Friday 30th April
Hymn: God who listens
Prayer:
Lord God, it can be such a noisy world, so noisy that it sometimes would drown out your voice, and yet you continue to speak to us through the wonder of your creation, through your Word and through your Holy Spirit. But even when we don’t notice you, Lord, you notice us. You are always listening out for us, you hear our prayers, and you see us in our need for strength, for healing, for hope. And this is so amazing, Lord – that great as you are, you always have time for us, that you draw near to us and walk beside us in every place and in every part of our lives, always faithful and always loving. What a security, what a promise, what a Friend!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 29th April
Hymn: I serve a risen Saviour (MP 295)
Prayer:
How wonderful, Lord Jesus, that Easter is not limited to one day, or even one season, but something we can celebrate not only the whole of the year but every day of our lives. For you are always risen, always alive, always our faithful Lord, always someone we can meet and experience wherever and however we are. Through your Holy Spirit we know your presence, your encouragement and your love constantly surrounding us, infilling us and giving us hope both for now and for the future. We praise and thank you for all this means to us, and ask that your joy may so radiate from our lives that we may be a blessing to those around us.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 28th April
Hymn: Thank you, Lord
Prayer:
How often, Lord God, we try to work things out by ourselves, to find our own solutions to the problems we face, to find the way forward using our own wisdom, to rely on our own resources – and how often we fail, or at best, the outcome is disappointing and not what we had hoped. Trials and troubles are part of the mix of everyday life, Lord, and you never promised that our faith would somehow make us exempt from them, but what you did promise is the help and guidance of your Holy Spirit, and that whatever we face you will give us the strength to cope. So help us, Lord, to be more patient and to listen for that still small voice, for it is as we learn to rely on you that we will grow stronger in our faith and trust.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 27th April
Hymn: Living under the shadow of his wing (SofF 346/MP 423)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, one of the things that has dominated our lives over the last year has been a feeling of insecurity, of not knowing exactly what it is safe to do, for often even the ‘experts’ have struggled to know the way forward. How good it is, then, to know that we can find our safety and security in you, Lord, and that nothing, can take away from us the freedom to worship you or can separate us from your love. As we move forward into a still unknown future we do so confident that you go with us, and indeed ahead of us, guiding us by your Holy Spirit, and for this and for so much more we offer you our thanks, our praise and our worship.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 26th April
Hymn: He knows
Prayer:
For so many people the last year has been such a difficult and stressful time, and although restrictions are beginning to loosen in this country, this is not the case for a lot of other parts of the world. So much suffering, so much heartache, so much upheaval of our ordinary everyday lives, and yet through it all, Lord Jesus, you have been present, even when we were not aware of it. We can be sure of this, Lord, because you lived a human life and understand what it means to suffer, to lose loved ones, and to endure pain and disappointment. And therefore we know that you will bring us through, perhaps to a different kind of world, but still one where you call us to work alongside you to bring healing and hope, and the comfort of your loving presence.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 25th April
Hymn: The Lord’s my shepherd (StF 481/SofF 1030/CMP 1008)
Prayer:
Lord God, it’s so easy to be led astray by the things of this world, by the persuasive talk of advertisers, by the different voices of a society that focuses on self-interest and achievement, and many other distractions. And we’ve all been there, Lord, and found ourselves let down, disillusioned and disappointed, and realising that in all of this we have turned away from your path for our lives. Yet you offer us endless mercy – time and time again you forgive us and allow us to put the past behind us and start again, walking in the new life and the new relationship you offer us through Jesus Christ. We thank you, Lord, for your love and grace, and ask you to strengthen us by your Holy Spirit as we put our trust in you.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 24th April
Hymn: Space
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we are full of wonder that before we ever recognised you as our Lord and Saviour, even before we put our faith and trust in you, you loved us and wanted to be part of our lives. It’s hard for us to grasp this because we know only too well how so often we don’t match up to the way we know we should live, or what we imagine you expect of us, but how wrong can we be? For all you ask is that we come to you as we are, with all our faults and failings, reassuring us that we are welcome, and that we are accepted and precious in your sight. In a broken and fearful world, when many feel lost and without hope, may we never cease to share the message of the love and belonging that is to be found in you.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 23rd April
Hymn: The Galilean fishers toil (MHB 509)
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, you come to us in different ways and in unexpected places, just as you did for those first disciples following your Resurrection, but always we know it is you. We know it because all at once we experience a deep joy, a deep peace, a sense of your love surrounding us, calming our racing thoughts, stilling our fears, and sometimes pointing us in a new direction. But we admit that there are times, Lord, when we are so busy that we miss these transforming moments, so help us, we pray, to be more open and ready to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, the scared amid the secular, and allow you to speak more freely and fully into our lives.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 22nd April
Hymn: Lift high the name of Jesus
Prayer:
We see your goodness displayed in so many ways, Lord God, and we find joy and strength and new life in all you have done for us in Jesus, and that’s really wonderful, but it isn’t something we can simply hug to ourselves. Like those first disciples following the Resurrection, we have something to tell, amazing good news to share. We may still be restricted physically at the moment, perhaps not able to meet in our churches for worship, but the gospel knows no such limitations, and the name of Jesus can be lifted high not only in our buildings but even more effectively through our lives, by what we say and do and by the people we are. So, Lord, give us courage, give us wisdom and vision, we pray, to see beyond the familiar and the old ‘normal’, and to take hold of all the opportunities you give us to make the love of Jesus known.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 21st April
Hymn: Who paints the skies (SofF 1118)
Prayer:
As we revel in the joy of springtime, the growing warmth of the sun, in the greening of the trees, the glorious canvas of creation with its colour and variety and detail and intricate design, we are filled with wonder, Lord God, at the beauty of all you have made, and the way this speaks of your goodness and faithfulness. But even more amazing is your care for us, for the love you have shown us through Jesus, and for your interest in our daily lives. Over the last year you have brought us through so much, Lord. You have sustained and strengthened us in difficult and fearful times, and now, along with the new life around us we can begin to share a resurgence of hope, for a future of greater freedom and brighter promise – and all of it, Lord, made more real through putting our trust in you, and lives lived to your glory and praise.
Amen.
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 20th April
Hymn: There is a Redeemer (StF 338/SofF 544/ MP 673)
Prayer:
We praise and thank you, Lord God, for all you are and for all you have done for us in and through Jesus Christ. As we travel through this Easter season, and hear the accounts of how, after his Resurrection, Jesus made himself known to his followers, we recall all the ways you continue to make yourself known to us, through creation, through your word, through Jesus and through your Holy Spirit, touching every part of our lives in ways that reveal your goodness, your faithfulness, your presence and your love. And even more than this, we thank you for the assurance that all we have known of you in this life is but a foretaste of the greater wonder of the life to come, when we shall see you face to face –what a promise, what a glorious hope, what a future!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 19th April
Hymn: It was finished upon that cross
Prayer:
‘It is finished’, Lord! Not a cry of defeat but one of victory, victory over the power of sin, of guilt and of death, for on the Cross and through your glorious Resurrection you proved once and for all your supreme authority over all that would seek to separate us from your presence and your love. But how difficult we often find it to accept your forgiveness and to forgive ourselves, Lord Jesus, never mind forgiving others who have caused us hurt. It is only in your strength and through the power of your Holy Spirit that we are able to echo your shout of triumph – to let go of the past and take hold of the freedom of that wonderful promise of new life with you. May it be so!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 18th April
Hymn: This joyful Easter-tide (StF 314/H&P 213)
Prayer:
We thank you, Lord Jesus, that Easter isn’t only one day in the year but something we can celebrate every single day of our lives, because you are risen, risen indeed, and are with us at all times and in all places. This promise makes all the difference to our living – indeed it gives us a ‘living hope’, so that whatever we have to face we know that you are there within and alongside us, through your Holy Spirit giving us all the strength and all the courage we need. So please help us to show our Resurrection joy in all we say and do and are, and in this way share our faith with those around us!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 17th April
Hymn: Be still
Prayer:
Today of all days, as we pray for all those we know who have lost loved ones, and especially our royal family, we spend time in stillness before you, Lord God, grateful that in all our darkness and distress and despair you are our strength and stay. For though you have never promised us an easy life, you have provided for us something perhaps even better – the presence of your Holy Spirit, giving us the assurance of your help, your comfort, and, best of all, the infilling of your peace, a peace which passes our human understanding. And so we come in quietness, Lord, content to simply rest in your arms of love, knowing you are here among us, and with all who are grieving today.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 16th April
Hymn: Christ has risen while earth slumbers (StF 296)
Prayer:
Sometimes, Lord Jesus, when we listen to the Easter story we try to imagine what it was like for those first disciples, and perhaps feel disappointed that we were not there at the time, and therefore it can’t be quite the same for us. And yet, Lord, as we think about the very different ways you made yourself known to people then, even to those who had denied and doubted, we realise afresh that you are here for everybody for all time, and that you make no exceptions. It makes no difference how we have been in the past, or how we’re feeling right now, for you accept us as we are, and love us with an inexhaustible love. Thank you that you are always here for us!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 15th April
Hymn: Wonderful grace (SofF 1630/CMP 966)
Prayer:
Now that lockdown is easing, Lord, we are beginning to enjoy more freedom, and to really appreciate the many things we had previously taken for granted. And yet none of this can compare with the freedom we have in you, Lord Jesus, for you have set us free from the power of sin and death, a freedom no-one can take away from us, a freedom that nothing can limit or restrict, and one which is ours to revel in each and every day. But let us not take this freedom for granted either, Lord, for it is a costly freedom, hard won by your suffering on the Cross and through your Resurrection, a freedom we don’t deserve, granted us entirely out of your love and wonderful grace. So let us respond with thankfulness and joy for all we have received, and do all we can to share it with others!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 14th April
Hymn: Come, people of the risen King (SofF 2249)
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord Jesus, that wherever we are, whoever we are, and however we are, we are part of your family, your people, bound together by our faith and by our trust in your promise of new life in and through your Resurrection. But so often, Lord, we create barriers between ourselves and others, barriers of denomination, of difference, of pride and self-interest, and instead of being one in you, and celebrating our multi-faceted traditions for their breadth and insight, we allow them to come between us and weaken our witness to the truth of all you are – and all you would have us be. Forgive us, Lord, and keep reminding us who and Whose we are – that we are Easter people, people of our risen King, and to you be all the praise and glory!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 13th April
Hymn: Risen
Prayer:
The fact that you are risen, Lord Jesus, makes all the difference not only for the life to come but for life now. Over a year when many have lost loved ones, and as now together we mourn the loss of one who has made such a contribution to the life of our nation, it’s good to know that you are with us, Lord, in your risen power, the power and presence of your Holy Spirit, surrounding us with your peace, and assuring us that there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from your love. As we pray for all who are grieving, it is in this promise, and in the hope this gives us both now and in the future, even beyond death, that we find strength and comfort.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 12th April
Hymn: Now the green blade rises (StF 306)
Prayer:
How dark and desolate it must have been for your disciples, Lord Jesus, on that first Good Friday, seeing the One they had placed so much hope in dying on a Cross. It must have felt as though their whole world had come to an end, and then, when you were raised to life, as you had promised, how even greater must their joy have been! Help us to remember this, Lord, when we are going through difficult times, when our dreams have been dashed, when the future seems bleak and we are exhausted by all we have gone through. For your promise is new life, life that has its source and its fulfilment in you, and when we take hold of this we will find new hope.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 11th April
Hymn: Jesus is Lord, the cry that echoes through creation
Prayer:
To claim you as our Lord, Jesus, is more than reciting a creed, or believing in your Resurrection, or even seeing your glory in Creation. All these things are important and necessary, but to call you ‘Lord’ is to give you authority in our lives, and that isn’t always easy. We like to do things our way, to exercise our free-will, to make our own decisions and when we sense that these conflict with what you are asking us to do or be it’s sometimes hard to accept this, even though we know that your way is always the best and will always be for our good. So help us to listen to you more carefully, Jesus, and seek to put you first in our lives, as you did for us.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 10th April
Hymn: I know that my Redeemer lives web (based on StF 303)
Prayer:
We can read all the accounts of your Resurrection appearances, Lord Jesus, we can follow the research of theologians and their reasoning, but what really proves that you are alive and active in the world is the experience of this in our own lives. For it is when we know your presence with us, when we feel your love surrounding us, when we are aware of your strengthening and upholding of us in times of struggle or fear that all of it becomes real for us, silences our doubts and gives us that inner of peace and joy that we cannot find anywhere else. Thank you, Lord, for the hope and comfort this brings us, and help us to place our faith ever more firmly in you.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 9th April
Hymn: An Easter Hallelujah
Prayer:
There is so much going on in the Good Friday story, Lord Jesus, that we sometimes miss the impact that this had on people who were in one sense ‘outsiders’ – the thief on a cross alongside you, Jesus, who was promised a place in Paradise, the soldiers who gave you a last drink, and even the one who pierced your side. Your ministry of reconciliation continued to the very end, changing lives, reaching out and causing people to wonder and to worship. Help us to never underestimate the value of small deeds of kindness and generosity, because in your infinite wisdom you can use these to transform the lives of other people, just as you changed the world that first Easter.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 8th April
Hymn: See what a morning (StF 309/SofF 2020)
Prayer:
How wonderful it must have been to have been present on that first Easter Day. To meet the risen Jesus as Mary did, to have walked with him to Emmaus, to have been present with the disciples in that room when Jesus came among them – even to have had to wait, full of questions as Thomas did, to have that personal encounter! And yet you promise us, Lord Jesus, that it can be the same for us, for through your Holy Spirit your voice does indeed ‘spn the years, and we can know you present in the nitty gritty of our daily lives, bringing that same reassurance and hope and peace as you brought to those first disciples. And it is this, Lord, which keeps us going, together the certainty that in the course of time we shall be raised to live with you in eternity. What a future, what a promise!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 7th April
Hymn: He has risen (StF 302/ SofF 753/CMP 839)
Prayer:
What would it be like if there had been no Resurrection? If you had died on the Cross, Jesus, your body put in the grave and that had been the end of it – the end of a life well-lived but that was all. It would mean that for us there was no hope, no future, nothing to really make life worthwhile – no Life in all its fullness, no life after death. But the glorious news of Easter, lord, is that you did indeed rise from death, and because of this everything is different, for it means that you are with us always. Whatever we have to face we don’t do this on our own, and even in the darkest place we know that your light and love are supporting and surrounding us. Thank you, Jesus, for all you have done for us and all you are to us now and for always!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday, 6th April
Hymn: Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son (StF 313/SofF 551/MP 689)
Prayer:
When we doubt you, Lord Jesus, we only have to look at the empty Cross to know just how much you have done for us through your death and especially your glorious Resurrection. For there we not only see how much you love us, but how great is the power you promise us through your Holy Spirit, power to live life to the full and to overcome those things that would drag us down and seek to separate us from you. For with you we can indeed become ‘more than conquerors’, not only knowing victory in our trials and temptations, but with each one growing stronger in our faith and trust, and through this experiencing the joy of growing ever closer to you.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Easter Monday
Hymn: Christ is alive, let Christians sing (StF 297)
Prayer:
Sometimes we try to limit you, Lord, maybe to certain parts of our lives, to special times of the year such as Christmas or Easter; it could be to the activities in our church that we take part in, or even to a particular day of the week. Perhaps we do this because it feels ‘safer’, but you cannot be contained, Lord Jesus, because when you rose to life it was, and is, to inhabit all time and space and to be in every place, and not just geographically, but in our own hearts and lives, and for always and for all people through your Holy Spirit. So please forgive us, Lord, when we try to restrict you in any way, and help us this Easter to open ourselves fully to your life-giving Spirit.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Easter Day
Hymn: Christ the Lord is risen today (StF 298/StF 61/MP 76)
Prayer:
Was there ever a morning such as this! A morning when grief was turned to gladness, and despair to hope; when fear for the future was replaced with an overwhelming sense of excitement of a new beginning, and all that Jesus had promised was found to be true. It happened so long ago in human terms, Lord Jesus, and yet Easter joy can be celebrated every day of our lives, for resurrection happens every time we give our lives afresh to you, every time we claim a small victory over temptation, even every time we turn to you in repentance and receive your forgiveness. For your love and your life, which conquered death, is your gift to us, through your Holy Spirit, ready for us to receive when we come to you in faith. Thank you Lord!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Good Friday
Hymn: The power of the cross (SofF 1988)
Prayer:
For many, Lord Jesus, your Cross is a sign of weakness, of failure, of defeat, but that is because they are looking at it with worldly eyes and worldly values, which place great store on achievement, on domination, and material gain. But the power you demonstrated on the Cross was the power of love, and the authority you showed was over the destructive forces of sin and death. And when set alongside the short term accomplishments we so often choose to seek, the victory you won in your Resurrection has no comparison for it is of an eternal nature, of new life which not only begins now but goes on forever even through death itself. It’s only when we recognise this, Lord that we realise the true nature of all you have done for us, and give you all the glory.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Maundy Thursday
Hymn: What kind of love is this? StF 286/SofF 1111/MP 750
Prayer:
We’re not good at making sacrifices, Lord. We find all sorts of reasons to let us off the hook, trying to distract ourselves, and sometimes even pretending that we can distract you, in our efforts to get out of doing the things we don’t want to do. But when we look at Jesus and all that he was prepared to go through for us, we are ashamed, Lord, and we are forced to ask of ourselves what kind of love we give to you. Help us to learn from his obedience and to put you and your will first in our lives, for only then will we become all you created us to be, and receive the inner peace and fullness of life that Jesus came to bring.
Amen
Liz Stuart
