Sometimes life can feel exhausting by the time evening arrives! With the fading light and a jumble of experiences to sift through from the day we can often feel fatigued, tired, even overwhelmed. It can be easy to block out all these thoughts with a good book or a T.V. show or just some internet browsing. Sometimes I find during the tough seasons in life that drawing near to God becomes a two second prayer as my head hits the pillow for sleep! Yet deep down I know what my soul needs the most. Unless I feast upon some heavenly peace at night time I will feel empty on waking.
A bedtime prayer need not be a prayer of detail. God does not need our prayers of worship – it is us who need communion and intimacy with God. Taking time to rest, to breathe a little slower, to look and to listen can take us to a new level of peace that the fast fixes of our media world cannot reach. Before bedtime, why not take a short evening stroll in the countryside, see the sun go down or watch a flicking candle during a long bath? All these things can be a way to draw close to God and lead us gently into the Lord’s presence.
I pray that tonight whether you are in a place of hope and security or a place of struggle and hardship, this short evening prayer will help you lay down to sleep in the shelter and security of our Lord Almighty:-
Dear Father in Heaven,
Here, safe with you, I drink in your peace. Help me to sift through the many experiences, feelings and thoughts I have encountered today. I allow myself to rest, to wind down and to be still. Help me to surrender all I am to you, my fatigue, my concerns, my hopes and fears. As I sleep tonight, I choose to hold your hand. I choose to live with you. I choose to believe, I choose to trust, I choose you always.
Amen.
If you enjoyed this simple evening prayer it’s possible to download this film and keep it for a small sum by following this link.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts them to be “fully alive like Christ” (Eph:4:13, The Message). But what does it mean to be fully alive? I believe that being “fully alive” is not some special state we only touch in moments of connection, achievement, joy or participation. To be “fully alive” is to be fully real. When we seek to be fully alive in the presence of our loving Father, we can relax, let it all hang out! We can fully accept ourselves, we can communicate honestly with each other and we are released to engage with the wonder of the world around us in the present moment. We become aware again that we are in the presence of the majesty of heaven.
However, praying in the afternoon presents certain challenges. I find morning prayers easier to say – there is something inspirational about the blank canvas of the day and the promise that it holds that causes my faith to come alive. But as the day passes, my expectations can fade. Afternoon for me can be like the tipping point between the hopes of youth and the acceptance of age, or the refreshing experience of new relationships and the stamina required to maintain an ongoing commitment to someone. So I really need to invite God into my afternoon, the afternoon of my marriage, the afternoon of my career, the afternoon of my parenting and the afternoon of my health.
We are always in the presence of God (Matthew 28:20), so let’s take hold of these afternoon times in our lives and days. Let’s press on to be all we could be and use scripture, music, visuals or our senses to engage with the spiritual hunger that is within us. Let’s allow hope to arise in our hearts and faith to arise from our lethargy. Now is the time to be alive and allow God to engage with us in every moment:-
Afternoon Prayer
O Lord, help me to be fully alive in this moment.
Right now I choose to become
Everything that you have created me to be.
Face to face, I long for you.
Deep to deep, I draw close to you.
Heart to heart, I touch you.
May I feel your perfect love
Know Your heavenly hope
And receive your gift of faith.
May this moment stay with me
For the rest of this day.
Amen.
It’s possible to download and keep this film in HD for a small fee by following this link.
Worship is intrinsic to our wellbeing. It creates a sense of peace in us as we recognise that all the love and beauty in the world has its source in God. When we wonder at the intricate life and order within nature it allows us to relax and know that we too are a unique part of God’s remarkable creation.
It is important that we connect daily with all our senses – smell, touch, taste, hearing and seeing – because we were created not just as a mind but as a receptive body too. The following prayer uses imagery to convey how the love of the Father surrounds you in all your senses – like the beautiful smell of fresh roses, or the warmth of a winter coat, or the breath-taking sight of first light across a stunning vista. I want to encourage you to lay down your cares, worries, burdens and weariness at the start of this new day, and to take a moment to soak in the delights of the morning and great love of God your Father: –
(It’s possible to download & keep this film in HD for a small sum by following this link)
Prayer in this film: –
Early Morning Prayer
You are the glorious morning,
You are refreshment and peace.
You are the sounds as the dawn breaks,
You are the rose that smells sweet.
You are the Lord, my creator,
You are the wonder of life.
You are the great words of wisdom,
I read them and fill up inside.
You are the wonderful sunrise,
You are restorer of hope.
You are the air that we breathe now,
You are the warm winter coat.
You are the Lord, my creator,
You are a love without end.
You are all grace and forgiveness,
I stand loved and free as your friend.
“Kingdom Threads” is a prayer poem that came to me as one continuous stream of thought as I was settling down to sleep one evening. It is a picture of threads being sown, woven and laid across the lands, connecting the broken and needy with the goodness of heaven and desolate places with the power of prayer, for these are “threads that mend, threads that gather, threads that change, threads that lead others into the hope of eternity”.
What is the Kingdom of God? It is fundamental to the message of Christ and is mentioned over 150 times in the New Testament alone. Jesus frequently speaks about the Kingdom of God in parables, and it is central to how he taught his early followers to pray (Matthew 6:9-13). He speaks of it in many ways – it’s beginnings may be as small as a mustard seed, it is like a pearl of great worth and like yeast that gradually pervades the whole of the dough (Matthew 13:33).
This extraordinary kingdom is not like any earthly kingdom, or any kingdom we have seen before. Rather, it is wherever God’s ways rule, and the great news is that this can be through us! It is open to all who seek the forgiveness of God and love the Holy Spirit, and whose hearts are abandoned to the ministry of our heavenly Father. If we, God’s children, seek to remain in him in every thought, deed and feeling we can be assured that God will take and use us to extend his Kingdom ways on earth, just as his Kingdom is fully realised in heaven.
I pray that “Kingdom Threads” will bring vision and encouragement to your heart as you weave God’s threads of light, love and truth into the lives of all you encounter: –
Who are God’s children? A blend of human and holy, restless longings and redeemed dreams, real doubts and fearless faith. Amidst the drab days they weave kingdom threads of kindness, patience and generosity, sewn carefully as beautiful golds within the grey. They ride upon the heartbeat of Christ, clothed in forgiveness, finding strength in the struggles, hope in the hardships and a love that brings life. God’s children snuggle under the blanket of grace where their differences melt away and tensions fade. Humility blossoms like an intricate embroidery within their lives. And joy dances amongst them, as they bin the fast fix of comparison, bypass the sting of competition and burst the bubble of control.
God’s children join together, worship in unity, engage in vulnerability, and ooze encouragement. Fear does not stand a chance, it cannot grip these little ones, showered with perfect love, unconditional affection and a peace that surpasses understanding. Panic is overridden. Shame is swept away, selfishness slayed by the thrill of compassion. And when they sing in harmony, move in sync and run as a team…there is no limit to their impact. Distinctive men and women of integrity are fashioned in God’s family. Unique, complete individuals, who rest on God’s word, seek the truth and walk daily with Christ. Dreamers and visionaries who cross the boundaries of class and culture to bring understanding and reconciliation. Devoted teachers who instil goodness and hope into the young, gifted medics who pursue excellence in treatment and care, entrepreneurs who release vision, model integrity and shun greed. Creatives who leave behind self-interest to bring the goodness of heaven to earth, faithful advocates who keep and protect the vulnerable.
God’s children learn to love each other’s imperfections, connect in brokenness and celebrate differences. Yes! And where their feet tread, their hearts engage or their voices ring out, golden kingdom threads are laid, threads that mend, threads that gather, threads that change, threads that lead others into the hope of eternity. Gods children, his sons and daughters weave royal threads of kingdom family, reflecting the majesty of the creator, heavenly and stunning and utterly indestructible.
I find the prayer of St Francis a deeply challenging prayer to read. Whether in a time of peace and prosperity, or in a period of conflict and hardship, it is not instinctive to be an “instrument of peace”. Yet the word instrument does suggest that we become a channel for God’s peace, that it flows into us from him and into the world from him. What can we do to curb our instinct to be defensive if we are shouted out, blamed or cursed? How can we pardon those who we have been hurt by, forgive those who have wounded us, or reconcile ourselves to those we blame? And what can we find that pushes back the doubts we all hold inside and ushers in faith, hope and love again?
I believe that the answer is to remain in Jesus, the source of all this grace, love and truth. It is when we engage with the eternal, pray to God, lean upon him and praise with the angels that God the musician is engaged with us, his instruments. It is only through Jesus, with his spirit alive in us, that we can truly pray this prayer. Bitterness and fear are enemies of health, enemies of relationship and enemies of progress and peace. It is essential that this prayer is one we model at every level with our children who will take this mantle from us. It is crucial that each of us begins to become this instrument at “home” first, allowing the melodies of love and grace to surround our families, for it begins with the little things in life. Being a variety of instruments of God’s peace will create symphonies of blessings in our communities and lead to radical change in the wider world. And the planet needs peacemakers whom at the deepest level give up their being to become instruments for the Holy Spirit to move. From small places extraordinary things can and do happen.
Lord, make me us an instrument of your peace. Come transform our lives and the world around us with the beautiful sounds of heaven…
Read the words to this inspiring prayer & download the film in HD by clicking here.
Lent is an opportunity to lean in, to abandon yourself to intimacy with a living God, and to taste the refreshing water of God’s love and grace. When Jesus went into the desert for forty days he learnt what it meant to lean into his Father and remind himself of God’s promises. It was in that dry, hot, barren place that the enemy attacked him when he was physically most vulnerable.
in a slightly different way we as humans all have “desert” areas, places that are dry and harsh, places where we choose to shut God out of. Sometimes we can do many things to cover our own arid lands. We distract ourselves with purchasing things, chase achievements, hide in a fictional tale, mask our feelings with comfort eating, find a media fast fix or drink away our sorrow with a latte or beer! All these things are not wrong in themselves, but they can become like a plaster on a wound, preventing the air of God’s Spirit from circulating, they can stop the rain of God’s love touching us, or just cover the hurt so well that others do not realize our pain.
Sometimes it is important to strip these things back a little and see what lies underneath. Leaning into God is an active thing. It requires trust that a strong arm will hold you, courage that you won’t be rejected, it requires forgiveness when you have been hurt and hope to push through disappointments and engage with life again. God really cares about the desert areas of our lives! His heart breaks for the lost possibility of softness and healing, the intense pain of midday sun moments, and the sadness of the barren land holding no new nurture or growth. The good news is this – leaning into God is not as complex as it may seem. In the rivers of grace opened by Jesus’s death, small things can create huge restoration! It’s true – so just choosing once to leave the chocolate bar in the cupboard and remain before God can bring light into a dark place of disillusionment. This light is not only an opening for confession, it can become a peephole for deep renewal.
Leaning into God this Lent can also be an active choice for something. Deciding on a Saturday afternoon to go for a walk out onto the hills instead of the browsing the usual shops could be the beginning of a new wave of hope that breaks across the desolation of grief, or the rejection of a broken relationship, or a complex health issue. Seize the moments you have in Lent to lean in. Give everything to God, hold nothing back. And in those times, read the word of God, engage with the beauty of the earth, listen to inspiring music, phone a trusted friend, stop to pray, or just curl up and rest! Push away the props. Allow the light of Christ to illuminate your path, the rain of God’s spirit to soften your way, and you will discover new seeds of hope have taken root in your life.
I wrote a short prayer this month which carries these thoughts to God. You may like to pray it now as you lean into Him during this time:
I Will Turn
Lord, I will turn,
Turn my face towards you.
I will lay before you the desert areas I hide
And turn to soak in your refreshing words of life.
I will cast aside the barren, selfish pursuits
And turn to rest in the tranquil warmth of your love.
I will draw back from the harsh pull of media
And turn to bathe in the gentle power of your Spirit.
Lord, today I turn my face towards you.
I will turn
To soak in your words of life,
To rest in the warmth of your love,
And to bathe in the power of your Spirit.
Here is a short film meditation we have created featuring the words of this prayer: –
It’s possible to download this film in HD for a small sum by visiting this page.
By the love and grace of God we are always offered a new page, a fresh start, a new beginning. With this heavenly blessing we can be assured of new hope! For most people the coming of the New Year brings attempts at resolutions and new commitments. It can be a springboard for change, yet it can also be a place of depression, failure and procrastination.
Our lives are complicated, littered with the trappings of comparison forged in the maze of social media and TV, heavy with the weight of loss, or murky with the sediments of confusion, resentment, fear and disappointment. Christ offers us a way to filter, to cleanse and to receive fresh living water into our souls by his Holy Spirit that works deeply within us. This is an ongoing process and at the start of this New Year so many of us will come before the Lord with a mixture of emotions, sufferings and needs.
I promise you that as you dwell before your heavenly Father, his love for you is unconditional. He will hold you close and his Holy Spirit will work gently in your heart and soul to minister, to renew and to bring new hope and healing: –
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28, The Message)
The wonder of this offer is that it is not just once a year, like a fleeting January sale. It is not withdrawn if you fail, if you doubt, it is not eroded by illness, or by persecution or sin, or if you lose hope. The grace of God is like a never-ending river that can flow in and through our hearts, our words, our deeds and lead us onwards in life’s great adventure. This is truly amazing news!
The following is a little prayer that I wrote some time ago, which today as this New Year begins I earnestly pray for myself. As you watch the film or pray this prayer, allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart, sooth away resentment and forge forgiveness, allow him to brush aside disillusionment and bring vision and clarity to your heart and mind: –
Prayer for a New Beginning
Lord,
At the beginning of this new day, I offer you my life.
Come take my voice, may the words I speak be filled with encouragement and goodness.
Come take my hands, may the work they create be generous and giving.
Come take my feet, may the journeys I walk be led by your Spirit within.
Come take my life Lord, for I love your goodness, your kindness and your leading.
I think one of our deepest longings as humans is to know that there is a purpose for our lives, that we have a role to play in this world. Thankfully as Christians we can be certain that life isn’t just a random series of events. God the creator of the earth and the heavens is still at work now, intricately weaving beauty and purpose into our lives, building His Kingdom here on earth.
The prayer of St Richard is very special to me. I performed in the musical “Godspell” in my teens, and sang “Day by Day” as a solo. Although I didn’t feel at that time I knew God, I truly meant the words “to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly” and “follow thee more nearly.” It was many years later that I realised that I had travelled to study in Chichester where St Richard lived when he wrote this prayer! And in my journey to knowing Christ as a young person these words have remained with me, like a mantra! God brought me to Chichester. He can and does weave all things together. I now realise that the living Lord responded to my earnest desire to know something of Him in my life, and he has directed my path. For it was in Chichester that I did find faith, began writing with Neil, and Prayerscapes was born. Look for the Kingdom story in your life – journeying with Christ is such an amazing adventure!
Here is this beautiful prayer. St Richard is said to have utter these words in his final hours:-
It’s possible to download this film in HD for a small sum by visiting this page.
The Prayer of St Richard (Bishop of Chichester between 1244 to 1253)
Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us,
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
“May the Road Rise Up To Meet You” is a beautiful old Celtic blessing. Blessings are a gift and ancient ones like these help us to become open channels for the fragrance of Christ to surround those we give out to. I love the references to creation – the sun, the wind, the rain – that these elements are in God’s hands:-
“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rains fall soft upon your fields And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
A blessing is not a whimsical “I wish, I hope for” etc. It is more powerful than this because the faith of the one who blesses connects with God the Father, Jesus the Saviour and the Holy Spirit the comforter. Just as negative words can damage and corrupt us, there is power in a blessing to change lives. Words spoken in faith have an ability to change the emotional climate, to prepare the ground ahead, and to watch over our rest and our dreams. We hope that this song and film can become a gift that you can give to someone who needs a blessing from God. And we trust that if you are in a hard place yourself that you can receive this as a gift from us. As you watch this film we pray that you might deeply know that you are in the most secure place on earth – in the palm of your Father God, and that your heart may be able to rest in this life changing knowledge.
When we truly grasp the power of blessings we can indulge in blessing others wherever we go. We can speak out love, hope and faith over those who are enchained and see the transformational equation of Christ’s legacy in action. There is indeed power in the name of Jesus. Thanks be to God.
This track is taken from our new prayerscapes album “Dwell”, available by clicking here. It’s also possible to download the film for a small fee by following this link.
In August of this year, our church asked us if we might create a film recording of the Nicene Creed (this creed is an ancient declaration of the Christian faith dating back to A.D.325 and the early church communities).
We decided to record many different voices because we wanted to build a diverse picture of what it means to be part of church family – the young and old together, from many backgrounds and upbringings, all united in their love and adoration of Christ. So, on this recording you will hear Scottish, Irish, English and even Afro-French accents! In the western world we value highly our individualism with “I” and “my” being some of our most frequently used words. Christ knew that it was “we” – the church – that would become a beautiful family of relationships – his bride and treasure on earth. He knew that if we continued to view the world and understand ourselves with an “I” outlook, that we would fall to confusion or comparison. “We believe” is then a transforming creed, “we” are whole within the body, we are valued within the body and “we” are sheltered within the body.
We hope that the imagery we have woven into this film will help others who are on a journey of faith to distil, contemplate and rest in these ancient statements. We are “one” in belief, connected to our brothers and sisters of faith through many generations in Christ. “We” can play our part – not with fear, comparison or insecurity, but with confidence. “We” belong – accepted, loved, forgiven and free. “We” can rest when we are tired, question when we doubt, and be carried when we can no longer stand because we share in the love and the legacy of others who have gone before us.
This film can be purchased and downloaded for a small fee by visiting this page.
Here are the words to this glorious declaration of Christian faith:-
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
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