As we enter the New Year it is vital that we remember the greatest weapon we have in the fight against injustice, evil and disease – prayer. Each week I do Covid prayer notes for Christian media here in Australia – these notes are used all over the world…feel free to subscribe! You can access the website here….
And here is the latest – put out today…
Psalm 83 Please read the whole Psalm
“O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. (Ps 83:1)
This is a psalm where the Psalmist (Asaph) fears overwhelming odds. Gods people are under attack, surrounded by a multitude of enemies and the Psalmist prays a bold prayer. He pleads with God not to be deaf, and not to stand aloof. Not just for the sake of his people but also because of the glory of his name. He alone is the Most High over all the earth. May God grant that we would have such holy boldness and such passionate desire for the glory of His Name!
“Every Christian may truly say, God loves me better than I do myself. “ (Sibbes).
Petition: Please join with us in praying for:
1.The World – The number of confirmed cases is 85,068,700(up 4,786,177 from last week – the highest so far). The number of deaths of people with Covid is 1,842,095 (up 85,511 – an increase of 20,000.) America has passed 20 million cases. India 10 million. Brazil 7.5 million. The UK is now seeing 55,000 new cases per day thanks to a new more transmissible variant.
2. Australia – There have been 28,483 cases in total (up 191 compared with 120 the week before, with 77 being community transmission – 89 last week)
| State | Total Cases | Weekly Change TW/LW | Total Deaths | Change in Deaths TW/LW |
| ACT | 118 | +0 (0) | 3 | 0 |
| NSW | 4,847 | + 89 (105) | 54 | +1 |
| NT | 81 | +8 (+2) | 0 | 0 |
| QLD | 1,255 | +15 (7) | 6 | 0 |
| SA | 579 | +10 (5) | 4 | 0 |
| TAS | 234 | + 0 (0) | 13 | 0 |
| VIC | 20,391 | +30 (5) | 820 | 0 |
| WA | 867 | +14 (8) | 9 | 0 |
There are 26 people in hospital (+2) with 0 in intensive care (0). 328,772 tests have been carried out in the past week with 0.2% positive. There are 273 active cases (+95). NSW and Victoria are nervously waiting to see if the small clusters are going to be contained. Other States are closing borders. Today NSW announced zero cases of community transmission yesterday – although they said there will be two in tomorrows figures.
3. Vaccine and Cures – The Astra-Zeneca vaccine has been approved by the UK and has also been licenced in India. This is important because it is cheaper and can be transported at fridge temperature, not the minus 70 required for the Pfizer vaccine. It is also to be manufactured in Australia when we start getting vaccinated.
4. Church – Many are getting weary with the ever-changing regulations – numbers in NSW for example have now been reduced to 100 per service. May this period of uncertainty cause us to seek the Lord for grace, patience and mercy.
5. Personal and Family – Some Christians have to live with family members who have addiction problems – sometimes when they are unwilling to acknowledge this. Pray for patience, love and grace for parents, partners and children.
A Prayer of Repentance: O Lord, we confess that we have entered this New Year with far too much of a spirit of reliance upon ourselves, rather than reliance on your Holy Spirit. Too often we seek our own glory, rather than yours. And we look at the waves in which we are drowning rather than the Christ who saves us. Give us the eyes of faith to see and understand the bigger picture, in Jesus Name, Amen.
Song: In Australia we are greatly blessed with much song writing talent – something which is blessing the worldwide church – this is a great example from City Alight. Only a Holy God.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Heavenly Father, as we enter another New Year – we give you thanks for the year that is past and that you are the Sovereign Lord of past, present and future. We bless you for Jesus who is the same, yesterday, today and forever. And we praise you for your Holy Spirit who moved over the waters at the beginning of creation, birthed the Church at Pentecost and continues to fill, inspire and gift your people. We bless and praise you, O triune God. Amen.
“Every Christian may truly say, God loves me better than I do myself.”
I like this David. What would it look like for everyone to love themselves as God loves them. To have the assurance of being created in the image of God, to be living life in it’s fullest, having good, healthy rewarding and life affirming work to do that God has prepared in his love?
I was watching the film “Amazing Grace” recently with Aretha Franklin at the height of her fame, going into a church to record a live gospel album. The man leading and playing the piano had to stop playing and led the organ player take the baton ad he was overwhelmed by her voice. There was another man in tears in the choir and similar responses from the audience, even Mick Jagger joining in!
Seems to me that Aretha Franklin touched people in that way of faith and works combined. So while i applaud your encouragement for prayer I am also mindful of faith without works being dead faith and in the light of your recent post of “deadwood” in the church wonder if maybe, just maybe sometimes prayers said in church are for “show” to appear to be virtuous and as such serve no meaning and not purpose other than to elevate the person praying in their status among their peers.
I think many are tired of this kind of “show” of this happening to be seated in high places and to be greeted in the marketplace so to speak. And are thirsty for authenticity, perhaps seeking and finding it in surprising places, just as Jesus was amazed by the lack of faith in his home town and amazed by the faith of a gentile centurion.
I ust read your Tweets nelow about abortion in NZ. I am shocked. What aadern has legislated is pure evil. 🙁
https://mobile.twitter.com/Adrian_Hilton/status/1345446688245358597
Thank you! Remembering you and your family too David.
Be wary of quoting COVID stats directly as if they were truth. They are not and I will explain why. The PCR test, which is used widely, has a major problem with false positives, particularly if the prevalence of COVID in the rested population is low. It was intended for use in clinical settings, to aid diagnosis. It was never supposed to be used as a mass surveillance tool.
For a good primer on this topic, the page below from the British Medical Journal might be useful. Try setting the COVID rate to very low percentages and see what happens to the false positive rate.
https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1808
I have genuine concerns over how much fear, panic and unnecessary restrictions are happening because of test results that could have a very low rate of actual positives.
On your other Tweet:
https://mobile.twitter.com/theweeflea/status/1346042984031158273
it turns out that man Cleaver is a United Methodist minister too. He is either trying to be funny (and failing) with a blasphemous joke or he is a liberal loony. I spent some time in Brisbane and the Anglicans there were a lot like that, very poliyically correct and saying the most ridiculous things and they were very pro-homo. It was a real culture shock for me. I was really uncomfortable with it and glad to be back among orthodox Christians at home.
very ”pro-homo”, Megan?
I’m very pro-homo. In fact I thought most ordinary people would be pro homo sapiens. Are you suggesting you aren’t pro homo sapien?
How odd.
Should we be concerned as to whether the provenance of vaccines includes the use of human fetal cells, in development, manufacture or testing? Does the answer to this ethical question depend upon whether we are minded to accept a vaccine for purely selfish reasons, or for altruistic reasons too? What science-based, altruistic reasons are there for taking a vaccine not yet proven to reduce transmission?
https://theweeflea.com/2021/01/04/covid-prayer-notes-facts-news-prayers-and-praise-for-2021/
Thank you again for your tenacity in blogging. I know your main thrust is apologetic but I feel there is great need for pastoral comfort and encouragement too. Perhaps I’m reflecting my own need.
As it happens I was reading Psalm 77 today. Such is the Psalmist’s distress that he feels God has forgotten to be gracious…. forgotten his promises. In trouble it is all too easy for such thoughts to invade. The Psalmist’s solution is to turn from his distress and focus on the mighty saving acts of God in saving his people.
I’m thankful that this Lord has given us this Psalm. We are not alone. Others have struggled before us and from them the Lord has shown us the way through.
God bless