Week of Prayer - ‘The people of God..’

As part of the Week of Prayer and Fasting taking place between Sun 5th October 2025 and Fri 10th October 2025, we will be releasing short, daily Bible devotionals, based on the theme and focus of our week. On Sunday to Monday we will focus on ‘Breathing In’ God’s presence, and Tuesday to Thursday we will focus on ‘Breathing Out’ God’s presence in our lives.

Each day will be written by somebody in the Kerith community.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

1 Peter 2:9-10 NIVUK

Today is no ordinary day.  Across the globe millions of people who seem to have nothing in common - experiencing lives which are poles apart, speaking different languages, not even supporting the same football club - gather because they are, in Peter’s words, “the people of God”.

These “chosen people” come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, from the smooth skin of a young child to wrinkles and crinkles. 

Just look around at all of us as we gather in our local sites - realise that we are incredibly, wonderfully God’s special possession.  

Let’s pause for a moment now to think about it.  Let’s “breathe in” this truth.  What a miracle it is that each one of us in our individual, messy life paths has been picked up and put together with all these other equally messy people, all of us transformed to make a beautiful whole, a “people of God”!  

The amazing truth about us is that we - you - are chosen.  God really did choose the foolish, the weak, the lowly (look at 1 Corinthians 1 verses 26 to 30).  Not only that, he has chosen us from every “tongue, tribe and nation” (Revelation 7.9-10).

Nobody is excluded!  Here’s what the apostle Paul (a leader of the early church) reminds us in Galatians 3 verses 26 and 28 - “in Christ Jesus you are ALL children of God through faith … you are ALL one in Christ Jesus”.

And when we come together, something beautiful and glorious is happening.  We declare God’s praises, we experience his presence, he is with us, we are changed by him.  No wonder the Psalmist was excited about “going to church” - “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Psalms 122:1.

Let’s pray: 

Father God, thank you for making me a part of your special possession, not leaving me in darkness, instead bringing me into your wonderful light.  Open my eyes and my heart to the wonder of your presence today. 

I pray every adult and child coming through our church doors today will experience your love and presence - some for the first time.

Lord we gather because of our relationship with you, the living God. Would you be at the centre of everything we do.  Let your presence fill our worship, our kids and youth groups, our preaching, our serving, our conversations, our praying, our laughter, our tears.

And I pray for my brothers and sisters across the world, especially those in the darkest places, those facing persecution, to experience your presence powerfully too. 

 Amen

Today’s devotional was written by Penny Lander.