As I enter prayer now;
I pause to be still;
to breathe slowly;
to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8
I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.
Isaiah 65:19
For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 7:17
Great Deliverer, when our lives are sorely oppressed, our eyes filled with tears, and our voices dominated by cries of distress—turn our darkness into light. Refresh our hearts as water refreshes dry ground. In you, may we find cause to rejoice despite any burden in our lives. 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.
Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me!
Psalm 27:7
Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord ’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
Jonah 1:15-16
We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it.
“Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul. And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.
When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.
We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.
The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. The following day they even took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.
No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”
Acts 27:9-26
If you want your dream to be
Take your time, go slowly
Do few things but do them well
Heartfelt work grows purely
If you want to live life free
Take your, time go slowly
Do few things but do them well
Heartfelt work grows purely
Day by day, stone by stone
Build your secret slowly
Day by day, you’ll grow too
You’ll know heaven’s glory
If you want to live life free
Take your time go slowly
If you want your dream to be
Take your time, go slowly
Heavenly Father, we ask You to be with and comfort our brothers and sisters in Burkina Faso. They have endured so much violence over the last several years, and the pain they've felt seems impossible to heal from, impossible to have hope. We ask that Your comfort and peace – which we know only You can bring – will come to Your children in Burkina Faso. Please help them endure. We also ask for a miracle: please change the hearts of the Islamic militants who attack Your people. 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.