Sing to the Lord, all the earth!  Tell of his salvation from day to day.

1 Chronicles 16:23 ESV

May we allow your gentle hand
To lead us safely through
Times of change,
New seasons
And fresh chapters,
Trusting completely in You.

Grant us space for gifts to bloom,
For dreams to pave the way,
For the love of Jesus, our Saviour
To be displayed in our lives every day.

May we open up our hearts,
To follow your perfect ways,
To receive the love of Jesus,
And praise you all our days.

Creator God, we join with creation and praise you. We thank you for the change in seasons, as the bulbs, dormant underground during winter, continue to burst forth into new and colourful life, heralding the arrival of spring.

Gracious God, we thank you that you always work for good. In this new season, may you bring forth what is pleasing to you in our lives. If there is an idea, a dream, a hope, or a gift planted within us may it grow and bloom, in line with your will.

Loving God, as Lent continues, we prepare for and look forward to the celebration of Easter, when Jesus defeated death and rose from the tomb, offering us new and everlasting life.  We pray that all may know the hope and gracious love of Jesus in this season of their lives. We pray for anyone you have placed on our hearts today.

Ruth Rushworth

Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

Matt: 18:20 NKJV

Gracious God, as we look at the photo and consider the verse, we offer you the prayers of our heart….

Clustered together,
Nestled close,
Protected, secure,
A radiant host.

Vibrant colours,
Responding to the light,
Growing upwards,
Shining bright.

Petals open,
Life displayed,
Vulnerable, yet strong,
In beauty arrayed.

Gracious God, we praise you. We thank you for your goodness and love, displayed in the beauty of nature around us. We thank you for family and friends. We thank you for all those people in our lives who have prayed, encouraged or supported us in our journey through life. We thank you for words of wisdom, fun and laughter, shared tears, and the gentle skill of simply listening. Thank you that when we come together in your name, you are right there with us.  We pray for anyone, known or unknown to us, who is in need of a friend today, that someone might draw alongside them.

As we come together, may we be part of an ever-growing, caring and sharing community of followers of Jesus.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. 

Joshua  1:5 NIVUK

Gracious God, we that you for these words of reassurance spoken to Joshua as he faced the task of leading the people out of the desert into the promised land.

We reflect that at the start of his ministry, Jesus went out into the wilderness.  For 40 days and 40 nights he faced trials and temptations, he had no food and he was alone.  He was armed only with the Word of God.

Gracious God, we pray for anyone who is in the wilderness, either physically, emotionally or spiritually, or experiencing difficult times.  We pray they would know the comfort and strength of Your presence and receive help, support and healing.

Encourage us, loving God, to spend time with You, to pray, read, listen and talk about You.  May we know You better, and follow the example of Jesus more closely, as You lead each of us in our daily lives.  Whatever we face this day, may your Holy Spirit reassure us that You are with us wherever we go. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

‘Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart’. 
Proverbs 3:3 NIV

Gracious God, we praise you and thank you for your love and faithfulness, shown to us in Jesus.  We thank you for those who have shown us your love in different ways.

As we go about our day, may we have hearts of thankfulness for the beauty and love around us, from the tiniest snowdrop or crocus, to a helping hand, an act of generosity, a listening ear, a wise word or a timely prayer. Stay close to us and help us to consider how we can be true to you and display your faithful love today. Thank you dear Lord. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

“…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of one of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Matt 25:40 NIV

In the stillness
In the being
In the knowing
In the loving
In the giving
In the caring
In the sharing
Jesus is here.

God of love, God of light,
bless our hearts, increase our sight,
that we might know you better still,
reflect your heart, your mind, your will.

Loving God, as Jesus sought out quiet time with You, away from the crowds, may we too seek to spend time, however long or short, with You.

Show us how we might be a shining light  and reflect your love as pray, live, work and serve that we and others may encounter Jesus, the Light and Saviour of the world. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:33 NIV

My ways are gentle,
My path is straight,
My love is forever,
My mercy great.
My faithfulness is true,
My forgiveness assured,
My life is eternally
Bound to yours.

Faithful God, we reflect on the love of Jesus, the love that came down from heaven to earth, the love that sacrificed His life on the cross, the love that conquered death and rose to new life.  The love that offers light and life to all…..

Loving God, we thank You for your faithful love, the love that burns brightly and dispels the darkness, the love that overcomes, the love that gives meaning, hope and a future. We thank You for all we have and who we are through Jesus.  We reflect with you on what this means to us …….

As we look at the cross and lighted candle, we light a candle in our heart for the people and situations we wish to bring before You, in Jesus’ name……

May your faithful love hold us in peace and trust.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Cor 1:2 NIV

Through the heart of God
We are loved, just as we are,
Our saviour Jesus came from afar,
To gather us all to himself,
To speak of truth, of love, of rest.
He invites us into a kingdom of love,
To share the joys of heaven above,
He adorns us with his love and grace,
Gifts of peace and lights of faith.

He shows us ways to aid the weak,
To comfort those who grieve and weep,
To be His light in a darkened world,
To speak to those who have not heard
Of the love Jesus asked to be shared.
To work for justice, pray for peace,
To seek His face, His will, His grace.

Gracious God of all our days,
Accept our worship,
Our song of praise,
Our heart of thankfulness,
For Jesus your Son,
For your Holy Spirit,
God, three in one.

Loving God, we praise You. May your gracious, all-encompassing love embrace us and transform us from the inside out, that all may know they are cherished by You, God of Love and Creation. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Jesus said “Come to me all you who are thirsty, come and drink! Streams of living water will flow from within all who believe in me.”

John 7:38 NIV

Gracious God, we come to You; we calm our minds and still our bodies, slow our breathing and settle into this time of reflection with You, living, loving God. We come, with all that is on our hearts and minds, knowing that we are perfectly loved and accepted by You just as we are. Gracious God, we praise you….

As the deer pants for water,
so I long for you O God….
I will meditate upon your kindness…
For by day
the Lord pours out
his steadfast love…
Through the night
I pray to the God
who gives me life.
He is my help!
He is my God!

Extracts from Psalm 42 TLB

Gracious God, thank you that we can come and bathe under the cascade of the pure, renewing, refreshing waters of Jesus, through the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Thank you that You satisfy our deepest thirst and longings.
Draw us closer to You as we drink deeply from the waterfall of Your everlasting love, strength and grace in Jesus. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

.. My grace is all you need…

2 Cor: 12:9 NLT

Loving God,
We come to You,
Our God, our Saviour.
In this quiet space
We worship You,
We praise You,
We thank You.

We listen.
We wait.

We offer ourselves,
our lives up to You,
Trusting, that You
Will bless,
Give back,
And provide,
All we need
In our lives
To love and serve
You and others,
With joy and gladness,
Today and every day.

Come, Lord Jesus,
By you Holy Spirit,
Fill out hearts,
Our minds,
Our lives,
With love for You.

Loving God, imprint your love, your grace, your power and your peace on us through your Holy Spirit, that the light of Jesus may always shine brightly in our lives, homes and communities. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

The Lord has shown us what is good “…to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” 

Micah 6:8 NIV

Loving God, we praise you for your wonderful and beautiful creation. The world and everything in it belongs to you. We praise you for Jesus, light of the world and the life, love, hope and future we have through Him.

Ellen Ochoa, Astronaut commented:

“My first mission blew me away…

When you’re looking down on the earth and you realise that people are fighting each other, as opposed to this view that you have of people all being part of a single planet; it’s really saddening.

Viewing the earth from space, it certainly transforms the way you look and think about earth, you see everything as one interconnected system, including all your family and friends and everything you’ve ever known is down there on this planet. It’s the place we call home and we need to take care of it.” *

Loving, creator God, we pray for our world …
We pray for unity  …
We pray for peace  …
We pray for justice  …
We pray that we might love and care for each other; each one is precious to You …
We pray that we might take care of our planet and everything you have given us …

Gracious God, we thank you that, no matter how things seem, you are in control and your good and loving purpose will prevail. May we lift our eyes from our perspective to yours.  May we walk closely with you and draw on the guiding light of your love and presence with us, as we live out our lives this day, for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

* Ellen Ochoa Astronaut
Speaking on 2022: The Year From Space
Channel 4, Tuesday 3rd Jan 2023

Free Image: Bing Wallpaper

He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will … neither slumber not sleep

Psalm 121: 3-4 NIV

He opened his arms
In a welcome embrace,
Stay close my child
As you run the race,
Surmount the obstacles
Over which you tread,
Trust in me,
I know the way ahead.

I will never leave you
I am always yours.
I never take my eyes off you
I’ll help you stay on course,
I adore you with a passion
And a heart that burns with love,
All I am I give you
My child, I am enough.

Loving God, we reflect on your gracious promises to us.  Thank you that you are our help and protection, our constant guide and companion who watches over us by night and by day. May we stay close to you and lead others towards you. For Jesus sake.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth