Tag: Prayer for Today

Sunday 12th November 2023

“Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” Luke 9:12-17 NIV

God, Lord,

Today many will be walking to cenotaphs around the country in memory of those who died in wars. Today I turn my thoughts to sunnier days and a crowd who walked to hear Jesus speak. A simple story, we know well, set late afternoon on a busy day. Probably up with the sun at daybreak, and to get to the remote place they were in, they would have walked miles. By now a little weary and in need of sustenance!

They could even represent a picture of mankind. Men, women, boys and girls, all ages. All weary and in need of something meaningful to feed them. Not just satisfy them for the day or the hour, but in need of something that will fully satisfy mind, body and soul.

Today we rejoice because this scripture shows us that You are able to feed all that come to You. As the hymnist says, “Feed me ’till I want no more.” The spiritual food that we need to live and be satisfied. Only You can satisfy our hunger for forgiveness and inner peace with both You, God, and with ourselves. Only You can satisfy that yearning to belong to You, our creator, know You and know where we are going. To have a reason to be, and to belong to a great fellowship of like-minded people, Your family in Christ Jesus.

You are in the detail. 12 baskets left over for the Disciples. Today You feed us and one day we will feast together with You in Heaven, face to face. Today we remember and give thanks that there is war, there is peace.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Wonderful God, Almighty Lord,

We pray,
For all our family, friends, neighbours, and our church family. For them individually, for their needs to be met, to know they are loved and to be kept safe in Your care.
For our ministers, pastors and youth workers and all that is done by those belonging to churches to support, help and bless their local communities.
For our Government, that You would guide and shape it, for the good of the nation.
For our King and Queen and those who work for the best future for our nation.
For Gaza and the Middle East, Lord a miracle of peace.
For Putin and Ukraine. An end to this conflict.
For our armed services. For our emergency services and all those who keep our nation functioning.
For those in the midst of conflict, whose share their faith, to see people choose Christ Jesus.
For all the official remembrance services and parades today. That there would be no trouble.
For ourselves, that we would be open to receiving Your Word, Your peace and Your joy wherever we may be found today.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Sunday 12th November 2023
Says it all . . .

Break thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, 
as thou didst break the loaves beside the sea. 
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord; 
my spirit pants for Thee, O living Word. 

Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me, 
Thy holy word the truth that saveth me. 
Give me to eat and live with Thee above; 
teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love. 

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me, 
that he may touch my eyes and make me see. 
Show me the truth made plain within your Word, 
for in your book revealed I see you, Lord. 

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the loaves by Galilee.
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall,
And I shall find my peace, my all in all.

Mary A. Lathbury (1877)

Saturday 11th November 2023

“Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 12 My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.13 No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:9-14

God Almighty, Victorious,

Today is a historic day. The eleventh day of the eleventh month 1918. An armistice was signed ending world war 1. A day of mixed emotions. A day to rejoice, a day of sorrow, a day to remember and a day to give thanks. Some of the young generation may not think much about it.

But the cost has to be counted. World wars cost billions of dollars (made up of all the nations currencies) and plunged the world into economic misery. More importantly the cost in lives. Roughly 9.4 million men and women died. 15 million returned home disabled and thousands more were mentally traumatised. Regardless of whose army they were in. The life I live today is because men and women laid down their lives for friends, family and our future. And many didn’t get a choice.

We mourn that there are still wars today. Man’s sin, greed for power and to rule over others remains. Still costing so much in innocent lives.

But today we look up, and beyond war, to You. Today, we are eternally grateful for Your Son who laid down His life for us. Giving us true freedom and peace. We will never forget and will be eternally grateful. It cost us nothing, it cost the world nothing. It cost Jesus everything. When we’ve been here, and there (heaven) ten thousand years we will still be singing Your praises. Peace will win in the end.

Today we remember the many who died. But above all we remember the One, Jesus, who died that we might have life and we give You thanks.

In Jesus name we pray.

God Almighty Victorious,

We pray,
For all our family, friends, neighbours, and our church family. For their needs, some we know, some are urgent and some are known only to You. Bless them.
For our ministers, pastors and youth workers and all that is done by those belonging to churches to support, help and bless their local communities. For food banks and social gatherings and care and that the Good News will be shared.
For our Government, that You would shake it up, so that those with the good of the nation would be seated there.
For our King and Queen, their family and all they do for our nation.
For Gaza and the Middle East, Lord a miracle of peace, and wisdom from world leaders to speak for peace.
For Putin and Ukraine. An end to this conflict as soon as possible.
For our armed services. Whether they are deployed, helping keep peace in troubled areas or serving and training in the UK.
For those who lost loved ones in more recent wars, in the Gulf, Bosnia, Kosovo, Falklands, Afghanistan, Ukraine.
For those in the midst of conflict, whose share their faith, to see people choose Christ Jesus.
For ourselves, to appreciate the peace we have in our nation and to give thanks for the peace the world cannot give us and which is only found in You. (John 14:27).

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Saturday 11th November 2023

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood, His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free (been set free)
My God, my Savior has ransomed me (ransomed me)
And like a flood (like a flood)
His mercy rains (mercy rains)
Unending love, oh, Amazing grace

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood, His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace (grace)
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind (was blind), but now (but now) I see




Friday 10th November 2023

“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” ” Luke 9:21
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
John 14:1-4

Father in Heaven,

We love You, because You first loved us. Loved us with an everlasting love. Not like earthly love, fragile, unpredictable, inconsistent. Love stronger than sin, suffering and death. Love that knew our unworthiness but paid the price. We bring You our worship and our praise and our love.

Father when we look at Jesus , in the gospels, we see how focused He was. Focused on the reason He came to earth. Focused on paying for our sin by dying on the cross. The angels announcing His birth and Simeon (Luke 2;11 and 26) called Him the Messiah – the one who came to save the people from their sins. He was the perfect sinless sacrifice. Nothing distracted Him. He prepared His disciples as best He could. He planned, even down to their last meal together. So they would always remember- every time they broke bread, sat down to eat. And then sent His Holy Spirit to be with them and us.

Paul, in Philippians 3:14, calls us to be focused on the goal. To win the prize to which You, God are calling us heavenward in Jesus Christ. Help us to be like Jesus, remembering where we are going. We are less likely to get lost, give up or start going backwards. Assure us, by Your Holy Spirit, that our sin is forgiven, that death is conquered and a place is prepared for us. A glorious place full of life and joyful fellowship and an atmosphere of unconditional love. “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now we know in part; then we shall know fully, even as we are fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Keep us focused on You.

In Jesus beautiful name we pray, Amen.

Father in Heaven,

We pray,
For all our family, friends, neighbours, and our church family. For their needs, some we know, some are urgent and some are known only to You. Bless them.
For our ministers, all who work through churches to support, help and bless their local communities. For food banks, social gatherings and warm places.
For our Government, that You would shake it up, so that those with the good of the nation would be seated there.
For our King and Queen and those who work for the best future for our nation.
For Gaza and the Middle East, Lord a miracle of peace, and wisdom from world leaders not division.
For Putin and Ukraine. An end to this conflict.
For our armed services as they prepare to take part in remembrance services. For Ambassadors who seek to represent our desire for peace and democracy.
For those in the midst of conflict, whose share their faith, to see people choose Christ Jesus.
For ourselves, to appreciate the peace we have in our nation and to give thanks for the peace the world cannot give us and which is only found in You. (John 14:27).

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 10th November 2023
This is in Welsh and then in English.

First verse sung in Welsh.

Here is love, vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven’s eternal days

On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love