Month: May 2014

Suffering 

…he is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:27; NIV).

For in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28, NIV).

Come near to God and he will come near to you (James 4:8; NIV).

Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble (Job 14:1; NIV).

But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction (Job 36:15; NIV).

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12; NIV).

Father,
Thank you for staying close to us
When we suffer,
However alone
Or far from you
We feel.

Please speak to us
In, and through,
Our afflictions
And hardships;

Encourage us to learn
All they can teach us;

Support us as we help
Ourselves, and others,
As much as we can;

Make us joyful in hope,
Patient in affliction,
And faithful in prayer;

And bring us safely
Through our trials at last.

In Jesus’ holy name,
Amen.

In God’s hands 

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms
(Deuteronomy 33:27; NIV).

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge
(Psalm 91:4; NIV).

For in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28, NIV).

Father,
As I pray for others
I see them resting
Safely in your hands,
Receiving your healing,
Help,
Comfort
And blessing.

Thank you, Lord,
That every one of us
Lives and dies in your hands –
Whether we are aware of this
Or not.

Contemplation

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord (Zephaniah 1:7; NIV).

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind (Luke 10:27; NIV).

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28; NIV).

In silence,
I leave my mind and body
Far behind,
As my heart and soul
Hasten to meet you,
My Lord and my God.

Love

He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ ” (Luke 10:27; NIV).

Father,
Today I wondered
If I should try
To love everyone
Just as much as I love you –
However difficult that is.

But now I see
That’s not the way –
Rather, my aim should be
To love others as myself.

But that’s hard too,
Because I don’t really 
Love myself at all.

Lord, please help me
To love myself much more,
So I can truly love others
As myself.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

I’ve never written anything overtly ‘political’ before, but I am deeply ashamed of the way the British Government is exploiting and crushing the poor, the sick, those who are disabled, the homeless and those who cannot afford justice. So yesterday, I just had to write the following prayer:

Justice, mercy and compassion

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NIV).

‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27; NIV).

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26; NIV).

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others (1 Peter 4:10; NIV).

This is what the LORD Almighty said, ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another’ (Zechariah 7:9; NIV).

Father,
I’m ashamed
To be British.

Unemployed people
Are now being forced into
Zero hours contracts,
Losing their benefits
If they refuse.

Lord,
Please help those with power
To understand
That justice, mercy
And compassion
Are essential
In all their dealings
With those who have
No power at all.

I ask this in the name of Christ,
Amen.

Faith and action 

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:14-17; NIV).

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ ” (Matthew 25:37-40; NIV).

Father,
We pray for those
Who lack the water,
Food,
Medical care,
Clothes,
Shelter,
Security,
Family,
Freedom,
Faith,
Hope
Or love
They need.

Please help us
To show them
Something of
Your generosity
And care
In every way we can –
Today,
And every day.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Darkness

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:27; NIV).

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28; NIV).

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek (Psalm 27:8; NIV).

Clouds and thick darkness surround him (Psalm 97:2; NIV).

You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light (2 Samuel 22:29; NIV).

Father,
I reach out to you,
To you alone,
My Lord and my God,
Seeking your face
In the darkness.

Please turn my darkness
Into light –
By showing me your will,
And helping me
To follow it,
Today, and every day.

I ask this in your Son’s holy name,
Amen.

Unconditional love

How precious is your steadfast love, O God (Psalm 36:7; NRSV).

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you (2 Samuel 7:22; NIV).

How great is God – beyond our understanding! (Job 36:26; NIV).

Lord,
We wouldn’t dare
To approach you at all
If it weren’t for your
Unfailing, unconditional
Love –
How great you are!

Twenty-four seven

…he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:5; NIV).

Father,
Thank you for loving me
Unconditionally
And unceasingly –
Twenty-four seven!

How amazing you are!

In return,
All I can do
Is to love you,
Worship you,
And try to follow
Your dear Son.

In his precious name,
Amen.

Self-esteem

Lord,
Please help me
As I work
To develop
A foundation
Of healthy,
Realistic
Self-esteem.

I’ve never had this before,
So it’s a big challenge.

Please bless me
As I learn,
Change
And grow.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.