As I enter prayer now;
I pause to be still;
to breathe slowly;
to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
1 Peter 1:23
And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the Lord your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him. Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. Remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration.
Deuteronomy 26:10-11
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
1 Timothy 6:17-18
Every gift comes from you, Lord. May your blessings of wealth and security lead us not to arrogant pride but to humble gratitude. May our gratitude for your gifts lead us not to clutch them tightly, but to open our hands and freely share them with love. Amen.
In your name Papa, Jesus and Spirit. Amen
I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.
Psalm 130:6
From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.
Psalm 130:1-2
I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey your decrees.
Psalm 119:145
Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?
Psalm 130:3
I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.
Psalm 130:5
Lord, You have always given bread for the coming day; and though I am poor, today I believe.
Lord, You have always given strength for the coming day; and though I am weak, today I believe.
Lord, You have always given peace for the coming day; and though of anxious heart, today I believe.
Lord, You have always kept me safe in trials; and now, tried as I am, today I believe.
Lord, You have always marked the road for the coming day; and though it may be hidden, today I believe.
Lord, You have always lightened this darkness of mine; and though the night is here, today I believe.
Lord, You have always spoken when time was ripe; and though you be silent now, today I believe.
What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat:
The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.
Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:1, 4-6, 8
“You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 23:9
Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
Matthew 8:19-20
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.
Heavenly Father, strengthen our Algerian brothers and sisters in the face of opposition. Help them to persevere and hold onto You, and may their words and witness lead others to You. Heal all those who carry wounds from persecution, and provide for all those who have suffered loss. Soften the hearts of the authorities, both locally and nationally, so they can see the value and good intentions of Christians. May this lead to greater freedom for Christians, including the reopening of churches that have been closed. Continue to do wonderful things in and through the lives of Your church in Algeria. Amen.
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 63:7
The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
Psalm 27:1
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 63:7
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
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 63:7
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord ’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 63:7
I will be at peace with my brothers and sisters, and love them.
I will follow the example of the wise and good, knowing You will comfort and help me, both in this world and in the world to come.
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.