As I enter prayer now;
I pause to be still;
to breathe slowly;
to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Matthew 25:13
For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made.
Isaiah 57:16
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19
Forgiving God, we have often fallen short of what you want from us. Thank you for not keeping a tally of those failures and help us extend that grace to our relationships. Strengthen us, so that we can stand firm in your love as challenges confront us today and always. 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.
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
Psalm 127:3–4
But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
Exodus 4:13
“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.
Luke 15:28–31
Your love comes to me
in the silence,
ordinary.
Like a child’s treasure
I turn it over
in the nook of my hand,
warming its smooth
heaviness.
A thought of You,
stony,
clearly defined,
drops as though
down a deep
well,
is lost
momentarily,
then turns up
a certainty in the heart.
Heavenly Father, we pray for Your strength for our brothers and sisters in Iraq who are constantly treated as a shameful problem; may they always know their true worth and Your great love. Please protect their rights and stir the government into doing more to enable a safe return for those displaced by war. We pray You would hold back violent extremists, and we ask for permanent peace to come to Iraq at last. 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.