Previous Reflections

The Lord will work out his plans for my life – for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.

Psalm 138:7 NLT

Gracious God, we thank you that your love is everlasting, faithful, sure and true.  Thank you that each one of us is personally known and dearly loved by You.  Thank you that our lives have significance and purpose and we find our true selves and identity through your love in Jesus.  We thank you that your plans for our lives are good and just right for us, and You will bring them to fulfilment at the right time.

When we face a new start, or changing or challenging circumstances, may your Holy Spirit lead us along the right paths; may we rest and trust in your faithful love and may we know the peace of Jesus in our hearts. We bring before you in prayer all those facing change in their lives. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony…let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts…and be thankful.

Col 3:14 /15 NLT

Love in kindness
Love in meekness
Love in compassion
Love in completeness

Love in forgiving
Love in nurturing
Love in listening
Love in caring

Love in our hearts
Love in our minds
Love in our souls
Love in our lives

Loving God, we come to You today and thank You for the wonderful gift of love that gives meaning and holds everything together.  We thank you for Jesus and his greatest gift and act of love as He lay down his life for us.

Loving God, may we be clothed by your Spirit in the rich and gracious love that comes from You. Bind us together in harmony as we pray, live and act together for the needs of each other and our world, that all may know your love in Jesus. Grant us a thankful heart for all your blessings and may we know your peace in our lives. We bring our prayers to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

…God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.
Romans 5:5 GNT

Blowing away the cobwebs
A refreshing cleansing breath,
Reaching every nook and cranny,
A holy, living guest.

Like the refreshment of the morning dew,
The warmth of the midday sun,
The coolness of the eventide,
The Holy Spirit comes.

He comes, strong as an eagle,
Yet as gentle as a dove,
With the grace and peace of God in Jesus,
Assuring eternal, heavenly love.

He comes with a love transforming,
To enrich our everyday lives,
To reveal the fullness of Jesus,
That in Him we may abide.

Loving God, we simply come to You; we come with thankfulness for Jesus, for his life and love; a love beyond measure; a love that can never be extinguished…..

We come in quietness, in stillness, setting aside the demands and tasks of the day to focus on You.  As we breathe in, may we breathe in the peace, the presence and the refreshment of your Holy Spirit; your peace in Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us……

We come, we lay down our lives and open our hearts to You…. We thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and reflect on your transforming love in our lives…… Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Eph 6:10 NIV

Burrowing deep into eternal foundations,
Secured, supported, sustained.
Stretching onwards and outwards,
Reaching up to lofty skies,
The mighty oak stands,
Nourished with light, goodness and love,
Protected from all harm.
Displaying it’s strength and beauty,
For all the world to see.

Almighty, sustaining God, You are our God and we praise You. We thank You for your goodness and provision in our daily lives.  As we reflect, we draw on the nourishment of your love, your strength and protection in all we do today….

Almighty, sustaining God, may we sink our roots deeply into Jesus; may we be grounded in his words and teaching; may we open our arms more fully to receive his gracious love.

May we stand firm in his strength, in days of sunshine and storms; and may we offer a strong and secure shelter that others may be attracted to your love in Jesus. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

Open my eyes, to see the wonderful truths in your law. 

Ps 119:18 NLT

Open our eyes to your truth
Enlighten our mind to your Will
Lift our spirit to your Holy Spirit
Bear our load in your strength
Confirm our purpose in your plan
Renew our strength in your love

Loving God, we thank you for the power of your love in our lives, we thank you for your words of love, truth, wisdom and grace in the Bible, we thank you for the wise counsel of others and we thank you for your love, your goodness and your presence with us today and every day.

Loving God, as we consider the day ahead and all that it holds, we open our hearts and commit our day to You…..
May we see situations from your perspective, speak a timely word, act in love and kindness and bring all things to You in prayer. May we walk in step with the enabling power of your Holy Spirit and the saving grace of Jesus. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

For God….has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Cor 4:6 NIVUK

God made his light
Shine in our hearts.
It shines brightly;
as in fragile jars of clay.
We do not lose heart,
For inwardly Jesus renews us,
By his Holy Spirit day after day.

Gracious God, we are so grateful for the light and love of Jesus. We thank you that he became vulnerable as he gave his life, for each of us, on the cross.  We thank you for your mighty power and strength that raised Jesus, giving us new life and hope, both now and for all eternity.

Loving God, may your love shine through our lives, through our vulnerability and weakness, that your love in Jesus may be visible to all, as we serve you and tell others of your love. Help us not rely on our own strength, but on the strength You promise and provide day by day…..

May your healing, restoring love shine through the the brokenness in our world and bring your renewal, wholeness and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the light and life of the world. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth!

Ps 100 NIV

Jesus, Our Lord, our Saviour and King,
You created our beautiful world,
You spoke; and it came into being.

You adorned the heavens with starry skies
The fullness of the sun brings life, light and colour to our eyes.

Mountains high, valleys low, majestic peaks and rivers that flow, all point to a love that we may know.

The mighty oceans vast and deep, brim with creatures and fish, too numerous to assimilate.

Animals, birds, plants and trees, leave us gasping in awe, as we care for so many species.

A world of wonder, a world of might, a world of beauty….. yet in a plight!

Gracious God, we praise you for the gift of our wonderful world and your generous, plentiful provision. We thank you for love, life, light and colour, for the beauty and sounds of nature, for the very air we breath……..

Loving God, You ask us to be good stewards and care for our world and each other. Forgive us when we have misused and depleted resources, and caused harm to our environment and our neighbours. Forgive us when we have not shared what we have with others, for You have provided enough for all.

Loving God, You make all things new, show us how to repair and take care of our world and relationships. Encourage us, that we may have the heart, the mind and will to embrace the changes we need to make. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Image M.P. McKellar -used with permission

I have stilled and quieted my soul

Ps131:2 NIV

In the stillness of the moment
In the calm in the peace
Here I meet with Jesus my saviour
To receive his love and grace

To thank him for his wondrous love
His good and perfect ways
To offer myself and my day to him
In love, service and praise.

Gracious God, we take time to put aside the thoughts, distractions and interruptions of the moment, to come before You, our God, our Creator, our Guide, our Sustainer.

You are our hope, our joy, our song, and we praise you for your love and life.  We lift our hearts to you in praise and thankfulness, for  your many blessings in our lives…..  May we pass your blessings on to others as we abide in Jesus. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

(Jesus said) I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…..they will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 

John 10: 14: 16 NIV 

As the tides ebb and flow.
We follow Jesus, wherever he may go.

To be his hands; to heal, to hold,
To be his feet; to walk the narrow road.

To be his ears; to listen, to hear,
To be his eyes; to see what is clear.

To be his mouth; to whisper to speak,
To be his heart, never missing a beat.

To be his mind; to understand,
To share the love of God, throughout the land.

God of love, we thank You that You have spoken to us through Jesus.  May we hear and respond to his voice; the voice that said, “love one another, as I have loved you” and “go and make disciples of all the nations.”  The voice that promised, “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” *

God of grace, in this world we see needs close to home and far away. May we we respond with the compassionate and steadfast love of Jesus, as you show us.

God of peace, we ask that your Holy Spirit will be with us and help us to pray for any person or situation You have placed on our hearts…..in Jesus’ name.  Amen

Ruth Rushworth

*John 13:34 NIV
Matt 28: 19-20 NIV

The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night…. The Lord watches over your life…. He will watch over your coming and going both now and evermore.

Ps 121 5-8 NIVUK

May our hearts share your love
May our lives reflect your grace
May our minds reveal your wisdom
May our tongues sing your praise

Loving God, wherever we are and in all of our circumstances, we thank you for the assurance of your love and protection. Thank You that You watch over our lives and protect and guide us by night and by day.

Gracious God, as the summer months continue and schools take a break, some will stay at home, while others take off on holidays and adventures. We pray for opportunities for reflection, refreshment and relaxation; for times of wonder and joy; for times for family, friendship, fun and laughter; for times to strengthen relationships with each other and with You.

Loving God, help us to remember to spend time in prayer; to bring our thanks and our praise, our worries and our anxieties and our concerns for others to You. And may our lives reflect the light and love of Jesus our Saviour. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds

Ps 147:3 NIV

We come to You, almighty God,
With our wounds beyond repair,
To your healing, restoring, perfect love,
To your gentleness, strength and care.

You gather the pieces of our heart,
Hold them closely to your breast,
You bind them with precious, heavenly gold,
In the way that You know is best.

You bring our mended hearts together,
Wrapped, in your loving embrace,
Our lives, our loves, our hopes to share,
In the presence of your grace.

Gracious God, we thank you for Jesus who willingly suffered and allowed his body to be broken, that we might know the extent of his amazing love and find new life, wholeness, purpose, hope and peace in Him….

We thank you for those people who walk alongside us in times of difficulty, in love, acceptance and prayer……

We pray for people around the world whose lives are shattered and broken…..

May we pray for and offer comfort to others, with the comfort we ourselves have received…..

We offer these and all the prayers of our hearts to You, loving God, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

(May you) know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Eph 3:19 ESV

Blessed by your love
Welcomed and accepted
Loved beyond measure
For all eternity treasured

Our hearts cannot contain
The fullness of your love
Form everlasting to everlasting
In your grace and mercy we trust

Gracious, eternal God, you love us wholly, dearly and completely. You created us, You know us individually by name, You rejoice and delight in us. Thank you for Jesus who gave his life, his all, out of love for us. Thank you for the wonderful gift of your Holy Spirit to guide us always.  We praise You, we worship You and we thank You for the fullness of your amazing love.

Loving God, in You we trust. Draw us closer to You.  May we know your love more fully in our hearts and take it out into the world, in the ways we value and care for others.  May we know the the peace of your presence and may we hold on to your guiding hand as we walk every day with you.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth