As I enter prayer now;
I pause to be still;
to breathe slowly;
to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God
And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
Matthew 17:8
Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Proverbs 10:19
Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
Matthew 5:37
Christ, eternal word, remind us to always center our words in you and speak from places of love. Forgive us when we are quick to respond with a cutting word or a cruel retort. Center our words in your eternal truth. 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.
Don’t let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat. Don’t let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow. They don’t talk of peace; they plot against innocent people who mind their own business. They shout, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we saw him do it!”
O Lord, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord. Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord. Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice. Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.
Psalm 35:19-24
But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”
Genesis 4:10-14
Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14
Give me a candle of the Spirit, O God, as I go down into the deeps of my being. Show me the hidden things, the creatures of my dreams, the storehouse of forgotten memories and hurts. Take me down to the spring of my life, and tell me my nature and my name. Give me freedom to grow, so that I may become that self, the seed of which You planted in me at my making.
Lord Jesus, we thank You that, even in a country so closed off to the gospel, You are present and building Your church in the Maldives. Strengthen and protect secret Christians today as they seek to follow You and reveal Your love to those around them. Draw near to isolated Christians, and migrant believers who are facing threats for meeting together. Help Christians to find creative ways of sharing their faith, and open the eyes of tourists and travellers to see the plight of the persecuted Maldivian church. 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.