During this time of uncertainty and the need for social distance we hope that you will find comfort and strength in these resources.
Daily Prayer & Hymn Suggestion
Tuesday 19th March
Hymn: All praise
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when we look back over our lives, perhaps even over the last days and weeks, we can all think of things we regret, of which we are ashamed and wish now that we could change – words spoken in haste, actions that could have been more loving, times when we could have been kinder or more compassionate. Sometimes we can make amends, rebuild relationships, but often it’s too late and we can only live with our mistakes and try to learn from them. How wonderful to know, then, that you took all of these upon yourself on the Cross, that you forgive us, and through your amazing grace grant us the freedom to forgive ourselves. May we never take this for granted, Lord, but try to follow your example in the ways we speak and act.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 18th March
Hymn: Try a little kindness
Prayer:
So how are we going to live this week, Lord God? Are we going to pack it full of things to do, places to go, deadlines to meet? Or are we going to pace ourselves, give time to you, give time to other people – to ourselves even? Because sometimes, Lord, when we think we are being productive, meeting all the demands on our lives, actually we might be missing out. Making ourselves so tired, so stressed, that we are not really living in the way you mean ‘living’ at all! So please help us, Lord, to make space this week – to really see people, situations, meetings and all the rest of it, as appointments to make your love known; as kingdom opportunities to show grace and kindness; as places where we can both minister and be ministered to. For then we will surely end each day more energised and more aware of your presence and your peace.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 17th March
Hymn: What kind of love is this? (StF 286/SofF 1111/MP 750)
Prayer:
On this first Sunday of the Passion, Lord Jesus, your Cross draws ever closer, and as we follow your journey we wonder how you could possibly face all you knew lay before you. It’s easy to say that it was all out of love, and we know that this is true, but what kind of love is it that would give its life for those who could never deserve it, or ever repay it. And so today all we want to do is to worship, Lord, to acknowledge all you have done for us, all you continue to be for us and to do in our lives, and, on our part, try our best to make your journey our journey, as we give ourselves and our lives to acknowledge you, to serve you and to seek to live to your glory.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 16th March
Hymn: Perfect peace
Prayer:
As we come to the end of another week we look back, Lord God, and we see how you have been present in our lives. There have been times when we have struggled with temptation and through your Holy Spirit you have helped us to stay strong; others when we have felt down, when things have been difficult or frustrating, and we have known your encouragement. And then those occasions when we have had good news and felt really positive, and sensed you smiling with us. But whatever state we have found ourselves in, underlying it all we have known your peace, like a reservoir refreshing and renewing us and keeping us going, keeping us hoping, keeping us looking forward. We thank you, Lord. Help us in our words and actions to be peace-givers too.
Amen.
Liz Stuart
Friday 15th March
Hymn: Amazing grace (My chains fell off) (SofF1702)
Prayer:
Amazing is the only word for it, Lord God! For in sending your one and only Son you knew what the cost would be in terms of suffering and death on a cross. You knew about the denial, the betrayal, the mockery, the pain – you felt it too, for you were there in Jesus, ‘in Christ reconciling the world to yourself’. And that is sheer grace, Lord! ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’ – not counting our ignorance, our indifference, our sinfulness, our doubts, our lack of faith, but reaching out in love and forgiveness, and through His life giving us Life, giving us hope, giving us a future full of purpose and possibilities, for now, for eternity. It’s awesome, it’s mind-blowing, it is truly amazing! Wow!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 14th March
Hymn: What a beautiful Name it is
Prayer:
Names are important, Lord – they give us an identity, they link us to our family, and there is a sense in which we grow into our names, so that they begin to reflect our personality, our character even – so we need to handle names with care and respect because they matter. And none more so than your beautiful Name, Lord Jesus – Saviour, healer, bringer of wholeness, joy, peace. As we say your name, Lord, we become aware of all you mean to us, all you have done for us, and especially during this time of Lent as you prepared to face the Cross, and the ways in which your name would be mocked, your identity denied, and your very Person betrayed. So let us take time today to stop what we’re doing and speak your Name, Jesus – to savour each syllable and let your love and peace fill our hearts, calm our thoughts, and shape our lives.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 13th March
Hymn: Breathe on me breath of God (StF 370/H&P 280/SofF 51/MP 67)
Prayer:
In and out, in and out – we do it all the time, Lord God, and we don’t even notice it, we’re simply not aware of it, until we exert ourselves, maybe walk up a steep hill or flight of stairs, and our breathing becomes laboured and we fight for every breath. But what we really do need to be aware of, Lord, is the breath of your Holy Spirit, that inner source of oxygen which you want us to receive, for this is the breath that gives real life, life that renews us, that sets our pulse racing as it flows through our whole being, giving us the power to live and to love in ways that reflect your image in us. As we breathe in your breath today, Lord, may we breathe out in ways that make the world around us and the people we meet more alive to your presence and your love.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 12th March
Hymn: Under his wings
Prayer:
Lord God, although you never promise that our faith will prevent us from meeting the challenges that everyday life brings, or give us some sort of immunity from pain and suffering and the many other afflictions that come to us all in different ways, nevertheless we do have the assurance that nothing can ever separate us from your love, and that means so much. That whatever trials we face we can be sure of the protection of your Holy Spirit, allowing us, even in the midst of it all, to know an inner peace, a stillness that comes from knowing you are with us, and a hope that enables us to hold on with the strength which comes from you. May this security give us confidence and joy as we greet this new day.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 11th March
Hymn: Love incarnate (SofF 1627)
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as we look back on your life and ministry we see you reaching out to people in their need, and so often it was to those that were on the margins of society, those that were overlooked, ostracised by others, because they were deemed ’unclean’ through illness, their employment, their lifestyle or their ethnicity. And yet, Lord, you made no distinctions, your love has no boundaries, and as you hung on that Cross, it was for all, for us. Forgive us, Lord, that even we who seek to follow you are sometimes guilty of excluding others, perhaps unknowingly by the language we use, often through fear of stepping outside our comfort zone, of just simply through not recognising how our actions affect other people. Help us this week to be more sensitive, Lord, more observant, and to show your love freely and generously with all we meet.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 10th March
Hymn: Light of the world (StF 175/SofF 1419)
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as in this season of Lent we travel with you on your journey to the Cross, we thank you for the light and the joy which you bring into our lives. When we think of your coming amongst us we are more comfortable picturing you as a Baby in a manger rather than hanging on a Cross, and yet it is in your suffering that we begin to understand and to wonder at the price you were willing to pay, all you were willing to endure to free us from the power of sin and death, and to offer us the gift of life, real life, life with true meaning and purpose and fulfilment. But it is because of this that whatever ‘darkness’ we may be going through at the moment, whatever we may have to face in the future, we can be sure that you will be with us, with the light of your love bringing hope and giving us the courage and the strength we need.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 9th March
Hymn: Restore, O Lord, the honour of your Name (SofF 483/MP 579)
Prayer:
It’s not difficult to list all the things that are wrong in our world, Lord God –wars, oppression, injustice, inequality, poverty, global warming – the list is endless, and at the end of the day most, if not all of it, is down to the fact that we have strayed away from your will and from your plan and purpose for our lives and for our planet. And so our prayer for today is for ourselves and our world – your world, Lord, the world you made with such attention to detail, the people you created with such loving care, and which you still watch over with such love and compassion. We ask that you would reclaim and restore us and make your mighty power known in ways that will bring us back to you; that your Name might be honoured, your will obeyed and we discover the freedom, the joy and the blessing that comes from walking in your ways.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 8th March
Hymn: Because of Jesus
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, only when we put our trust in you can we discover the real difference you can and want to make in our lives. And yet it is not we who made the first move – it was you who first loved us, you who came among us, and gave your life for us to set us free from all that separates us from God. And so now, freed and forgiven, we want to give our lives to you, Lord, and in you find healing for all the brokenness in our lives – the regrets, the heartaches, the hurts and the ‘what ifs’ – and through that healing find hope and new life, life lived in your strength, held in your love, and guided by your Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord! Come now, we pray and make that difference in our lives today.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Thursday 7th March
Hymn: Lord, make me a mountain (MP 436)
Prayer:
It is our deepest desire to serve you, Lord God, in whatever form this may take and using the gifts and the abilities you have so generously given us – and yet so often we are apt to get this wrong! Mostly this is because we haven’t taken the time to seek the guidance of your Holy Spirit, or to really listen to you and try to discern where you are leading us. The thing is, Lord, you sometimes ask us to use our time or our talents in less obvious ways, maybe in the background, building up relationships, doing the essential jobs that may not have such a high profile but are so necessary in the way they support others. We can’t all be ‘mountains’, Lord, we can’t all ‘stand tall’, but we can all shine in quiet ways with the light of your love!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Wednesday 6th March
Hymn: Before the throne of God above (SofF 1182/CMP 975)
Prayer:
Lord God, what a comfort it is to know that we have in heaven one who has lived a human life, who knows what it is to suffer in a human body, to face the sort of temptations that we encounter in daily life, and to experience the whole gamut of grief, of joy, of pain, of frustration such as we have to bear, and who now intercedes for us with all the understanding and compassion of One who has walked in our shoes. And all of this out of pure love, your love, Lord, a love that brought Jesus to earth, a love that He lived out in His ministry, and above all, a love that held Him to the Cross. May the memory of all of this help us to keep strong in our faith in those times when we despair of the way the world seems to be heading, when disappointment in ourselves or others drags us down, or when the darkness of grief and loss threatens to undermine our confidence in you. May we know the certainty of our names and our needs written on your heart.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Tuesday 5th March
Hymn: I’m feeding on the living bread
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we can try to find satisfaction in the material things of life; we can aim to find our worth through our own achievements; we may seek peace of mind and well-being by engaging in various therapies, but while all these may give us a temporary feeling of contentment, and even meaning, at the end of the day they will all fail to give us either a solid foundation for our lives or ultimate and long-lasting fulfilment, for that can only be found in you. Only you can provide the nourishment we need for our souls, the well-spring of joy that gives flavour to the everyday, and the hope that outlasts and makes a lie of all the promises the world offers. So today, Lord, we turn to you, the source of life in all its fullness, knowing we will never be disappointed.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Monday 4th March
Hymn: I will trust in you
Prayer:
Loving God, we believe you hear our prayers and that you always answer them, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like that. We have all had times when we have earnestly prayed for help for ourselves, for a friend, for a particularly difficult situation and that ‘mountain’ doesn’t move, and perhaps we think you haven’t heard us because nothing seems to change – but that’s not so, Lord. Because we cannot see into the future, because we have limited knowledge and understanding, what we are seeking may not be the best way or the right answer, and maybe when we look back we can see ourselves that this was so. So today, Lord, we ask you to give us the patience to really trust in you – to make those prayers, but to leave the outcome in your hands, knowing that you are faithful, and most of all that you love us unconditionally and always.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Sunday 3rd March
Hymn: Let us build a house where love can dwell (StF 409)
Prayer:
Lord God, being part of a church family is one of the most precious and important parts of being a Christian, for here we find a sense of fellowship and belonging such that we don’t experience in the same way in our daily lives, be that at home or at work. The bond we feel with those who belong to you, who share the same faith and the same hope often gives us the strength and resilience we need to keep going through the ups and downs of life. And yet these same bonds of love and support can sometimes make others feel excluded, especially those who are new to church, who don’t share the same history, or background, or, perhaps, ethnicity. So today, make us aware and sensitive to the needs of others; to do our best to make all know they are welcome, accepted and included – even if it means we don’t get to chat to our closest friends!
Amen
Liz Stuart
Saturday 2nd March
Hymn: The Potter’s Hand (SofF 1184)
Prayer:
There’s something very comforting, dear Lord, in knowing that you have a plan for our lives, and especially to know that your plans are always for our good. There have been times when we have not heeded your guidance and chosen a different path, but somehow you have lovingly guided us back, and we have rediscovered that sense of peace and ‘rightness’ that we had temporarily lost. So, Lord, let us be willing and content to follow the path that you set before us, not blindly like a robot, but rather constantly seeking your will, and allowing you to shape us into the person you would have us be. For it is only in walking your way that we will find true security, and experience that sense of well-being, knowing ourselves enfolded in your love.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Friday 1st March
Hymn: By faith (SofF 2240)
Prayer:
All through history it has been people of faith, guided, Lord God, by your Holy Spirit, who have boldly carried out your plan and purposes for your world, handing on the baton of your promises from one generation to the next. Until, that is, we see those promises come to birth, become real, in a human being, as Jesus lived out your purpose in His life, death and Resurrection, handing on His work to a group of ordinary but faithful apostles, sent out to spread the good news of the Gospel far and wide. And now it’s our turn to go out, so make us ready, Lord, and make us bold, we pray; give us the courage to speak out and live out your love, to tell of the new life and hope we have found in Jesus and so keep the flame of faith burning in generations to come.
Amen
Liz Stuart
Amen
Liz Stuart