” For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

Jer 29:11 NIV

Grace reaches out
To our unformed state,
No work is too hard,
No timing too late.

Seeing all
that we will become,
Transforming, changing,
No work left undone.

Beauty and goodness
Flow from his face,
Life and love are held,
In his embrace.

Gentle and tender
Vulnerable yet strong
In the open-hearted love
Of Christ we belong.

Gracious God, thank You for beauty and wonder of nature, for the change we see as a moth is transformed into a butterfly.

Thank you gracious God for the love of Jesus,  the love that calls us friends, the love that works for good in every situation, the love that never gives up on us, the love that never fails.

Gracious God, we pray for all who are waiting for change, opportunity or a breakthrough.  In their time of waiting, may your love support and sustain and bring your hope and peace. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

Phil 4:13 CEV

Gracious God, I open my heart
to your love and purpose.
Jesus, my Saviour I open my heart
to you life and light.
Holy Spirit, I open my heart
to your power and guidance.

When my heart is brittle,
Soften it with your love;
When I cannot see the way,
Lead me in the way of Jesus.
When I am weak, bless me
With strength and courage,
And the reassurance,
Of your presence,
Alongside me,
Every day.
Amen.

Gracious, faithful God, your heart of love is all around us.  May your love flow into our hearts and lives and of those we love and pray for.  We pray especially today for anyone You have placed on our hearts ….. may they know your peace, your presence and the and strength of your healing love. Amen

Ruth Rushworth
Painting: courtesy of Cheryl O’Connor

Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth

Ps 98:4 NIV

We thank You Lord,
For your wonderful world,
For the beauty of creation,
For all you have made.

From the freshness of a dewy dawn,
To the sun shining strong and bright,
To the stars in their twinkling splendor,
And the moon lighting up the night.

From densely packed forests,
To flowers blooming in the light,
To vibrant green and blue grasses,
Standing tall, strong and upright.

From animals of every shape and size,
To birds soaring high in the skies,
To creeping insects and spiders,
Sights to widen the eyes!

From dolphins jumping for joy,
On waves rolling into the shore,
To seals basking in the sunshine,
And whales singing melodies pure.

From bubbling mountain streams,
To lazy rivers meandering to the sea,
Yet the pinnacle of God’s creation,
Are the people He created us to be.

Thank you loving God for this wonderful world that you have created for us to care for and enjoy. Thank you for its beauty and splendour, for its majesty and strength, for its peace and tranquility, for the life it promotes and sustains. Help us dear Lord to care for it.

Thank you for loving God for making each and every one of us. You love us all with a perfect and unconditional love. Help us to show love and to see the needs of others, whether close to home or on faraway shores.

As we pray to You today, we lift up our hearts to You.  Draw us closer you You. Help us to see your love and goodness in others and in our world and to give You thanks. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth
Image: courtesy of Jo Rotheram

Jesus said .. “… I am with you always …”

Matt 28:20 NIV

Gracious God,
At the beginning of this day

I give You my hands –
may they reach out to You and touch others with your love;

I give You my eyes –
May they see You and be open to the needs of others;

I give You my ears –
May they hear your voice and listen carefully to others;

I give You my lips –
May they praise You and encourage others;

I give You my feet –
May they walk in step with You and alongside others;

I give You my mind –
May it have your wisdom and pray for others;

I give You my heart –
May it know the depth, generosity and compassion of your heart and share it with others;

I give You myself –
May I know the fullness of your boundless love and love and serve You and others, for the sake of Jesus. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart I will praise his holy name.

Ps 103:1 NLT

I praise the Lord for his wonderful love
A love that lasts beyond a lifetime
A gift from heaven above
A love that embraces, forgives and sets free,
A love full of mercy that ends enmity.

A love that restores, renews and transforms,
A love that strengthens, softens and warms.
A love that reveals God’s plans for our lives,
A love that leads, a love that guides.
A love that unites and draws us near,
A love that extinguishes darkness and fear.

A love that is merciful, gracious and kind,
A love that will never turn us away, nor leave us behind.
A love of compassion to aid and care for,
The poor, the sick, the downhearted and sorrowful.

A love of justice, of truth and right,
To work for good with all of our might.
A love that promises hope, joy and peace,
And the assurance of eternal life through Our Lord, Christ Jesus.

Loving God, we praise You for wonderful love in Jesus.  As we spend time with You and reflect, we ask You to speak into our hearts by your Spirit. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

Jesus said  “Come follow me…”

Matt:1:17 NIV

I can come when I’m happy
I can come when I’m sad
I can come when I’m angry
I can come when I’m glad

I can come when I’m lonely
I can come when I’m fearful
I can come when I’m joyful
I can come when I’m tearful

I can come on days when all goes right
I can come on days of struggle and fight
I can come on days of sickness and pain
I can come on days when I’m strong in frame

I can come always
I can come for ever
For I am loved
I am accepted
By Jesus
My Saviour

God of grace, your love for us is deeper than the oceans and higher than the heavens.  The light and warmth of your love encircles our world, enfolds us in your love and invites us to come, just as we are.

Jesus, Light of the World, we come ….

Ruth Rushworth

Praise the Lord… for his loving kindness is great toward us. The Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. 

Ps 127 1-2 NHEB

Gracious God,
Our Lord and King,
Our praise and worship,
To You we bring.
Lead us safely,
through this day,
To love and serve You,
Each in our own special way.

To play our part,
In your Kingdom plan,
To share the joy of Jesus,
God made man,
To grow in faith,
To stand tall and upright,
United in love,
Responsive to your light.

To see the needs,
Of those far and near,
To respond with love,
To disarm fear,
To spread the news,
Of the hope and promise,
Of the love of God,
And his son Jesus.

Gracious God, thank You for this new day.  Thank you that we can see your love all around us in your wonderful creation and in the love and kindness of others. Help us to appreciate and give thanks for all You have given us.

We pray that your Holy Spirit would  help us to grow together in faith, hope and love. Help us to nurture our planet and to reflect the love and kindness of Jesus in our world today.  Amen

Ruth Rushworth

The Holy Spirit prays with us, 
In a way we cannot express,
When the words will not come,
The Spirit interprets them best.

Based on Romans 8:26-7

Gracious God, thank You that You are always with us. We put aside any distractions and come to a quiet place in our hearts to meet with You.

At times, it is difficult to know how to pray and so we thank You that your Holy Spirit helps us and interprets the prayers of our hearts when we cannot find the words.

We bring to mind situations, places and people around the world and close to home in need of our prayers; we lift them before You and ask your Spirit to help us pray  …..

Loving God, You know, understand and care about all that we face in our lives. You want to walk alongside us and help us. We bring before You anything on our hearts and ask your Spirit to pray with us and for us …..

Loving God, may we go out today trusting in the presence, strength, peace and guidance of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God.

I John 4:7 NIVUK

A beautiful gift,
of compassion and grace,
Of overflowing love,
Unrestricted, by time or place,
Direct from the heart,
Of Jesus, God’s own son,
Through the power of Spirit,
For now and all time to come.

Gracious God, we thank you for your love; for the love of family and friends and the love we share with each other.  We thank you for all the love, care and kindness shown to us that we take for granted.

As we reflect and look at the image, we think about the love and heart of Jesus for the whole world.  We think about the colours we might use to show the transforming love of God in our lives and how we might share that love with others.

Loving God, draw us closer to You that we may know your love more deeply and share your love, peace and kindness with others in our world.  We pray for people, places and situations on our hearts ….. in Jesus’ name. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

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