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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 Prayers

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 sovereignty 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 kin-dom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Prayed 72 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 oceans,
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 29 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 19 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 37 times.

Daily Bread

Our weekday devotion.

Rev Gav | Nov 15

Clean

Jesus is the one who makes us clean.

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you."

But Jesus said, "Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me." When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

This story in Luke’s gospel is a story within a story. Jesus was on his way to visit the house of Jairus because Jairus’ daughter, aged 12, was dying. On the way, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, touched his cloak, and was instantly healed. Jesus stopped in his tracks and asked who had touched him. The woman was too scared to come forward, but knowing she was going to be found out, eventually admitted that it was her. Jesus then spoke to her these comforting and reassuring words, “Daughter, go in peace, your faith has made you well.”

Before we go on, it is probably worth noting that Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old and that the woman had been bleeding for twelce years. It seems that Luke includes this specific detail for a reason, in the same way that, for example, Jesus chose twelve disciples because there were twelve tribes of Israel. We know that there is often other symbolism behind the miracles of Jesus — that these miracles are a sign of something bigger, and in this case, I wonder if the twelve years signifies God’s healing of the twelve tribes of Israel — the whole Jewish nation? Anyway, back to the story.

Like me, you might be wondering why the woman was afraid to come forward? The reason was because she had committed a religious crime. In a culture before the invention of disinfectants and soap, there were a whole heap of purity laws that helped maintain public health. Touching a corpse or someone with internal bleeding made you ‘unclean’, therefore when this woman touched Jesus, according to the law, she was making Jesus unclean. The poor woman was anxious and worried that she would be reprimanded for what she had done, and this made Jesus’ words to her even more powerful. He stopped and insisted that she came forward, not to berate her but to look into her eyes, reassure her, and show her that she was loved. Jesus had, once again, crossed social and religious boundaries to help transform a life.

Like the woman in the story, some people — despite being desperate for a touch from God — do not feel worthy to approach God. Some feel that they need to be ‘clean’ before they can approach God, that somehow God will not accept them until they get their act together, however, nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is the one who makes us clean!

Our culture is different to that of the woman that approached Jesus. Today, our bodies do not make us ‘unclean’, but you will probably still be in a place of uncleanliness. I do not mean that you will not have washed, although that might also be true! I mean that you will have stuffed up or messed up. You will have thought, said, or done things that make you ‘unclean’. No, you are not worthy to come to God and you never will be! But… that is why Jesus came to you! When you do approach God, you will find acceptance, compassion, and love. Like the woman in our story, God will look into your eyes, reassure you, and show you that you are loved.

Today, spend a moment trusting in God and welcoming God’s presence in your life.

Think

Why was it important for the woman to know that it was her faith that had made her well?

Photo by Aurélia Dubois on Unsplash

Holy God
You know me inside out
and you know me
better than I know myself.
Forgive my mess ups
and the times I have
turned away from you.
I want you to be at
the centre of my life
and so I reach out to you.
This day and for ever.

Prayed 8 times.

Insights

Published every Sunday.

Rev Gav | Nov 9

Why is remembrance important?

A close-up of poppies in a field at sunset.

Remembering acts of self-sacrifice during times of abhorrent war, can ultimately point us to a God who loves us and who has given self for us.

Banksy art of rebel throwing flowers like a grenade.

Nov 9

What does Jesus say about resurrection?

Resurrection is about raising (from the dead) AND revolution (vindication of the righteous)!

The orange and red fruit of the ficus sycamorus tree. They are small and round and in clusters of one, two, or three.

Nov 2

What is salvation?

Jesus calls us by name, asks us to ‘come down’ from our positions of authority and oppression of the poor, and to commune with him.

Brightly coloured graffiti on the walls of a subway.

Oct 26

How do we break free from oppressive systems?

The path to redemption — for us and for all creation — starts with the admission of our own guilt and the role we play within a corrupt, broken, and unjust system.

Devotions

Rev Gav | Nov 15

Clean

Four bars of beautiful hand-made lavender soap lie on a counter with som freshly picked lavender flowers.

Jesus is the one who makes us clean.

The Alexamenos graffito. An inscription with a picture of a donkey-headed man on a cross with the words 'Alexamenos worships his god'.

Nov 14

Need

Are we ready to give all that we are for all that He is?

A silver padlock lies open and on its side with the key in it. Photo by Basil James on Unsplash.

Nov 13

Transformation

Jesus did not just come to deliver a nation, but individuals.

A man, bare-chested, stands by a forest river with his hands on his heart and his eyes closed in meditative prayer.

Nov 12

Battle

We are physical and spiritual creatures inhabiting a physical and spiritual world.

Resources

Nov 14

Have we made the Bible into an idol?

Rev Gav

A Bible with its pages being turned by the wind.

Many churches, Christian communities, and individuals are rediscovering a love for the different texts found in the Bible, but more than that, through doing so, they are discovering a God who loves them more than they can possibly imagine.