Jesus said ” come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest”
Mark 6:31 NIV
Come, I will refresh you,
Come, I will give you rest,
Come, I will carry your burdens,
Come, my way is best.
Come, I will nourish you,
Come, I will calm your fear,
Come, I give you light and life,
Come, I am near.
Come, I will teach you,
Come, I will show you the way,
Come, I am the Lord, your God,
Come, I am here every day.
Jesus, with open arms, You invite everyone to come to You. We take a moment to rest our bodies, quieten our minds, be aware of our breathing and be still before You; to reflect on our focus and direction and to pray about anything on our hearts and minds ….
Jesus, whether we have minutes, hours or days, we come to You, source of all life and love. Replenish us in mind, body and spirit that we might love you better and nourish others with the love you have for us. Amen
Ruth Rushworth
Previous Reflections
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
Ezekiel 36:26 NIV
Enlarge my heart O God,
May your love encompass
The very centre of my being.
May I might worship You
In Spirit and in truth,
In freedom and transparency,
In honesty and purity,
In love and obedience.
Enlarge my heart O God,
May Jesus reside
at the centre of my life,
Of my thoughts and my prayers,
Of my words and my actions.
May His love radiate
Through every aspect of my life,
Out to your people, your world.
Enlarge my heart O God,
May your Holy Spirit
capture my attention,
inflame my passion,
Illuminate my path.
May I respond to your voice
With praise and thanksgiving
With love, justice and mercy.
Transforming love, may the love and goodness of God, the grace and compassion of Jesus and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit transform our lives and our world. Amen.
Ruth Rushworth
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden…..
Is 58:11 NIV
Beauty eternal
Risen from the grave,
Ascended to heaven
In radiance displayed.
Beauty eternal
Clear and bright,
Forever interceding
With power and might.
Beauty eternal
Reigning above,
Through clouds of glory
Shining heavenly love.
Beauty eternal
Faithful and true,
Guiding by your Spirit
Making all things new.
Beauty eternal
Out of our sight,
Revealed by your Spirit
To the Father’s delight.
Beauty eternal
Jesus, may we gaze
On your love and compassion
All of our days.
Gracious God, we praise you. We take a moment to be quiet and still in your presence. We breathe in your peace…..
We thank you for Jesus, enthroned in heaven with you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit, who is with us to point us to Jesus, and strengthen, comfort and guide us throughout our lives.
Gracious God, may we commit ourselves afresh to you and draw deeply on the well of your renewing love, that the beauty and grace of Jesus may be displayed in us. Amen.
Ruth Rushworth
May 2022
(Jesus said).. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.
John 14:16 ESV
Loving God, You have graciously given us a Helper and a Comforter; One who will remain with us for ever.
One who will remind us of everything Jesus said, taught and did. One who will teach us and show us things beyond our human understanding. One who will reveal the heart and mind and ways of God. One who will enable us and lead us in ways of righteousness of peace. One who will pray with us in our weakness, in a way that cannot be put into words. One who will arm us with strength and confidence in the midst of doubt and fear. One who will clothe us with compassion, kindness, and humility. One who will live out the Christian life with us and within us. One who will breathe new life into us and fill us with joy and peace in knowing Jesus.
One who will convict us of the truth, who will gently remind us – …Jesus gave his life for you; …. you are wholly and dearly loved. *
Gracious God, we praise you for your life-giving Holy Spirit who is with us and helps us to navigate this often difficult life. We thank you that He is a Holy Guest and will never coerce or over-ride our free will. As we reflect, may we open our hearts to invite and welcome your Holy Spirit more fully into our lives, for Jesus sake. Amen.
Ruth Rushworth
* 1 John 3:16; 1 Col 3:12
The Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:5 NIV
The morning dawns clear and bright,
The sun is risen spreading light,
Shining on all God has made,
On people of every nation and creed;
On each flower and blade of grass,
Over every valley and mountain pass;
Through birds that sing a joyful tune,
And animals grazing under the silvery moon;
Over fish that swim and dance and leap,
In waters clear, cool and deep;
On every word, thought and breath,
Over life and love, work, play and rest.
Loving, living God, we praise You for the beauty and every tiny detail of your wonderful creation. We praise You for your goodness and faithful love for us. Help us to care for and protect our precious planet. Soften our hearts and help us to respond to the needs of our neighbours throughout the world, with the love and compassion of Jesus.
Gracious God, we pray for the power of your healing, restoring love and your peace to be known by all people. We lift our hearts to you in thanks and praise, that we might carry the light of your love to all we meet today. Amen.
Ruth Rushworth
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He has made everything beautiful in it’s time…. Let all the world shout Loving God, You have made us in your image. You know even the smallest detail about us, you see our every move and you have counted each hair on our head. You tell us not to us not to worry and not to fear. You ask us to trust in You. |
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3: 22-23 ESV
The dawn beckons
The light awakens
The birds chorus
The dew glistens.
The call of the day
Draws us to You
To be in your presence
To seek You anew.
We offer our worship
Our thanks, our praise
As we look to follow
All of your ways.
Inspired by your Spirit
Sustained by your Son
Trusting in your goodness
May your will be done.
Loving God, in the quietness of the moment, we praise you for your love and faithfulness to us. As we sit with You and talk with You, we invite You to into our day and ask You to guide us through it ………
May the light of your Son dispel the shadows.
May the song of your Spirit add a spring to our step. May the dew of your presence infuse your peace. May we live, love and serve You and others with sensitivity and hearts of praise and thankfulness, in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Ruth Rushworth
Jesus said ” let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me….rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 7: 37-39 NIVUK
A gentle whisper
Or a gushing roar
The voice of God carries
From source to shore.
Clear and cascading
pure and fresh
Cleansing and renewing
The Saviour’s breath.
Making a way
Where none can be seen
The life of the Spirit
Moving within.
Bringing life and growth
To all in its wake
Flowing with love
Mercy and grace.
Gracious God, as we spend time with You today, we picture ourselves by a flowing river or stream…. As we breathe in, we think of the renewing breath and love of the Holy Spirit flowing through our bodies – through our hearts, our lungs, our veins and our minds ….. Loving God, we breath in the peace of Your presence…..
Life-giving God, as we take a clear, cool glass of water when we are feeling physically parched, may we come to You each day to drink of the refreshing, life-giving waters of Your Holy Spirit. As we spend time with You, may Your love quench our thirst and overflow through us to others as we live, work and serve in Jesus name. Amen.
Ruth Rushworth
“..When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them….” (Matt 5: 1-2 NIV).
Gracious God, we thank You that You know us and look on us with love. We thank you for your many blessings, promises and everlasting care. We thank You that as we pass through valleys, mountain tops, shadows and sunshine, You are always with us and ready to teach us, guide us, comfort us and restore us.
Gracious God, may we simply come to You. May we draw near with an open heart and mind, trusting in your goodness and love. As we read, speak, hear and absorb the words of Jesus, may the transforming love of Your Holy Spirit work for good in our lives. Amen.
Ruth Rushworth
Love never fails
1 Cor 13:8 NIVUK
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Cor 13: 4 – 8 NIVUK
Gracious God we thank You for these divine, beautiful, and well-loved verses, so often recited at weddings to show the qualities and character of the love we desire to share with each other.
We praise You that this love is personified in Jesus. As we seek Your presence and Your will, may Your love transform us through the working of the Holy Spirit, that we might display the fullness of love in our lives.
We thank you for those who have shown us love and we pray for those in need of love……As we consider these challenging verses, we listen in our hearts, for anything You may wish to say to us today…… Gracious God, we thank You for love. Amen
Ruth Rushworth
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..may you have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…
Eph 3:18-19 NIV
God of love and life, we come to You with praise and thankfulness for Jesus. We reflect on His amazing love and our relationship with Him in our daily lives…..
Loving God, draw us closer. May we know the extravagant and endless love of Jesus in our heart and in the very depth of our being. May we know His joy, peace and power and may His gracious love overflow through us to others.
We thank you too for the beautiful flowers that adorn the empty cross and speak of life, hope and a future. We give flowers on so many occasions – to celebrate, congratulate, cheer, thank, offer sympathy, or simply to say I’m thinking of you, I’m here for you. As we see, send or receive flowers, may they be a reminder of the wonderful love of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
Ruth Rushworth
Jesus told him “…Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:29 NIV
Loving God, we reflect – as Thomas encountered the risen Jesus he exclaimed “my Lord and my God.” Jesus replied “because you have seen me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed.”
Loving God, thank you that we can come to You, openly and honestly with our doubts and our questions. We cannot hide them from You, for You know them already. We take a moment to speak with You now about anything on our hearts…..
Loving, living God, You are our true hope, our joy, the One who brings meaning, purpose and peace. You lead us out of darkness into your marvellous light* and we praise You. Bless and increase our faith. Grant us peace, wisdom and understanding. May we trust You with any questions that have not yet been answered. May your Holy Spirit reveal Jesus afresh to us, so that we too may exclaim “my Lord and my God.”
Ruth Rushworth
*1 Peter 2:9 NIV