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 the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.
Luke 1:49
You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth—
Psalm 104:14
And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20
Creator of all things, as the world changes and seasons come and go, we reflect on your artistry in all of creation. We give thanks for the blessings of this beautiful, complex world. 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.
My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors.
Psalm 71:4
Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?”
“The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.”
So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live.”
Exodus 1:15-22
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
“A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
Matthew 2:1-3, 12, 16-18
Let everything that has life,
let everything that has breath
give all the glory and honour
and praise to the One who
overcame death.
Let every living thing
sing of the mercies of our God.
Let us exalt Him wherever we live
with thanksgiving and joy
in our hearts.
If we don’t praise Him,
the mountains will.
If we don’t exalt Him,
the rocks will cry out
in our stead,
‘God is not dead!’
Let every living thing
sing of the mercies of our God.
Let us exalt Him wherever we live
with thanksgiving and joy
in our hearts.
Father God, pour out Your compassion on people in Syria. Restore this land to a place of peace and stability. Draw near to Your children, who suffer threats, intimidation and persecution for their faith in You. Comfort them in their distress and heal the wounds that ongoing war has inflicted. Give hope to people who have lost so much and help them to find supportive communities. Intervene in the hearts of militant groups and bring an end to the violence. 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.