As I enter prayer now;
I pause to be still;
to breathe slowly;
to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
Psalm 89:15
We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.
Proverbs 10:7
Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
Hebrews 6:12
Spirit of love, our days are numbered. Help us to use each and every one of them for your purposes. From baptism to burial, equip us to make the most of the time you have given us. Moment by moment, we are yours. 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.
And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
Psalm 122:2
With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord:
“He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!”
Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord ’s Temple had been laid.
But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.
Ezra 3:11-13
He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’
“After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’
“‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’
“The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’
“‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’
“But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’
“‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
“Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’
“‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’
“‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
Luke 19:12-26
You need to be generous to yourself in order to receive the love that surrounds you.
You can suffer from a desperate hunger to be loved.
You can search long years in lonely places, far outside yourself.
Yet the whole time, this love is but a few inches away from you.
It is at the edge of your soul, but you have been blind to its presence.
We must remain attentive in order to be able to receive.
When a great moment knocks on the door of your life,
it is often no louder than the beating of your heart,
and it is very easy to miss it. Boris Pasternak
Lord Jesus, we pray for justice for those who have come to know You in Ethiopia. Please intervene to protect their rights and change the hearts of their families and neighbours. We pray that all the believers facing hostile situations will know Your presence with them and keep hold of their joy. We pray You would equip those bravely taking the gospel to dangerous places. And we long to see different churches come to understand and love one another throughout Ethiopia. Amen.
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.