Monday 31st May
Hymn: O church of Christ invincible
Prayer:
Because the Church is your creation, Lord God, because you have called us to be your people, because in Jesus you have displayed your victory over the power of sin and death, and because you are still at work in the world through your Holy Spirit. Because of all this, and so much more, we know that whatever obstacles we face, whatever setbacks occur, whatever hardships we have to endure, we will not be overcome, and the church will never fail, for we are truly the Body of Christ. Thank you for this assurance, Lord, and your promise to be always with us, and help us to explore and accept ways in which we may need to change in our worship and in our mission, so that we are able to more effectively grow your Kingdom.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 30th May
Hymn: Sing of a God in majestic divinity (StF 13)
Prayer:
Lord our God, we worship you in all your Persons, as Creator, as Saviour and as Holy Spirit, for you are more than we can ever imagine, or express in words, or understand with our minds. We see your beauty, glory and goodness in the world around us, your love expressed in Jesus, in his life, death and Resurrection, and we experience your presence in us and with us in our daily lives through your Holy Spirit. Accept our praise and thanksgiving for all you are and all you mean to us, together with our lives and the love of our hearts.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 29th May
Hymn: May the peace of God (SofF 1964)
Prayer:
As we reach the end of another week, Lord God, we look back over the things that have happened, the conversations we have had, the challenges we have faced, the times when we have felt uplifted, and we thank you for every evidence of your grace, your beauty and your glory that we have seen and experienced. And if our eyes have been closed, if we have not heard you speaking, and if we have not felt your presence because we have been too busy, too preoccupied, or too anxious, please forgive us and help us now to receive your blessing, your peace, your love, and the personal touch of your Holy Spirit.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 28th May
Hymn: The Lord’s my shepherd (StF 480/H&P 70/SofF 537/MP 660)
Prayer:
Lord God, throughout our lives you have been our constant companion and guide, watching over us even when we were unaware of your presence. In times when we have struggled and needed comfort you have breathed your peace into our hearts, When we have been challenged by situations beyond our capacity to cope, you have given us the courage to face our difficulties. And when we have become weary, and almost lost hope, your everlasting arms have supported us. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness, and the constant love with which you surround us.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 27th May
Hymn: Everlasting arms (Lean hard)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, your grace and goodness are always more than enough to meet our every need. When we get overwhelmed by the stresses of daily life you offer us a peace that calms our anxieties and fears; when we become over-burdened by the responsibilities we have to carry, you remind us that we can rely on your strength – that we can always lean on you and that your everlasting arms will hold us safe and secure. Thank you, Lord, for showing us in Jesus how much you love us, and for the reassurance that through your Holy Spirit you are always with us, sustaining and encouraging us whatever we are going through.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 26th May
Hymn: Build your kingdom here
Prayer:
Lord God, there is so much need for healing and hope in your world today, not only physically, though with the Covid virus raging in so many countries this is still vitally important, but also emotionally and spiritually for the many, both young and old, whose lives need rebuilding, who need to know there is a God who loves them, who cares deeply about their well-being, and who wants them to live life to the full and will never let them down. We are your church, Lord – we are the people you have called to take the good news of Jesus Christ out into our communities and neighbourhoods, to share and to show your love. Rekindle our faith, Lord, and send us out, strengthened and empowered by your Holy Spirit.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 25th May
Hymn: O breath of life (StF 391/H&P 777/SofF 407MP 488)
Prayer:
Almighty God, at Pentecost you poured your Holy Spirit into your people, and created the church to carry on the ministry of Jesus in bringing healing, hope and love into the world. Yet over the years we seem to have lost that first excitement, become staid in our ways, bound by doctrine and styles of worship that can make us seem irrelevant in a fast-changing age. So we desperately need a fresh Pentecost to re-awaken us, anew in-breathing of your Holy Spirit, and not as a gentle breeze, Lord, but as a rushing mighty wind, to blow away the cobwebs of our prejudices and the dust from our orderly practices, and to fire us up with new enthusiasm and new life, and all of it to your praise and glory!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 24th May
Hymn: And can it be that I should gain (StF 345/H&P 216/SofF 21/MP 33)
Prayer:
When we think about, or even try to imagine all you have done for us, Lord Jesus, it blows our minds away! For in your great love you gave up everything for us, even life itself, to make us at one with God, part of your great family on earth and in heaven. Through your Cross and Resurrection you forgive our sin and offer us the gift of eternal life, life of a new quality and dimension, life to be experienced and enjoyed both now and beyond death, so that we are for ever in your presence, so that nothing can ever separate us from your love. How can we praise and thank you enough, Lord? All we can do is to offer you the love of our hearts, and lives lived to your praise and glory! So be it!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 23rd May
Hymn: Holy Spirit, we welcome you (StF 385/ SofF 188/MP 241)
Prayer:
On this, the birthday of the Church, a day new beginnings, we come, Lord God, to praise and worship you, for this is the day when you sent your Holy Spirit, gifting your people with the power and the courage to go out into the world with the good news of Jesus. And yet, Lord, can we always truthfully say that we welcome his presence, for it’s not that simple, is it? Often we don’t really want our lives turned upside down, because we’re quite content as we are. We can’t be sure where the Holy Spirit will take us, where he might prompt or challenge us, how he might change us, move us out of our comfort zone! O Lord, help us to have more faith! For the Holy Spirit is truly the expression of your love, the gift of Jesus to your people, and knowing this we can surely welcome him with open hearts and minds and lives.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 22nd May
Hymn: Put peace into each other’s hands (StF 712)
Prayer:
There is so much conflict in the world, Lord God, in some places outright war, in others the thirst for power causes division and infighting, and always it is the poor and the vulnerable who suffer the most, causing many to flee their homeland to seek a better future for themselves and their families. And in the face of all this we often feel so helpless – so many innocent lives lost, so much injustice and brutality – it’s just too big for us to get our heads round, and while we pray for peace, even that can feel an inadequate response. Yet there is somewhere we can start, Lord, and that is with one another. For if we care about peace, if we really treasure it, then we will want to share it, and as we do so the ripples will surely spread out, into our communities, into our towns and into the world. For it is your peace we share, Lord, the peace of Christ, a peace that, in the end, nothing will overcome.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 21st May
Hymn: King of the world
Prayer:
How often, Lord God, we try to limit you – not deliberately, of course, but more subtly by the way we try to run our lives in our own way and in our own strength. We forget that your plans for us are so much better and so much greater than our own ambitions and aspirations can ever be, and that in your wisdom and faithfulness, and in your goodness, you are always seeking to bring us to that place where we can know a joy and peace and wholeness that we can never achieve by our own efforts. So, Lord, in those times when we try to take control, gently remind us of your greatness, and that, as you hold the world in your hands, so you also hold each one of us, carefully, compassionately, and always with great love. Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 20th May
Hymn: Come all ye Vagabonds
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when you showed in that Parable of the ‘Great Feast’ how the poor and the outcast were invited to come and share in the festivities, you were reminding us that in your kingdom all are welcome, regardless of who or what they have been or done or are. And this is challenging, Lord, for if we’re honest we know that there are times when in our churches, and maybe in our own attitudes too, we are not as open or as inclusive as we should be. For while we may say that ‘all are welcome’, we do not always give that impression in our unspoken expectations of certain ways of behaviour and conformity, thereby creating barriers and excluding people from your Table. Yet we are no more worthy of you grace and generosity than anyone else, Lord Jesus, so please forgive us for the times we have allowed our own prejudices to get in the way, and help us to share and show your love freely to all.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 19th May
Hymn: We seek your kingdom
Prayer:
Lord God, we cannot pray ‘your kingdom come’ and be indifferent to all that is going on in the world, in our own communities and neighbourhoods. It is not enough to repeat those words and not seek to live out kingdom values – to raise our voices against inequality and injustice, to pray and work for peace, to bring an end to poverty and lack of opportunity, and to strive for healing and wholeness for the whole of your creation. We ask for the guidance of your Holy Spirit in the ways we speak and act, and in the way we use the gifts and the resources you have given us. May we live thoughtfully and generously, Lord, reflecting and sharing the love which you have shown us in Jesus Christ in our care for others and for the future of our planet.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 18th May
Hymn: All hail the power of Jesus’ name (StF 342/H&P 252/SofF 9/MP 13)
Prayer:
What does it mean, Lord Jesus, to recognise you as ‘Lord of all’? Is it to do with your ascending to the Father and reigning in glory? Is it about your divinity as God the Son, or your victory over the power of sin and death? Surely it is all of these and so much more than we can ever truly grasp, but for us it must have a personal dimension too. For if you are ‘Lord of all’ you are also Lord in our lives, and that is both comforting and challenging. For while it means that you are interested and have a concern for the whole of who and what we are, on our part it requires us to be willing to hand over to you ultimate authority, and that’s not always easy, Lord, for we like to do things our own way. Help us to remember that because you love us so much you always seek the best for us, and that to follow your guidance is the only way to discover life in all its fullness.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 17th May
Hymn: My Jesus I love thee (MHB 437/CMP 894)
Prayer:
Why is it, Lord Jesus, that we are so often tempted to turn away from you, to forget to look to you first for guidance when we face problems in our lives, when we know how much you love us and always want the best for us, and that your plans are always for our good. It’s not because we don’t love you, Lord, or want to stay close to you, but somehow we get influenced and swept away by the things around us, by the opinions of other people, by the culture we live in, and it can be hard to take a stand for what we know in our heart of hearts is right. So now, Lord, as lockdown eases and we face less restrictions, help us to hold on to our faith even more firmly and to keep you on the throne of our hearts, trusting in you to be our helper, our strength and our guide.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 16th May
Hymn: Crown him with many crowns (StF 347/H&P 255/SofF 77/MP 109)
Prayer:
What is most comforting about your Ascension, Lord Jesus, is to know that there is now in heaven One who understands what it means to be a human being. Not only this, Lord, but because you still bear the marks of suffering, we know that when we go through times of struggle, of pain, of anxiety and fear, you have an intimate awareness of how that feels. You know exactly those words of help and strength and hope we need to hear, and through your Holy Spirit you reach out to us, pouring your love into our hearts, your peace and stillness into our minds, and so often putting alongside us those who can sustain us in our times of need. Thank you, Lord, that in your wounded hands, still held out in compassion and healing, we can find safety and security, and please use us as those who can bring your blessing to others.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 15th May
Hymn: Before the throne of God above (SofF 1187)
Prayer:
It’s so amazing, Lord Jesus, to know that you love us so much, individually, personally, passionately, to the extent that our names, our very identity is ever before you, written in the palms of your hands, and written on your heart! How could we ever deserve this, Lord, we who are so weak and finite, we who though destined for eternity with you, so often live just for today? Yet you give us the capacity, the imagination, and the promise that your plans for us stretch far beyond our lives on earth, and you have lived and died and risen again not only to prove this but to make it possible for each one of us to follow you, and to be with you for ever. Thank you for the security and the hope this brings to our lives.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 14h May
Hymn: Christ triumphant, ever reigning (StF 319/SofF 62/MP 77)
Prayer:
As we celebrate your Ascension, Lord Jesus, we are filled with wonder at your humility and your glory, for you came humbly to earth as one of us, giving up your kingly power to live a human life in poverty and without recognition. More than this, Lord, you gave up life itself, suffering betrayal and rejection, and dying in agony on the Cross, even experiencing separation from your Father, God, as you bore our sin, indeed the sin of the world. But now, Lord, in the victory of your Resurrection, and in its culmination in your Ascension, the mystery of your majesty is revealed, and with the eyes of faith we see you in all your glory. Help us to hold this vision of your greatness ever before us to give us courage as we stumble through our everyday lives.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 13th May, Ascension Day
Hymn: Hail the day that sees him rise StF 300/H&P 197
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, how hard it must have been for those first followers to accept that you were no longer with them in a physical form, and yet how important it was for them and for us. For now you are no longer confined to one time and place but with us for ever, reaching out to all people everywhere, and continuing your ministry of bringing healing and hope, and breathing your peace into our hearts and lives. But even more amazing than this, Lord, is to know that you have gone ahead of us, taking our humanity into heaven, with the promise of all this means for us, not only for life now, but for all that is to come, when we shall be with you for ever. Thank you Lord!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 12th May
Hymn: Jesus, what a beautiful Name (SofF 877/CMP 998)
Prayer:
There’s a lot in a name – identity, character, personality, relationship – and when we think of your name, Jesus, it is all of these and so much more! For we remember not only who you are, your earthly ministry in reaching out to the least and the lost, not only what you have done for us on the Cross and in your Resurrection, but all you are to us now. For, through your Holy Spirit, we know you are always with us, guiding us and strengthening us in our daily lives, continually forgiving us when we make wrong choices, and assuring us of your love in times of insecurity, doubt and fear. In times of uncertainty just saying your name fills us with a sense of peace and well-being, for your name, Jesus, is truly for us a beautiful, grace-filled, name.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 11th May
Hymn: I’ve found a Friend, O such a Friend (MHB 423/MP 352)
Prayer:
Over the last year friends have been so important, Lord Jesus, but none have been as close to us as you have been. For you know us better than any human friend can ever know us, and love us more deeply than is possible in any other relationship. And this is because you have known us and loved us before we were ever aware of you; you were part of our lives before we had ever made you part of ours, and though we have not always been faithful to you, though there have been times when we have turned away from you, you have always remained faithful and true to us. So, Lord, keep on drawing us ever closer to you, for we know that only in you and with you is fullness of life.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 10th May
Hymn: Living by faith
Prayer:
As we enter into a new week, Lord Jesus, it’s so good to know that you are with us, at work, in our homes and in all our activities. But more than this, Lord, is to know the freedom we have through our trust in you, for you are the friend to whom we can confide all our worries and fears, and who not only listens but pours peace into our hearts, and helps us put things into a new perspective, the perspective of your goodness and grace. And because of this, while our faith does not in any way separate us from the ups and downs of life, we have the confidence that in all of these we can be ‘more than conquerors’, for nothing will ever separate us from your loving care.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 9th May
Hymn: Lord, your church on earth is seeking (StF 410/H&P 774)
Prayer:
When we look back over the last year, Lord God, we realise how much we have lost, but also how much we have learned. We have found ways to connect and to care that we were unaware of before, and we have discovered you present in many different places, outside of our church walls. As lockdown eases, we know we cannot go back easily to where we were, Lord, and it is never your plan that we get stuck in old ways, for you are a God who is always creating new opportunities, and whose plans are to move us on in our faith, and to enable us to grow closer to you. So we seek your renewal, Lord, both in our churches and in our worship, and ask that you will help us in all of this to be open to the guidance of your Holy Spirit.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 8th May
Hymn: Living he loved me
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when we think of all you have done for us we are filled with wonder and amazement. For you were prepared to give up everything for us, to suffer hurt and rejection, pain and even death in order to free us from the power of sin and death and bring us back into a living, loving and eternal relationship with God. It is this that undergirds our faith, it is this that gives us the strength to live each day, it is this that gives us the resilience to cope with whatever trials we face. And it is this, Lord, which fills us with hope, and with that sure promise of life in all its fullness for today, for every day, and forever. In this Easter season, as we reflect on all we have received, we offer ourselves and our lives to be lived to your praise and glory.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 7th May
Hymn: When circumstances make my life (StF 641)
Prayer:
We can never know what life will bring us, Lord Jesus, what joys or hardships we may have to face, what sorrows or challenges we will have to bear, but we do know that in them all we can be certain of is your presence and your sustaining love and strength. We can be sure of this because you lived a human life and faced these things yourself, Jesus, and when you promised that you would always be with us you weren’t referring only to time, but also to all the ways and situations we find ourselves in. And because of this, often when we look back over our lives we discover it has been in those difficult times that our faith has grown, as we have learned to trust and rely on you more completely. Thank you, Lord!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 6th May
Hymn: Lord, for the years (StF 470/SofF 892/ MP 428)
Prayer:
Lord God, in this world many seek power, some to serve their own interests but others to seek to serve other people, and to make their country and their community a better place to live and thrive. On this day when the fortunes of many aspiring leaders will be decided, we pray for our politicians and for all who hold positions of responsibility on a local or national level. May they acknowledge that all true authority lies with you, Lord, and seek your wisdom and guidance in the decisions they make. May they follow your example of love and faithfulness and speak and act with integrity and fairness, so that our cities and our neighbourhoods may become places where all know they are valued and respected and are able to live in dignity and safety.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 5th May
Hymn: Simply trusting every day (MHB 517)
Prayer:
You don’t call us to be theologians or scholars, Lord, you simply call us to put our trust in you, and yet how difficult that can sometimes be. There are so many things in the world that compete with our faith, that seem to demand our time, our attention, so many conflicting interests, and yet we know from experience that when trouble strikes, when things go wrong in our lives, there is in reality only one place we can turn, only one person who can help us, and that is you, Jesus. For you love us with an all-embracing love, and even when we lose sight of you, you never forget or abandon us. So we turn to you now, Lord, thanking you for your faithfulness, and committing ourselves to trust you more.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 4th May
Hymn: Christ be my leader (StF 492/H&P 709)
Prayer:
We praise and thank you, Lord Jesus, that day by day and throughout our lives we can know your presence, your guidance and your loving care. For you promise to be the Way, the Truth and the Life for each one of us, walking alongside us, speaking within us through your Holy Spirit, and assuring us that there is nothing in all creation, not even death itself, that can separate us from you. We thank you for all this means – the assurance this gives us, the strength to face what each day brings, and the confidence to look to the future with hope. Help us to keep learning from the example you have set us, Lord, so that we continue to deepen in our faith and to grow more like you in every way.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 3rd May
Hymn: Father, I place into your hands (StF 519/SofF 97/MP133)
Prayer:
Few of us have been untouched by the happenings of the last year, Lord. Many have and still are facing bereavement in the loss of loved ones, of income, of jobs, of dearly held freedoms, and we are aware of other parts of the world where suffering continues unabated, and where resources are limited. While in this country we have much to be thankful for, still many will bear the scars for years to come, and so we pray for your presence to be among all who are hurting and for whom the future looks bleak and lonely, for no medicine can cure the broken heart or fill that empty place at the table. Only you, Lord, have that healing, comforting touch, only you can bring peace, and only your love can reach into our lives and bring reassurance and hope – ‘for we know we can always trust you’.
Amen.
Liz Stuart
Sunday 2nd May
Hymn: Lord, I give you my heart (SofF 1561/CMP 1013)
Prayer:
Lord God, when we think about all you have done for us in so many ways, and especially in Jesus, we wonder what we can offer you in return to express our thanks and our praise. For in reality you ask of us so little, only that we put our trust in you and try to live in ways that honour you, and yet even in this we so often fail. So today, Lord, as we bring you our worship, we bring you ourselves, incomplete and flawed as we are, and with this the love of our hearts. Help us to put you at the centre of our lives, to give you control over our thoughts, our words and our actions, so that we might become both whole in ourselves, and wholly yours, and all of it to your glory!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 1st May
Hymn: I know who holds tomorrow
Prayer:
At the beginning of a new month, Lord Jesus, we sometimes look back at what is past and wonder how much has changed. Yes, there has been some easing of restrictions and more soon to come, and yet so much is still unclear, the outcome is so unknown, that we can begin to lose heart and wonder what lies ahead. And so we thank you that though we don’t know what tomorrow holds, what the future will bring, we do know in whose hands it is held, your hands, Lord, hands that still bear the nail marks of your love, hands that reached out in healing, hands lifted high in blessing, and hands that want to touch our lives with your peace. And in all of this we find hope.
Amen
Liz Stuart
