There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one friends. 

John 15:14 NLT

A single poppy standing,
Amidst waves of sea green,
Honouring all who were lost,
And futures that might have been.

A single poppy standing,
On the pathway from the beach,
Remembering lives sacrificed,
To gun fire and shell blasts.

Their memory lives on,
In the freedom we enjoy today,
We remember, we give thanks,
We stand, we stop, we pray.

Gracious God, as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we give You thanks for all who courageously gave their lives, for all who were injured and all who bravely took part.

We pray for all who are suffering loss of any kind through war and conflict today.  May they know your strength, peace and comfort. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

Ruth Rushworth

God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5 NIV

God in Heaven,
Gracious and good,
Watching over us,
Pouring out love.

Filling our hearts,
With the Spirit of kindness,
The Spirit of goodness,
Joy and faithfulness.

Showing us patience,
And self control,
Gentleness and peace,
Flowing through our soul.*

Dear Lord, we thank you for the transforming work of your Spirit; the work that produces the beautiful qualities of Jesus and love in our lives.

We pray that your Spirit will help us in any area of anxiety or difficulty and flow through our lives with your love in Jesus.  Draw us we closer to You and help us to love our neighbour as ourselves. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

*The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control.
Gal 5:22-23 NIV

May the the Lord bless you and protect you

Numbers 6:24 NLT

The Lord bless you and keep you ….
Loving God, thank You for your love, care and protection over our lives. Help us to know You better and deepen our faith and trust in You.

The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you ….
Thank you that your love shines through the face of Jesus.  May we look to Jesus, the light of life and share his love and kindness with others.

The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace ….
Thank you that you look on us with love and kindness. As we pray, may we know the peace of your presence in Jesus.

We pray for your blessing for others …

Gracious God, we thank you for this timeless and beautiful prayer of blessing. Thank you for it’s words and the assurance of your love and care.  May we bring it to mind as we go about our day.  We pray for all you have placed on our hearts, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

The Lord hears me; He listens to my prayers.

Ps 116:1 GNT

“Sign in, create your account, you are offline, try again later, forgotten your password, accept cookies, are you sure you want to continue, update your profile, this site is no longer available”  and so on …..

Dear Lord, whatever frustrations we face with our internet or other communications, we thank You that You are always “on line” ready to listen and speak with us.

Gracious God, thank You that You love us with no strings attached.  Help us to come to You with an open heart, in confidence and trust.  Help us to rest in your presence, know your sustaining love and peace, and speak with you about all things.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Ps 46:1 NIV

Ruth Rushworth

..God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5 GNT

Your Spirit is here
As You promised,
Within, around, through,
And among us.

Your Spirit reveals,
We are truly loved,
Cherished and adored,
By the tender heart of God.

Your Spirit comes,
To make Jesus known,
To help us to love him,
And make our heart his home.

Your Spirit unites us,
In one heavenly family,
Living and working,
Together in harmony.

Your Spirit enables,
The life that we lead,
To love and serve You,
In thought, word and deed.

Your Spirit leads us,
In ways true and right,
To use our gifts and talents,
With gentleness and might.

Your Spirit warms our hearts,
Enlightens our earthly minds,
With tenderness and grace,
Transforms our daily lives.

Your Spirit connect us,
And teaches us to pray,
When we cannot find the words,
The Spirit knows just what to say.

Your Spirit assures us,
Of our eternal heavenly home,
Of unending love, joy and peace,
Praising Jesus on the throne.

The Holy Spirit comes,
Gentle as a dove,
On the wings of the eagle,
Blown by the wind of heavenly love.

Gracious God, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit, whom You have given to us to help us live out our Christian lives and  be more like Jesus.
As we reflect, may we invite your Spirit to show us your love in our heart.  Amen

Ruth Rushworth
Image: courtesy of Ian Mawdsley

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

1 John 1:5 NIVUK

The breath of God hovered,
Waiting til the time was right,
To breathe life, to create,
To transform with love and light.

The power of God waited,
Until 3 days had passed,
To resurrect, heal and restore,
The relationship that was lost.

The grace of God shines,
Through Jesus, God’s own son,
Love and mercy have conquered,
Grace and peace have overcome.

The love of God transforms,
hearts and minds and souls,
By the power of the Spirit,
Living and active in our lives.

Holy Spirit, transforming love, come fill us afresh with the love that cannot be overcome; the love of God in Jesus Christ.

Gracious God, we pray for the light of your love for those people, places and situations You have placed on our hearts. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

I will praise You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of the wonderful things You have done. 

Ps 9:1 GNT

You are my God
And I will praise you,
I thank you
For mountains
And valleys,
For birds, trees
And flowers,
For sunshine
And showers.

You are my God
And I will praise you,
I thank you
For goodness
And kindness,
For life
In all fullness,
For forgiveness
And gentleness,
For hope, peace
And promise.

You are my God
And I will praise You,
I thank you
For the shoes
On our feet,
For the food
That we eat,
For the clothes
On our back,
For the shelter
We have.

You are my God
And I will praise You,
I thank you
For each
Brand new day,
For work
Rest and play,
For family
And friends,
For love
That never ends…

Gracious God, thank You that you are a God of love and goodness; everything we have comes from You.  We pause to reflect on and thank You for your wonderful creation, for Jesus, and for your blessings today and throughout our lives …

Loving God, as we reflect on your blessings may we go out today with loving and thankful hearts.  May our lives reflect the generosity and kindness of your love in Jesus our Saviour.  Amen.

Image: courtesy of Rachael Towersey

Ruth Rushworth

A bruised reed he will not break …

Matt 12:20 NIV

Loving God, we thank you that you understand the burdens, pain and sadness we bear.  We may appear tall and strong, but inside feel bruised and breaking.

We thank You for your care and compassion shown in Jesus as He took on our suffering; as He gave time to listen, talk and restore all who came to him.

Gracious God, thank you that Jesus is with us today by your Spirit.  May your tender love and compassion uphold us when we are bruised and broken. May the light of your love bring comfort, healing and peace.

We thank you for all who bring well-being to others and we pray that care may be available and accessible to all who need it. May we reach out to others with the love of Jesus.

We pray for ……. in the name of Jesus. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in his dear Son!

Eph 1:6 GNT

Grace is sufficient,
Grace is enough,
When the day is easy,
Or the going is tough.

Grace cannot be earned,
Bought or sold,
But is given freely,
From a heart of gold.

Grace is love,
Kindness and care,
A concern for others,
And their best welfare.

Grace forgives,
The hurts we face,
Bringing peace and freedom,
From past mistakes.

Grace brings promise,
Hope and peace,
Of love without end,
And life that will not cease.

Grace flows freely,
Through Jesus God’s Son,
By the power of the Spirit,
Now and in times to come.

Gracious God, as we reflect, we relax our bodies, quieten our minds and breathe deeply of your grace and your peace ……

As we breathe, we thank you for your free-flowing grace that is ours in Jesus …

As we breathe, we thank you for the grace we have received from others …

As we breathe, help us to open our arms and hearts and extend your grace to others …

We bring the prayers of our breath to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

I will make a way in the wilderness

Is 43:19 ESV

In desert wastes
And desert lands
God holds us firmly
in his hands.

Over mountains high
Through valleys steep
Our Saviour’s love
Remains strong and deep.

The way is set
There’s no turning back
The grace of God
Will keep us on track.

Gracious God, your love overcomes, your strength enables and your grace shows the way when we cannot see the path.  Help us to trust in your love and faithfulness and to hold your peace in our hearts.

God of love, we pray for all in need of the assurance of your guiding hand and loving presence alongside them on the path ahead, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth