July 31 Prayer

Saturday Slowdown

Today I let go of my own restricted limitations that Inplace upon myself and
the idols of expectations of the way things are supposed to be.

Today, I let Jesus, and the Holy Spirit take hold of my lead,

to lift me higher above the harsh winds of striving
and my own lofty ways.

Today, I slowdown and let my soul catch the light breeze of grace
that will take me beyond the strongholds that tether me down.

I let his loving hands guide my kite string and
lean into the way he directs me.

Fierce though the winds become,
my soul is safe and happy to be held in the
bright blue sky behind dark stormy clouds.

‘I exalt your majesty today that is without end.’

Today I slowdown and soar on the winds of grace.
Take me higher, I pray, take me wherever you desire.

Amen
DB
Luke 8:22-25

July 30 Prayer
‘Jesus was without honor in his hometown.’

People were amazed by him but also confused by him
so they became angry with him and judged him.

It is so easy to judge one another according to where they come from,
their family of origin and from hearsay.
Are we no different?

To be dishonored and disrespected by others doesn't feel very good.

It is not easy to honor someone else if we do not
first honor ourselves, and when we do not honor what is going on
inside us we do not honor God.

Ponder for a moment what that means to you?
What goes on inside of you when you feel dishonored
or react to being disrespected?
What is it that you really need?

We cannot easily honor what is on the outside of us
if we do not first honor what is on the inside of us.

Look inside yourself and find God living there.
He is your worth and value that no one else can ever give you.
Confess your weakness and failings in his presence of strength and forgiveness.

We pray;

‘I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and hopes in your word for me.’ Ps.130

You, Lord, are worthy of all honor and I center my
thoughts on what you value.

I do not look to others to be honored but look to
honor others by seeing you in them.

I look to find you living there in me- may I live out of
your faith, hope and love today.

Forgive me for my failing to honor you in everyone.

I am weak but you are strong so I will live out of
your strength living within me today.

‘May I be devoted to tenderly loving my fellow
believers as members of one family in honor
and respect as a greater calling from you.’

I let the love of your spirit drive me to pray continually
for my brothers and my sisters.

May my worlds be thoughtful, kind, inspiring
and when necessary bring a loving exhortation.

That we may all bring honor to your name,
Jesus, and know that you are living inside of us.

Amen
Matt. 13:54-59, 2 Cor.13;5-9, Rom.12:10 TPT
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July 29 Prayer

“There is need of only one thing.”
There is a better way, a better part
that will not be taken away. Lk.10:38-42

Sit here a while and listen...
Let Jesus teach you the better way of living,
the better way of being content, peaceful,
and attentive to the one thing.

Praying;

‘Lord, show me the better way, the better path
where there is need for only one thing.

Let me see you in the one better way in the
one task at hand
and be fully present to it.

Let me be with you as you guide and provide fully everything I need.

Let me love and you love, heal as you heal,
pray as you pray,
Your kingdom come, your will be done-

For it is your good pleasure to give us the kingdom.

Let us learn to live in this blessing of our spirit,
to delight in your love,
the one thing that will last forever.

Let us walk the better way today with
you ever before us in
the one thing,
in everything.’

Amen
DB

July 28 Prayer

Come away and be in his presence.
Have a conversation here with God.
Ask for help,
Seek wisdom in every situation that you find yourself in.
Give thanks for the new day,
for a new start,
for the grace that is freely available to you.

Breathe in the glorious presence of the One who creates in you a dwelling place for peace.

Let this peace rise up from within
until your whole body is warmed with the fire of God.

Let this fire become a sweet glow upon your face that will carry you throughout the day.

Praying;
We come with our hands open ready to receive.

We come with worries and let you turn them into wonders.

We come seeking your peace and find it
is in You, Jesus.

It is in You,Jesus who is never alone and who has overcome all of the pressures that we feel.

It is in You,Jesus that all our fears are pushed out and a calm returns where we can breathe freely again.

Oh may we live in your presence in such a way that will cause a glow on our faces to spread and touch others in sadness today.

May we find a well of gratitude and peace within
to give thanks in all things
and call out a blessing over our friends and family,
coworkers and those that serve the public.

May your face shine upon us and give us the courage we need today.
May we live out of your peace and delight looking ahead with joy and not with dread.

For you are with us
and your goodness goes before us!

Shalom

Ex.34:29-36, John 16:31-33, James 1:5
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July 27 Prayer

‘It’s the word of faith that welcomes God
to go to work and set things right for us.’ *

What is the work you desire God to do for you?

What changes do you desire to see in the world around you?

Beginning with our inner world,
our body and soul is where the work is to happen.

Pause to see Jesus here ,
See his wounds in his hands and feet,
Jesus, the master carpenter, the messiah,
the long awaited one is here with you now.

“We come, we call out to You Jesus to heal us.
We come in humility and in our need to
meet with you face to face.
Face to face with our imperfections, our frustrations with everything that is wrong in the world.

Start here in us Lord,
May we be ready to confess to one another our shortcomings.
To be ready to say sorry to one another and ask for help to be a better and kinder people in the way we treat one another.

We start here Lord,
Where you have made everything right and
we trust you to do the work in us to
make this world a peace filled place.

May we then go out with joy knowing
that it is well and right between us,
God the loving presence of power
and light shown through Jesus.

Then we will proclaim your goodness to all and
pray for prosperity to come
making all things right and whole again as
It was in the garden.

Shalom
Amen
*Romans 10:4-10 The Message, Ex.33:7-11, Jerm.29:4-7
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July 26 Prayer

What is the kingdom of God like?
Jesus reaches into our imaginations for us to find that which is hidden.
Imagine a tiny seed that grows into a very large tree.
Imagine yeast that is dormant yet alive when placed in flour and water it expands, rises within until it becomes baked into bread.

I Imagine the kingdom of heaven...
It’s like a wave-

Look for it!
On the shore far out into the horizon
A wave is coming and as it comes nearer it grows larger.

Watch for it until you are ready to dive into it
Ride upon its crest, let it carry you into its barrel.
Becoming a part of its power and grace
as it pulls you along and takes you into
places you have never been before.

All your senses are engaged, body, soul and spirit…

Perhaps if we leave our fears and apprehensions behind
and trust in a loving God who invites us into something greater than ourselves
we can find peace within.

‘Lord, I let go of my controlled world and trust in the unknown world where
You are in control.

Where peace rules and love leads.
May my heart expand with an explosive courage to go
into places that I have longed for.

To abandon myself to your unending sea of peace,
where healing is offered and freely given out.

May we, your beloved children,
have a renewed trust to imagine your expanding rule
and reign in our lives today.

Let your love grow and expand within.

Let joy and exhilaration come into our souls
as we dive into the waves of your spirit moving in and among us.

Shalom!
Matt.13:31-35
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July 24 Prayer

Saturday Slow Down

Take the time to be still
Entering into the water
Float there a while on your back
with your eyes closed
Arms outstretched without a care in the world

Feel the weightlessness of your body
You are being supported by the fluidity
of the water.
This water is greater and stronger
than you are.

How does it feel?
…Safe
Protected
Spacious
Free. …..

What do you need from God the creator, from the living water that is freely available to you?

I pray in the place of surrender;

Lord I ask for an expanded awareness of peace and grace to live in and out of today.

Help me to slow down to be centered in your living waters that are inside of me .

In my head and in my heart I come to you and find rest there in the water.

I let go of all of my frustrations,
all of my wants and all of my needs.
I surrender into your flowing stream of grace.
Hold me up today as I slow down and find your peace.

Let the flowing streams of living water take me where you will guide me.

‘You are my well,
A fountain of gardens,
A mountainbrook flowing into my heart.’

Amen

Song of Songs 4:15, Ps.3
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July 23 Prayer

As branches we are attached to the great vine.
Jesus the vine of purity, peace and truth.
Every virtue we desire to have is found here on the vine.
Every grace, every joy and desire met is here on the vine.

When I become detached Is when I feel lost, lonely, shamed by my own wandering away from my better self.
I become detached from others who love me
when they disappoint me and I fall into judging them.

I become detached when God seems so far away and I feel nothing.

Everything we need is on the vine.
Jesus tells us to remain
and he will remove what doesn’t bear fruit in us.

Let us come to the vine and receive every grace we need to strengthen us today and renew our attachment to him.

Breathe deeply here on the vine,
Praying,

Lord fill me again with your life flow.
Fill me once again with your spirit of peace.
Fill me again with everything you desire to give me today.

May I become more aware of how close you are to me,
With every breath and every word spoken,
for you are in me.

Let me return to the vine of connection
and cling to your heart there.

Amen
John 15:1-8
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July 22 Prayer

‘I am standing in absolute stillness,
Silent before the one I love,
Waiting as long as it takes for
him to rescue me.’ Ps.62:5

There is something about standing
Still
That’s a hard one when you want to do just the opposite.
To make things happen, to fight the battle and
take charge of the situation.

Standing still before the one I Love
Changes everything.
The one I love
Is the one who loves me,
Who is looking out for me,
running towards me,
coming to the rescue.
I just need to stand still and wait.

Pause here a moment and
feel the stillness in waiting.

Feel the assurance of His love.
Feel His strength and
power to rescue,
to make what is wrong right.

“God is the one whose contemplation refreshes,
Whose love satisfies,
Whose mirror reflects all things flawlessly.
Look into that mirror each and every day.”*

‘Today I turn and look into your mirror
O God
The one that I see is the one I love
Looking back at me.
The one who reflects all things flawlessly
Because you know the ending of everything.

Help me Lord,
to love you with all of my heart
in the waiting and to be able to stand still
and strong and not be toppled over by the pressures that surround me.

May I be able to stand upright in your love to bring this assurance to the world around me.’
Amen
DB

*St Catherine

July 21 Prayer
Matt.13:1-9

Seeds to sow
Seeds to take root
Seeds to nourish into a yield so large

O Jesus,
May I have ears to listen to your words
Birth is me,
Seeds of truth,
Seeds of love that
will endure the harsh desert sun

Sow in me seeds to grow and
transform me in the deepest ground of being

For you open up the skies and rain down manna on us all
Mysterious, spiritual bread of angels
A heavenly food that we are meant to eat
and consume until the seed becomes
a part of the whole
making us one

‘Take and eat
For this is my body’

Word of God
Seeds of life
Sow in me
Today

Transform your church into one body to be broken
and given so others can live.
Let your words go deep and take root

May we speak forth words that
become like streams in the desert
and cause a bud to blossom in
most unlikely places.

We look to You God
with joy and expectancy
to see the doors of heaven open
and rain down on us
a fresh word of new life today.

Amen
1Cor.10:1-6, 11:12
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