Daily Readings for Sunday 6th April 2025

Dear Congregation,

I want to thank all of you who have prayed and supported the work of the Gospel through the church in 2023 and this first month of 2024. It is a great joy to minister at Westminster Baptist and I love the church here greatly. Through this past year, there have been heart-wrenching tragedies alongside blessings too. This is often the case in Christian life and yet we are called to keep trusting and believing. We often bear the battle scars of past experience and circumstance, as we live in this sinful world and anticipate heaven. We see Mordecai, mocked and scorned for years in Esther and on the brink of execution, yet he latterly knew blessing from God. The most important thing was he was faithful in serving the Lord.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful - 1 Corinthians 4.2. This verse especially applies to ministers, church workers, but to all Christians. We are stewards of the oracles of God and to us has the light of the gospel been revealed. We should therefore be striving to be faithful, not popular, faithful. May that be our aim by the grace of God.

In the beginning month in recent years we have spent a week praying together on each day for certain things. As a reminder that with continuing faith that prayer is essential. Key to our hope and joy and endurance and love, and with new resolve to make time to pray regularly alone and with your family and with some group of fellow believers.

Alongside reading the Scriptures these should be our daily routine. There are various encouragements in the Scriptures to pray:
- Pray without ceasing (1 Th. 5:17).
- Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ep. 6:18).
- Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Col. 4:2).

These are a few verses of the many that encourage us to pray and undoubtedly set before us a biblical mandate that we should be concerned to pray. Maybe you have fallen out of the 'habit' or relegated prayer to a part time practice; or you only pray when trouble or danger comes. To that end I would ask the church to pray, if led, the suggested topics below so we might pray for the same things (roughly speaking) on the same day to encourage us.

Let us be prayerful people and realise we too need prayer. To say we are praying for someone should be an expression of concern but an indication of our own action to bring the matter before God, before the throne of Grace through the believers mediator and High Priest. Jesus Christ, Paul even requests prayer for himself and those labouring for the Gospel with him twice in 1 and 2 Thessalonians saying 'brethren pray for us'. May we be a prayerful church and prayerful individuals, knowing that we have a prayer hearing and answering God.

Pastor Jonathan Arnold


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Daily Prayer - Sunday
- God thanks to God for His character, perfect, unchangeable, the same yesterday today and forever.
- Give thanks to God that we can meet in the church and have fellowship with one another.
- Pray the Lord would grant the preaching of his word power and clarity, and there are ready ears to hear and believe it. (2 Thes. 3.1.)
- Pray we would be granted faithful ministry and good spiritual food from God's Word. (1 Peter 2.2.)


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Daily Reading Plan - First Year
Preface - The first offerings of Aaron for himself, and for the people. Aaron offereth them, first for himself, and afterwards for the people. Moses and Aaron bless the people, and fire cometh from the Lord upon the altar.
Leviticus 9
Preface - David complaineth to God of the outrages of the wicked: he prayeth for reparation: he professeth his confidence.
Psalms 10

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Daily Reading - Morning
He ever liveth to make intercession.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died....who also maketh intercession for us. - Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. - There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Seeing...that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an hight priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Through him we....have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
He. 7.25; Ro. 8.34; He. 9.24
1 Jn. 2.1; 1 Tim. 2.5
He. 4.14-16; Eph. 2.18



Daily Reading - Evening
They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.

This is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. - I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor. - O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

The mighty God, The everlasting Father. - I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

The Prince of Peace. - He is our peace. - Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. - Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help. - As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preservie it.
Ps. 9.10; Jer. 23.6; Ps. 71.16
Isa. 9.6; Jer. 10.23
Isa. 9.6; 2 Tim. 1.12
Isa. 9.6; Eph. 2.14; Ro. 5.1
​Pro. 18.10; Isa. 31.1; Isa. 31.5

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A Puritans Catechism
Q 65 - Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God.
A - No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.


The 1689
Baptist Confession of Faith
Of the fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof
Chapter 6
PARAGRAPH 2
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Our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them wereby death came upon all;  (3)  all becoming dead in sin,  (4)  and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.  (5)
(3)-Rom. 3.23  (4)-Rom. 5.12  (5)- Titus 1.15; Gen. 6.5; Jer. 17.9; Rom. 3.10-19

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Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
....for, behold, he prayeth
Acts 9 v 11

Behold, he prayeth,' was the first mark that Paul was brought from death to life. The soul enjoys great nearness to God, enters within the veil, lies down at the feet of Jesus, and there pours out its groans and tears. The believer rises, like his Lord, a great while before day; or waking in the night, he cries in secret to God. Before entering any company, or by appointment meeting a friend, or answering a proposal, his heart wings its way to the mercy-seat. He prays without ceasing. He pours forth earnest cries for the deliverance from sin; the sins he is most tempted to, he prays most against. His intercessions for others are deep, constant, wide. It is sweet and easy for him to pray for others; 'Forbid that I should sin against God by ceasing to pray for you.'