March 31 prayer
Holy Wednesday
‘Surely not I, Lord?

The Passover
The Passion
The betrayal

Compassion in the eyes of our Lord
Upon the very one who turns away,
Walks away
From the very One who embraces all.

In our turning
He turns towards us
Even when we turn our backs
on him by looking for a way out.

I look inward and ask,
How many times have I ignored His call of mercy?
When have I turned away from the difficult path,
the way of the passion due to my own urgent distractions and needs?

There is a doorway waiting to go through.
A way towards him or away from him.
Which way do I go?
Must I go?

Look to him and see only compassion in His eyes.
This Holy Week
Choose the door way of life,
that will come from death.
Stay close with him this week and do not rush by.

Lord, I ask for the courage to stay with you.
Amen
DB
Matt.26:14-25

March 30 Prayer

The passion, betrayal, denial,
the darkness of the journey.
How can we face it?
How do we face it?

As Peter or Judas?
Here awaits glory.
God is glorified through the very death of Jesus.
Supernatural grace that abounds in the darkest moment,
in the hidden betrayals of our hearts.

I ask myself,
where I hold back my heart because of shame?

When do I deny the truth that invites me in to freedom
only because I am too afraid to take the risk?
Am I no different, no less human then they?

May we be truthful and honest enough that we are in need of help.
In need of a saviour to redeem, forgive and
set our hearts on fire for him?
May we live for His cause and not pursue our own security
and approval from the world.

What is it that you need to lay down on top of Calvary hill?
Give him your hidden heart now to pray;

‘Lord, full of grace and mercy we come.
We lay down our pride and ask to live our lives solely for you.
Change us now and give us the courage to
speak the truth and stand up for injustice.
May it start in our own hearts to be truthful there.

Empower your church to walk through the
darkness into your glorious light.

And draw our hearts close to yours as
we walk together up the hill to Calvary.

May all the glory be given to you.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Be glorified through us we pray.

Amen

DB
John 13:31-38,Matt.26:13-16

March 29 Prayer

A broken vile of costly perfume
a grain of wheat fallen to the ground.
These seemingly acts unrelated
become an act sacred and holy
a death, an anointing

Chaff blown by the wind and
pieces of shattered pottery no longer needed.
Our griefs and sorrows He bore,
and our tears none wasted,
but extravagant offerings of adoration and love.

Feet wiped with tears become holy anointed feet
Did she even know that soon He would wash her
with his blood
and water
divinely poured out for all?

May we take a human pilgrimage with him
this holy week and enter
the divine room of death to find
eternal life awaiting.

A Sweet aroma of fragrant oil
be poured out from every cell we carry
into the world.

Through every act of love and
self abandonment,
may we see His glory there.

Take a moment and offer your complete self to him this day
in every yearning desire and every sorrow.
Let him take the broken vile
fill you once again with holy water
from heaven above.
Amen
DB
John 12:1-11,23-45

March 26 Prayer

‘The Lord is with me like a dread warrior,
my persecutors will not prevail.’ Jer.20:11

‘They picked up rocks to stone him.’Jn.10:31-42

‘Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the cross.
And God was with him.

The rocks we hold in our hands,
are the very rocks that defend us.
For He is our rock and deliverer.
God like none other will push back the oppressor,
the lies and the enemy of our souls.

‘He took it all upon himself so we could be healed.

Every doubt, blame, judgment,
all the accusations and fears
are the rocks we have picked up along the way.

But He turned it around for us,
Because of love.

‘So that dead to sin we might live in righteousness.
By his wounds we are healed.’ 1Pet.2:24

‘He is our rock, our protection from destruction.’

What are the wrong thoughts and lies
that robs us from his presence?

We no longer need to pick up any stones to defend ourselves.
Lay them down at the foot of the cross.
Let God be your warrior and fight your battles for you.

Pause to pray;

O Lord, you are our defender
so we come willingly to you
and lay down the stones we carry.

May we see you as our true rock of redemption
so we do not need to prove ourselves to another.
For with You Lord, there is loving mercy.

Help us to ‘Remain in God and He in us.’
For God is love and if we remain in love we remain in God.’
1Jn.4:13-16

Let this truth become a strong force with us so when
tempted to pick up those rocks of sin we have laid down,
they are swept away from our reach.

May our hands reach out for your love and mercy instead
To bring this truth of your plentiful redemption to others.

Through our thoughts, words and deeds.
We look to the cross.
Amen
DB

March 25 Prayer

It all started with an announcement, a proclamation
an eternal light shining down on a
humble
human
a woman’s heart ready to say
“Here am I Lord,
I have come to do your will.”

Say yes to the impossible
Yield to the unknown
Power and glory from another realm
A kingdom that never ends

How can this be?
We are chosen, we are beloved of God
His birthing place of glory for the world to see.

Impossible? Yes,
but that is what He does when we say yes.

Yield now to surrender your doubts,
fears and questions as you pray;

‘Lord, here I am
I desire You to do the impossible for me
So that I may be your birthing place of love in the world around me.

When I feel resentments and want my own way,
May I feel the labor pains of grace to let go and
allow your will to flow through me.

When I feel frustrated and stressed,
May I yield to your flow of peace and
welcome the moment with you dwelling within me.

When life becomes too hard and I see injustice,
May I say yes to speak of your love and faithfulness,
May I tell others of your wonders and your way
To live with faith, hope and love.

“You are the Lord of heaven and You take my hand,
You are my help, so I will not fear.”

Here, am I Lord, I come to do your will.
May I be your birthplace’~

Amen.
DB
Lk.1:26-33, Psalm 40:8-9, Is.41:13

March 24 Prayer

‘Remain in me, spirit of truth .
I know who sent me,
My Father God.’

Jesus comes closer the day of his crucifixion,
when he will experience the worst torture of body and soul.
He will cry out the words of David from the psalms,
Why, have you Forsaken me?

Jesus, knew the truth, knew the Father sent him.
Followed the divine will to become our remedy.
To heal us and set us free from what binds.
He was sent there to be present in the middle of fiery furnace
To protect, defend the weak, and show the Father's glory to all.

Shall we not remain in him?
Be rooted and grounded in his truth,
He sends us, he lives in us and we have his imprint upon us.

Receive the remedy for all your darkness, sickness and worry.
Hold up the ones you know that are
in need of a remedy today as we pray.

‘Father of truth, we trust in the love of Christ to enfold us.
We look for the peace of Christ to give us courage
when we fear what others may say.
We receive your grace to inspire us,
by your spirit to imprint upon us the very character of God.

Reveal your glory through us today.
We remain in you, and with you,
knowing you are always present for us.

Amen

DB
Heb.1:2-5,Ps..22:1, ’John 8:31-42

March 23 Prayer
John 8:21-3
Who are you then, Jesus?
Questions are asked, answers misunderstood
all from the perspectives passed down from generations.

Jesus knew The Father and the Spirit with him.
Always with him, guiding and showing him the way to go.

There are worlds we know not of, higher grounds,
widows of faith to look out of if we can believe.

When Jesus is lifted up on the cross we see the face of God.
Far beyond our own human belief systems
that in such a despicable death there could ever be a better way.

A higher way and a deeper way from an eternal world.
This is our God.
Here with us in the very midst of darkness and suffering.
He never leaves us alone.

Pause to pray;
Lord, this past year has been a very long suffering journey.
It has seemed that there was never any end in sight
and we still hold this liminal space before us.

Show us the higher way to see you here with us.
May we see you before us and all around us on this earthly plane.
When there is one that suffers may we suffer with them
for there you are looking into our hearts asking the question,
‘Who are you?’

Jesus, you are always with us,
show us what is pleasing, good and the right way to respond
to all the unanswered questions.

With loving hearts and open hands we pray.
In your way give us life today.
May your kindness and redemption lead us
to lift Jesus up before us in everything we do.

Amen

March 21 Prayer

John 8:1-11

It’s in the writing on the ground.
Shame leads to blame
Proving your worth, to gain acceptance once again.

“You are alright, good enough,
you’ve earned it by your pain
Your own suffering.
Seeking validation, qualification,

While every accusation is being erased
In the writing on the ground.

By the finger of Jesus
The very divine finger of God
Touching earth
Created truth in the writing,
Love covers all.

Sin no more,
No more condemnation,
No more hiding from love.
This is where your healing begins
To know you need his touch.
His defense for you.

You no longer need to defend yourself,
To prove yourself worthy enough, good enough,
But broken and needy enough for his writing in the ground.
Let Him touch you there.

Here we pray,

“I surrender all,
To you Lord, I surrender
My own suffering and blame,
I am poor and in need of your help.
I surrender my own self will to be right
And let You make it alright.
Turn my shame into a way for your glory to come in

That I can rest in your gift of love
I will receive it all
and in return I will give you my all.”
Amen

John 8, Rom.8:33-37,Psalm 127

March 20 Prayer
Saturday slowdown
There is a peace waiting to be present,
In the simplicity of the morning cup of coffee,
Steam rising to the atmosphere,
The weeks scattered papers
as pieces to be gathered
or tossed away.

Less means more space
for peace in the slowdown.

Simplify things a bit and climb through to a place
of understanding.

Rest in there a while in the slowdown of the day.

As the sun glows upon the sea
slowdown to take a second glance at the tree,
the bird that cries out or sings a melodious sonnet.

Receive the spaciousness this day will bring,
When you can slow down.
And let it settle there in the open space of your soul.

Put your hope in God
and in what is being created in the silence,
in the deep holiness of the hour.

Peace be In you.
All glory be,
In Jesus.
Amen
DB

March19 Prayer

Steadfast love
Hearts firm
Without fear
Aligned with the Holy way,
The Holy One, the light that comes
In hopeless days.
Speaking without words to those who take notice,

To those who are able to look into the quiet seemingly
common places of everyday life.
Things that do not matter much
Switch on the light, and how does it happen?
A simple flick of the finger,
a man and woman’s consent to a plan given for a
long awaited purpose to be fulfilled.

In the dark silence without answers,
when hope has died,
the Son of man, Son of God, with a steadfast heart,
firm without wavering extends to all who will take notice,

To love him back at the foot of the cross,
with hearts that will not fear death, but
live in the everlasting covenant of love~

Here we pause to pray,

‘Here we come to give you our hearts
and enter into your Holy way today.
We trust in the simple ways you speak to us
and take time to notice your spirit moving all around us.

May we slow down enough and relax into
what has already been done and release to you
what is yet to be accomplished.

With steadfast and grateful hearts we
join with you in living fully alive to love in us and through us.
In the simple things may we find your Holy way this day.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Amen’

DB
Rom.4:13-22,Ps.112:1-9