As I enter prayer now;
I pause to be still;
to breathe slowly;
to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Lamentations 3:22
All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.
2 Samuel 14:14
But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with such scum? "
Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."
Luke 5:30-32
Healing Savior, may the God-part of us always greet the God-part of others as we go throughout our day, for it is through your healing, not our own actions, that we are made whole. Amen.
In your name Papa, Jesus and Spirit. Amen
The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in his Temple.
Psalm 27:4
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."
Mark 12:30-1
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19
Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God. "
John 6:68-69
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
I said to myself, "I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me." But as I stood there in silence - not even speaking of good things - the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words:
Psalm 39:1-3
Even the king milks the land for his own profit!
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth - except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!
People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night's sleep.
Ecclesiastes 5:9-12
In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
James 3:5-10
As the tamed horse
still hears the call of her wild brothers
and as the farmed goose flaps hopeful wings
as his sisters fly overhead,
so too, perhaps,
the wild ones amongst us
are our only hope in calling us back
to our true nature.
Wild ones
who have not been turned to stone
by the far-reaching grasp of the empire
and its programme of consumer sedation,
the killing of imagination.
Where, my friends,
have the wild ones gone?
'Come to the edge',
He said. They said,
'we are afraid'.
'Come to the edge',
He said. They came.
He pushed them, and
they flew.
Jesus, as my light, illuminate and guide me.
As my shield, protect me.
Jesus lift me up; direct me;
Come alongside me, on my left and on my right.
Today be my core and aroma, gently powerfully
In the heart of those I speak to; and speak to me through them.
Today be my center and encircle me with Your powerful love.
You are my light, my shield.
You are on my left and on my right.
Your peace go with me, wherever You take me.
Guide me when I am lost. Protect me when I am scared.
Bring me home rejoicing at the wonders You have shown me.
Bring me home rejoicing once again into my flat.
In your name Papa, Jesus and Spirit. Amen
Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.
Amen.