias Day today in the BCP calendar caught me by surprise this morning having already posted the Ember Day readings from the Daily Office in both BCP and BAS lectionaries earlier. Not to worry, they’re all good and profitable and for training in righteousness (1 Tim 3.16). 

I believe it is no accident that these readings are presented before us at this particular time. In particular this morning I was struck by the following: 

1 Cor 4.1-7 or 8. 

This reading appears for today both in Morning Prayer in the BAS lectionary and for Evening Prayer on the feast day of St Matthias the Apostle in the BCP. Two things lit up for me to pray: 

1. Paul calls us to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God (vv1&2). Marriage between a man and a woman is one of those mysteries, a profound mystery, in fact (Eph 5.31-32). Lord, may we be faithful stewards of your gift of marriage, that profound mystery. 
2. We are also not to go beyond what is written (1 Cor 4.6). Lord, may we resist the temptation to go beyond your Word in Holy Scripture in any of our Church’s teaching and doctrine. 

Mt 7.15-27

This is for St Matthias’ Morning Prayer. The following points prompted my prayers: 

1. Beware of false prophets (v15) and apostles (see the petition in the Collect for St Matthais above). LORD, help us by Your Holy Spirit to recognize false prophecy and apostles and to avoid being led astray by them. 
2. Not everyone who says, “‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (V21). It is vitally important that we discern what the true will of the Father is for our Church. LORD, Your will be done in Your Church as it is in heaven. 
3. Building our house on the rock rather than on the sand (vv 24-27). LORD, may all our building be on the rock of properly hearing Your Words and doing them well and faithfully. 

Amen!

Gene+