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I once was lost…

“Today, if you are reading this and you have been marginalised, belittled, ostracised, or left out in the cold; if you have made mistakes, hurt others, or hurt yourself; if you have walked away from relationships, said harsh words, or behaved badly; if you are continually hijacked by inappropriate or disturbing thoughts, desires, or feelings; if you feel undeserving, a lack of self-worth, or that you are unlovable; then hear the message of Jesus — that God loves you, has come to you, and wants you to find your home in them.” Rev Gav, 2022

Daily Bread

Morning Prayer

Your love, O Lord, is never ending
and your mercies endure forever.
They are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness!

The night has passed, and the day lies open before me,
and so, at the dawn of this new day, I come before you
with an open heart and ready to be filled with your love.

As I rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set my heart on fire with love for you.
Fill me with your life-giving Spirit
that I might be Jesus to all I meet
and a vessel for your unending love.

Loving God, who abides in heaven,
you are the Father and Mother of us all.
May your holiness be declared,
your justice be observed,
your will be embraced,
and your kingdom be established
on earth as in heaven.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
And from the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Prayed 52 times.

Afternoon Prayer

Where can I go from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning
and dwell by the farthest ocoeans,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Holy God,
kindle in me the fire of your love
that I may bring warmth to the world.
May I be led from death to life,
from falsehood to truth;
from despair to hope,
from fear to trust;
from hate to love,
from war to peace.
And may I be so anointed with your Spirit
that I may be filled with both your peace and joy,
and live and work to your praise and glory.

For all that has past I thank you
and for all that lies ahead I give you praise.
May my eyes be open to see you
in all whom I serve and encounter.

Help me be Jesus to the world.
Help me be your hands and your feet.
Help me have your heart for the broken-hearted.
Help me be Jesus to a world
that needs you more than words can tell.
Help me be Jesus to the world.

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with me and all those I hold dear,
Now and for evermore.

Prayed 19 times.

Evening Prayer

Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be honoured in the earth.

Loving God,
As this day draws to a close
may I know your grace, mercy, and peace.
Cleanse my heart and mind
of all anxiety, weariness, and pain,
and in the stillness,
may I know your loving presence.

As I reflect on my day,
I give you thanks for all that has been done
And let go of all that has not been done,
handing it over to you
to make good that which I am unable.

For the love I have shared, I am grateful.
For provision and nurture, I am grateful.
For kindness given, I am grateful.
For the sorrow I have caused, I pray for forgiveness.
For injustices ignored, I ask for mercy.

As I look forward to this night
I cast my fears upon you –
fears of the world’s darkness
and fears in my inner being.
May I find my rest in you.

May the peace of your Spirit
that transcends all understanding
fill me and all those I love and hold dear.

Tomorrow is a new day
with new joys and new possibilities.
May I wake tomorrow
feeling refreshed, expectant, joyful,
and with a heart full of your love.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

For you are with me,
now and always.

Prayed 10 times.

Night Prayer

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Holy God,
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
Keep me as the apple of your eye.
and hide me under the shadow of your wings.
Protect my conscious and my unconscious,
and guard me as I sleep this night
that my dreams will be filled with hope
and my rest be in your loving arms.

Spirit, in whom I live and move and have my being,
from you, nothing is hidden.
Breathe into me your cleansing wind
that I may be filled with your unending love.

Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep
Your watch around us while we sleep.

From evil dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe
That we no sinful thought may know.

O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Our souls are raised to life from death.

Jesus Christ,
I cast my burdens unto you,
and ask that my soul might be refreshed as I sleep.
For I am yours and you are mine.
Now and forever.

Prayed 31 times.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

This week, in our Members' Chat we had a discussion about the Holy Spirit and how we are 'one' with the Spirit. I hope you don't mind me regurgitating some of my thoughts here!

When we become filled with the Holy Spirit I think we can, at times, feel God’s presence with us in a tangible way, but also, when the Holy Spirit fills us we become 'one' with God. This oneness means exactly that — that we are both distinct and one — and in that oneness we cannot separate out the Spirit and say, "This bit is the Holy Spirit" or "That bit is the Holy Spirit" because we are one with the Spirit.

Using some analogies from science fiction, the Holy Spirit doesn't dwell in us like some sort of parasitic alien to whom we need to listen and obey, nor does the Holy Spirit take us over like a 'bodysnatcher'. I suppose being filled with the Holy Spirit is more like being the Borg from Star Trek. We become assimilated (but in a good way)!

Sometimes we are imbued with power — discovering that we can say or do things that before being filled with the Spirit we previously could not, such as speak in tongues, have spiritual insight with Words of Knowledge, be able to prophesy, and so on. But again, it's not that we hear the Spirit and then repeat what we hear, it's a joint effort between us — our senses — and the Spirit.

When we speak, we speak through the Spirit; when we think, we think through the Spirit; when we imagine, we imagine through the Spirit; and when we see, we see through the Spirit. Therefore, when it comes to the transforming power of the Spirit, it’s a case of the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. We know the Spirit’s power because we are becoming more gentle, patient, peaceful, generous, faithful, kind, and self-controlled.

In today's passage we are encouraged to 'test' the spirits. In other words, when someone speaks, is what they are saying in line with God's love? Do they confess that Jesus Christ came in person from God? We need to have our wits about us and be discerning, yet at the same time, courageous enough to allow the Spirit to speak through our own voices and through our own senses.

Holy God
Help me to trust
that when I asked
for your Holy Spirit,
you came and made
your home in my heart.
May I be bold
in trusting that
when I speak
I do so with your voice,
and in the world around me
help me to discern
what is from you
and hear your voice.

Prayed 6 times.

Our weekly Insights and Bible Study plus Member Creativity.

Insights

Rev Gav | Jun 1

How do we stand out to stand firm?

A closeup of grit on asphalt.
If you have little left of yourselves to give, and are physically or emotionally worn out, hang in there, for you are not alone.
An abstract of blue bubbles of various sizes and depths.
May 26

How can we be led by the Spirit

God-given visions happen when we give permission for the Spirit of God to speak to us and we allow ourselves to imagine how things could be in the future.
May 18

How do we love one another?

It is agape love that wins hearts and minds, and it is ours to share.
A beautiful and elaborate golden throne with red velvet seat and back sits on a plinth in a darkened room.
May 12

In what way was John’s revelation radical?

John paints a picture of how things will be for a great multitude that no-one can count from every nation, tribe, people, and language.

Bible Studies

Rev Gav | Jun 1

Moth

Am orange moth sits on a dark green illuminated in the darkness by a low light.
Luke 6:17-19. The very fact that you are reading this demonstrates that you are already on the path to seeking out Jesus.
A woman, wearing a red dress, stands alone in a green forest holding up her hands in prayer.
May 26

Team

Luke 6:12-16. When Jesus had a major decision to make, he needed to spend time alone, to seek God, and to have space to Reflect, and if Jesus needed to do this, then perhaps we do too?
Buds on a dormant tree branch begin to spring into bright green life.
May 18

Nod

Luke 6:6-11. Sometimes we’re not in a position to pray. It can be just too difficult, too painful, or too tiring, but be assured that God knows your wants and needs before you even ask him.
A close-up of a loaf of seeded bread that looks delicious!
May 13

Sabbath

Luke 6:1-5. It’s the closeness to God — the relationship with God — that matters, not the method. And you can get close to God right now, wherever you are, by simply turning to God through Jesus and saying ‘yes please’.

Creativity

May 15

Driving Into a Parable

A ewe and her lambs feed contentedly in a lush field
Shanna finds hope in the midst of a sad drive when she sees two fields of sheep
The Garden from the view of John — the disciple Jesus loved.
Apr 17

John Remembers Gesthemane

Marie
A monologue – John remembers, with regret, the night when Jesus needed him and he just – slept.
Apr 8

Mary of Bethany remembers…

Marie
In a monologue, Mary of Bethany , kneeling over Jesus’ lifeless body, remembers the night she broke her alabaster jar…
Father and son embrace
Mar 24

The Prodigal

Marie
Here is a modern day short story based on Jesus’ story about the Prodigal Son
A girl peeks through a doorway in fear
Mar 9

The Doorway

Marie
Claire learns fear and the Spirit that is Love and changes fear to peace
The sun shines on the ocean behind the clouds.
Mar 5

A glint of hope

Rev Gav
The sun shining through the clouds.
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