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

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Ps 8:9 NIV

I thank the Lord
For his wonderful love
For the beauty of creation
For his grace from above.

For all that I have
For all I hold dear
For life, love and friendships
Year after year.

Dear Lord, thank You for life, love and the beauty of all You have created.  Sometimes we get wrapped up in the news, in the busyness and stress of everyday life and we do not notice, or forget to thank you for your beautiful creation and your blessings in our lives and our world.

Dear Lord, we hold our lives before you; your goodness and love is all around us; in your creation, in the daily rising and setting of the sun, in every breath we take, in the love, care and kindness we share, in our relationship with You, in your direction in our lives and in everything we have ….  We take a moment to reflect and offer You our thanks and praise. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

.. grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18 NIVUK

Come to Jesus
He knows us completely,
Come to Jesus
He loves us dearly.

Come to Jesus
He paid the price,
Come to Jesus
He gives us life.

Come to Jesus
His burden is light,
He carries ours
With all his might.

Come to Jesus
He gives us rest,
Come to Jesus
He draws us
Close to his breast.

Come to Jesus
To the love without end,
Come to Jesus
Our Saviour and friend.

Gracious God your love calls to us to come, to receive, to share ….

Loving God, we come to Jesus, to plant our feet in the foundations of his truth, to be sustained in the branches of his love, to blossom and bear fruit in our world,  to reach out to each other and to grow together in the love of God.

We thank you for your everlasting love and care.  Each person is unique, equally precious and loved by You.  May we grow in the knowledge, grace and assurance of your love in Jesus. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

How precious to me are your thoughts God, how vast is the sum of them. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand….

Ps 139: 17-18 NIV

Is it me Lord,
Did I hear your voice,
In the silence and the stillness,
Among the busyness and noise?

In the dewy glow of morning,
Under the glare of the afternoon sun,
In the balmy evening light,
At night, when the day is done?

It may come as a whisper,
A feeling, or conviction of the heart,
In any situation or circumstance,
May your voice stand apart.

Loving God, thank You that You have spoken to us through Jesus and through your written Word in the Bible.  Thank you for the many ways You still speak to us in our everyday lives.

Gracious God, may our eyes be open to see your hand at work, our ears attuned to hear your voice, our minds ready to understand and our hearts softened to know your love in Jesus, and to share that love in our world.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding with guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Phil 4: 6-7 NIV

In the stillness of the moment
In the quietness of this place
Here we meet with Jesus our Saviour
To receive his love and grace

To tell him of all the things
On our hearts and minds
To know He will respond with love
Of an everlasting kind

To trust that he draws us close
And lends a listening ear
He hangs onto our every word
The silence holds no fear

Gracious God, thank you for the assurance that all of our prayers reach you through the light of your love in Jesus.

We thank you for the peace, the freedom and the life offered to us through Jesus.

As we gaze on the cross, we come before You with our praise, our thanks and our prayers for our world, for others and for ourselves ….. in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

“…I am with You always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:20 NLT

Loving God, we think of occasions when, after his resurrection, Jesus met with his followers in their everyday lives …..

He walked and talked with them on the journey to Emmaus, He lifted their despondency and they recognised him as they shared bread….  (Luke 24: 13-35)

He appeared to them when they were frightened and praying together in a locked room and He gave them peace …(Luke 24: 36-53)

He dispelled the doubts of Thomas …(John 21: 26-29)

He told them where to cast their nets when they had caught no fish, then He invited them to breakfast with him …(John 21)

He told them to tell others about him and He promised that He would always be with them … (Matt 28: 18-20)

Loving God, help us to imagine what it must have been like to meet the risen Jesus, to be overjoyed to see him alive, to have no doubts, to recognise him as Lord and God, to have the opportunity to tell him face to face that we love him and to realise the truth of all He had said and taught ……

Gracious God, you meet with us exactly where we are today. Your love transforms everyday lives and brings promise, purpose and peace.

Help us to walk and talk with You more closely, that we may see your hand at work and hear and respond to all You have to say to us and ask of us. We come in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

‘For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’.

Romans 10:13 NIV & Acts 2:21

Your love is so vast,
It created Space,
Your love is so immense,
It made us in your likeness.

Your love is so unbreakable,
It heals and restores,
Your love is so generous,
That Jesus gave his all.

Your love is so powerful,
It gives life to all,
Your love is forever,
For all who call.

God of grace, thank you for this beautiful verse, written not once, but twice, in the Bible. Thank you that, no matter how we feel, You give us this assurance of your unwavering love and certain hope of everlasting life through Jesus.

God of love, draw us close to You, we lift our hearts in praise, and thankfulness for your life and love, given freely for all people.

We pray for all who are unwell, sad, or experiencing difficulties and doubts of any kind. May your open arms draw them close and your loving heart provide comfort, strength and hope.

May we open our arms to welcome and support everyone, in the love and strength of Jesus.  “The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.” (Deut 33:27 NLT). Amen.

Ruth Rushworth