“He (Jesus) is able once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” (Hebrews 7 v 25 NLT) Adoration, Conversation, Salvation, Consecration, Four words summarising prayer. Prayer is where we learn we belong to You, The holy Three, the Trinity, And develop an incessant, insistent urge To seek the holiness which delights You. Prayer maintains and extends a heavenly kingdom. Here on earth in our very midst, as set up by Jesus. “He is the kind of high priest we need because He is holy and blameless, unstained by sin.” (Hebrews 7 v 26 NLT) Our holiness happens because prayer connects us with the Lord Jesus, By means of the Spirit of His holiness, Taking us to stand before the throne of mercy, Admiration, Contrition, Redemption, Veneration, Four more words summarising prayer. Because prayer invites the Lord Jesus To be active within and amongst us, Securing by the Holy Spirit, our happiness and holiness. All to the great glory of the Lord God Almighty. “And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.” (Colossians 3 v 2 NLT) “...the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you an assurance of sharing His glory.” (Colossians 1 v 27 NLT) Please pray because “Now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for He is the One who meditates for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises.” (Hebrews 8 v 6 NLT) 22.01.21 Sue O’Donnell

“Everyone thoughtful holds Him in awe.” (Job 37 v 24 TNJB) Stunned silence is the result of Meeting with the Lord God in: Reverence Anticipation Adoration Admiration Surprise Amazement Awe Astonishment All heaven sent To add another dimension to life. For here we can speak from the heart, Without words, except formed in the silent mind, When we find we are overwhelmed By the sheer majesty of God, Or stunned by His authority, Or lost for words amidst beauty, Or simply happily content in His company. How welcome silence is in this noisy world. Because in the silence of solitary prayer We meet with You most Holy Trinity, to greet You warmly. “Silence...is the mother of prayer. It frees the prisoner, it guards the divine flame; it watches over reasoning; it protects the sense of penitence.” (“Stairway to Paradise” John Climacus) “Silence is golden.” (Well known adage) Lord, time set aside for prayer is invaluable to us, thank You. “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You,” (Psalm 84 v 4) giving thanks for the multitude of blessings. “Blessed is the (wo)man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” (Psalm 84 v 5) Dearest Father, we travel towards You by calling on the Lord Jesus, as the Spirit of prayer alerts us to do this. Prayer enables us to feel an increase in our own awareness as to Your steadfast loving kindness. “They go from strength to strength” (v 7) as You instruct, lead, safeguard and guide us. “For a day in Your courts” any time spent in prayerful silence, “Is better than a thousand” (v 10) elsewhere, occupied with worldly matters. You grant us vision as to Your will and wisdom to know what to do to obey You. Please ever instruct us in Your ways, and lead us on the path You have laid out before us, in sending us a Saviour in the Lord Jesus and a Sanctifier in the Holy Spirit. Guide us in our daily decisions, that all we do is done to honour You, Your love the foundation of life, for this so inspires us. Watch over us. Let us grow in clearer awareness, of how our Father always works for the good of all who love Him, and show this through their friendship with the Lord Jesus. Holy Spirit, Guardian, of our souls and spirits, draw us ever closer to our Saviour Brother as You breathe Your love into us. Be with us in all the circumstance of daily life, because we pray and invite You to belong to us. Make us faithful servants able to praise our heavenly Father in all rejoicing, after we have repented of any wrongdoing. “A broken and contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51 v 17) Be pleased with our Spirit graced efforts to live to share in the Lord Jesus’ holiness, the results of prayer always being bountiful and beneficial. “Your testimonies are very sure; holiness adorns Your house, O LORD forever” (Psalm 93 v 5) and grants us a Saviour Brother, in whom we can offer You our life’s work and prayer. What an honour, what a privilege this is, thank You. May prayer ever increase our desire to live to give the Trinity all the glory by deeds well done, prayer genuinely and joyously offered, as You shield us. Prayer time is such a special time! “My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul which You have redeemed,” (Psalm 71 v 23) to make holy. You, Lord as a Trinity, have “Done great things for us, and we are glad.” (Psalm 126 v 3) Please continue to rescue us from our captivity to satan and the lure of the world with all its false values. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? “ (Psalm 139 v 7) and I do not want to! For “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God” (v 17) as the Holy Spirit shares these with us through developing our friendship with the Lord Jesus. This love alone warrants our reverence, our happy anticipation, as we set time aside to pray in all adoration and admiration, often about to be overpowered by further joy as our reverence deepens then emboldens. “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” (Psalm 139 v 23) It is awesome to realise You know this better than I do, for You formed all of us in love, for the sake of love. “Marvellous are Your works” of creation and re-creation by our salvation and redemption. “And that my soul knows very well”, (Psalm 139 v 14) thank You. As I pray “Try me and know my anxieties” (Psalm 139 v 23) and please help me to assuage these by drawing closer to Jesus, where His perfect love can cast out any fear. To my astonishment this happened last night when I awoke fretful and concerned. I drew near to my Saviour Brother and was quieted by being comforted. I am so grateful, thank You. Prayer definitely adds another dimension to life, that of enrichment. You open our eyes that we see wondrous things in Your law, thereby seeking reverence through obedience. As I pray, as anybody prays “See if there is any wicked way in me” (Psalm 139 v 24) in anybody, “And lead me in the way everlasting” (Cont) Please lead all the Lord Jesus’ followers home to the joys of the Trinity in heaven, an eternal blessing. For now, for the time being, let the Lord Jesus lead us, as the Holy Spirit fills us with faith’s conviction, trust, determination and sound dependence upon Your mercy, dearest Father. Let us call on the Holy Spirit as we contemplate our need, and the needs of the world in a concentration of silence, seeking wisdom and truth which are holy and entirely pleasing to You. May the Spirit ever remind us to surrender the day to the Lord Jesus very early on, that He is formed in us and us in Him, according to the power of holy love enabling us to dethrone ourselves. Jesus in us and us in Jesus, today and forever, love will flourish in all its superabundant power, its widest outreach as we are conformed to the divine love of our Saviour. This is Your favour, dearest Father, and we rejoice to discover this joy strengthens our faith, and makes it bolder as we act in Jesus’ name, ever the same name of love. Act in us Holy Spirit that all we desire, decide, do and say becomes holy, honourable and worthy, defending all aspects of life in His holiness from the cradle to the grave. Guard us through living in Jesus, Holy Spirit, Lord, that daily we live to give glory to our Father, as we live a life of prayer, this hope, peace and joy of love being the godly result. Keep us ever praying to seek after all that is holy, our work to this end also, that we spread the love of Jesus as life’s best motivation and highest dedication. Where we are imperfect, please overcome the lack. May we ever work to honour our Savour Brother, for He is the Prince of Peace, the love of heaven shaping us on earth, and drawing us ever nearer to the kingdom of love which Jesus built here amongst us, a foretaste of the eternal state of blessed happiness. When we are lost for words, maybe overwhelmed by a scene of beauty, or paying rapt attention by which we worship, or perhaps overcome by a sense of godly grace, that amazing grace that excites us from wretchedness, then Holy Spirit, Lord, pray in us, for us. What really matters is that we pray in all sincerity, wholeheartedly, whatever the cause or plea or petition or acclamation, and that we pray in Jesus’ name as Saviour Redeemer, that His love shines. May the Lord Jesus’ love empower us, His wisdom guard us, His truth guide us, His mercy affect us, His will inspire us, His hope be real to us, His peace motivate us, His joy pervade our every day. I ask this for we are in prayer, to be changed from glory to glory, all as a result of living in Jesus, by means of the Spirit, so as to delight and honour You, Father God, majestic Father. Jesus is Your gifted Word of Life and I thank and praise You, hoping to do so daily prayerfully, and by Christian service offering love and mercy, because whatever I do is done for You. Thank You for prayerful silence, time so very well spent by focussing totally on the Trinity, seeking to delight You, and finding graced help for our needy world, invaluable help given in so other way but by praying. For Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Word, Jesus is Life in all blessed fullness of Your saving plan of salvation, dearest Father. Jesus is our Redeemer, His and Your sanctifying Spirit restoring us by grace to favour. Thank You for prayer, whereby we can reach out and touch the divine presence residing in our heart and mind. This Your blessing of provision and protection. We find Jesus with us by the Holy Spirit, and we find You are with us to powerfully, profoundly bless us as long as we pray, as often as we pray. Thank You that time spent praying is never time wasted. For by prayer, the Spirit brings Jesus to us to transform, reform or newly focus the possibilities which arise out of faith, those matters You seek to bless. Prayer is richly, fully, profoundly beneficial! Everybody needs to try this for themselves to taste and see of Your goodness. Your steadfast loving kindness towards us. “(S)he who has a deceitful heart finds no good, and (s) who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.” (Proverbs 17 v 26) Lord, teach us to pray! A broken spirit will destroy us. But we have a Saviour who always responds to prayer, because of the enormity of His loving concern for us. The living hope who is the Lord Jesus, is love personified. This love is there to share, to repair our brokenness, to heal, restore and bless us by countless favour. Prayer connects us to this holy power of love in all its magnitude, an amazing force for good, even to the working of miracles. Prayer relates us to the love the Trinity dedicates to us. “The hand of our God is over all who seek Him for their protection...” (Ezra 8 v 22 TNJB) “The Lord will grant you His grace and peace.” (Tobit 7 v 11 TNJB) “Extol His name, invoke it”! (Judith 16 v 1 TNJB) Prayer is our map, signpost, compass, anchor and life line, thank You! Jesus is our Brother, Saviour, Redeemer, Your Word, our Master, thank You! The Holy Spirit is our Safekeeper, Guardian, Helmsman, Purifier, Sanctifier, thank You! Father God we pray to praise You, to express our faith in words which esteem You. We are so grateful to know You as Deliverer and Protector, the God of pure love and eternal mercy, the hope Gifter, peace Giver, joy’s enhancement, all experienced as we pray. “You word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my eye,” (Psalm 119 v 105) Your Spirit our reminder and Your Son the One who emphasises this truth. “ ‘You will remain in My love if you obey what I have commanded you...’” (John 115 v 10 The Truth) “ ‘I have told you this because I want you to have within you the same joy that is in Me. I want you to be absolutely full of My joy” (John 15 v 11 The Truth) based on the reverence of obedience, shaped by prayer’s effectiveness. How does prayer work? “God searches our hearts and He certainly knows what He causes His Spirit to pray for us as His saints, the people He has set apart for Himself. His Spirit will always pray in and through us according to God’s will,” (Romans 8 v 27 The Truth) and our loving respect for the Trinity. “We can be sure then, that in everything God is working for the welfare of those who love Him, those He has called according to His purpose,” (Romans 8 v 28 The Truth) made clear in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus to be our forever Saviour, the living hope, to whom, through whom, together with whom we must pray! Let us then rejoice to make a time of silence in which to pray, especially to offer here our praise and thanksgiving for the new life we are richly blessed to be living in the Lord Jesus, when animated by the Holy Spirit. Amen. 15.11.20 Sue O’Donnell

“Be careful and diligent in all your business, for God who has given it to you would want it done well. But avoid anxiety, do not hurry.” (St Francis de Sales) It is undoubtedly best If we are to pass life’s test, To always start with prayer! Prayer in the morning, To set the tone of the day. Pray as we go on our way, Task by obligatory task, Or to fulfil anything, Let alone everything, The Lord God will ask of us. He manages the world brilliantly, Looking to us, His family, To work together co-operatively. We do this satisfactorily When we pray To hand over the control to divine authority. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5 v 16 NLT) Why is a believer’s prayer so effective? Because it calls on the Spirit of holiness, He who comes to us through the Lord Jesus. Jesus lived and died to reveal the mercy of God’s love for us. As a part of this, He promised to send His Spirit, The Father’s Spirit of wisdom and truth. The Paraclete standing beside us, helps us. He will fill the thoughts of our mind And we find Him resident in our heart. Then we start to say, asking ourselves ‘Is this action, or reaction loving or not? Has it God’s stamp of love upon it?’ We realise we need to pray to gain answers. We pray to, through and together with the Lord Jesus. He is the wisdom and power of God, evident, prevalent, Always helping us to pray to find God’s way. “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart.”(Proverbs 3 v 1 NLT) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3 v 5 NLT) Let us pray and give thanks for the help we are given to live according to God’s will for us, as revealed by Christ Jesus, and informed to us by the Holy Spirit. “Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3 v 6 NLT) Let us pray to give thanks for all the holy help and encouragement we are blessed by, to treat all peoples and situations with love and respect. Let us pray in anticipation of all the love, compassion and patience we will need to handle challenging or questionable situations well. Let us pray with repentance, in remorse, for the times we get things wrong or when we know something is wrong and do not speak out. Let us pray expectantly turning to our Lord and Saviour as Master. Let us pray trusting the Holy Spirit will come to us to direct, guide and protect us. Let us pray never to ignore godly advice, but to be very clear when this is being offered. Let us pray to discern answers to life’s difficulties by studying and applying the sacred Scriptures. Let us pray to be delivered from all that is evil, disruptive to anybody’s welfare, ungodly, immoral and abhorrent to the Lord. Let us pray for us all to reach heaven that place of perfect possession of the Trinity, eternally. Let us pray to live a life of truth, of goodness, of full holiness, so the Lord Jesus evidently lives in us and us in Him as animated by the Holy Spirit. Let us pray that nothing or no one will separate us from the loving mercy of our Father, as made known to us by Christ Jesus in the Spirit. Let us pray and proclaim regularly His victory at the † releasing us from fear and doubt, His Spirit leading us to the fuller life beyond the grave. Let us pray for safety for everybody, especially in this time of the Corona 19 Pandemic, whilst not forgetting to offer thanks for all scientists and medics involved in finding and administering a cure whilst nursing the sick. Let us pray to invite the Holy Spirit into every action we need to undertake, or decision to make, resolved to be submissively obedient, truly reverent. Let us pray when in doubt, to keep asking for God’s own answers, not swayed by any worldly philosophy, psychology or interests. “Strengthen us, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard us, then, O Holy Spirit, that we may be holy and live a life of love,” (Source not known) leading to a growing sense of peace, hope and joy, because of our friendship with Christ Jesus, always offering His love to others as our practical worship. Amen. 12.02.21 Sue O’Donnell

“The fear of the LORD leads to life and (s)he who has it will abide in satisfaction; (s)he will not be visited with evil.” (Proverbs 19 v 23) Seek reverence by obedience. Herein we find freedom from sin. Reverence respects the teachings of Jesus. Sit in silence to reflect upon this. Jesus comes to us to gift liberty, The freedom from satan and sin. We begin anew through the mercy The Lord Jesus won for us at the †. “Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore.” (1 Chronicles 16 v 10, 11) Let us not be too busy, we miss out on this? When we pray to and through the Lord Jesus, Our Father will free us from our worldliness, Any preoccupations which are not worthwhile, Do not fit the style of life we are called to. We have to actively escape satan’s snare. Jesus comes to strengthen our trust in mercy. Merciful forgiveness sets us free to claim Jesus. Jesus as Lord, Saviour and Master, That we practise our faith in His holiness May we become prudent, diligent, firm in our intention. Let our conduct be without fault as we cling to Jesus, Breaking down all our barriers of resistance. Out of the sphere of the Lord Jesus’ influence, There is no defence, a blinding, dangerous darkness. Jesus as the plan and purpose of God is our goodness. Deference to Him in fullness, is our defence. We make sense of life when we love the Lord Jesus Way, way above anything or anyone else at all. “And so you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed; He will continue to give you strength till the very end, so that you will be irreproachable on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. You can rely upon God, who has called you to be partners with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1 v 7, 8. 9 TNJB) He is our Father’s call to the reverence of obedience. Jesus is the living Word of God, gifting hope. Any disillusionment in life is dealt with by Jesus. But we must stay fully connected to Him by the Holy Spirit, The Spirit of love is the Spirit of life spent in holiness. He connects humanity with divinity in Jesus. He makes us ready for holiness in inclination, Also by intention to serve in Jesus’ holy name. Prepare then for this, sitting in prayerful silence during Advent, Not counting the time spent in prayer as ever wasted. Never ever think this, for it is not true. Time spent praying is time given over to seeking And to finding strength in God’s purpose of holiness. There is but one direction in which to find this, The way Jesus speaks of and the Spirit seeks for us. The gain to mankind when we turn to the Lord Jesus, Asking to share in His goodness is astounding, Abounding in love which makes sound progress in holiness. Seek then much silence in which to pray. To pray to learn to obey, adhering firmly to Jesus, Always but always doing as the Spirit asks of us. Holiness does not just happen, it has to develop. It will prayer by prayer by prayer! Prayer to share in all the love we have been shown, Made known to us by the Son of god, the Lord Jesus, His perfect humanity becomes our inspiration. His exalted divinity becomes our consecration, Veneration by determination, prayer and godly progress. Progress made through turning to Jesus is always godly. Let then, this time of Advent be spent appropriately, Making the necessary spiritual preparation for Christmas, To receive most joyously God’s very own Son. “Listen and have pity, Lord, for we have sinned before You. You sit enthroned for ever, while we are perishing forever.” (Baruch 3 v 8 TNJB) “You are merciful to all for You are almighty, You overlook people’s sins, so they can repent.” (Wisdom 11 v 23 TNJB) Let us pray and praise You for all the mercies of Your profound love for us, dearest Father. We seek reverence and find this, as led by Your Spirit, we focus on the Lord Jesus. We remember with joy the First Christmas followed by Jesus’ inspirational life, a life we honour. We are grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit, truly grateful. It is through the blessed work of the Spirit, that our Saviour Brother comes to live within our heart, mind, will and conscience enabling us to seek reverence. As we must pray for Jesus’ return in Kingly glory, coming to claim all who believe in Him, that Your original plan for our holiness is fulfilled, Father God. What a lot we have to pray about! Please may the Spirit of prayer advance and enhance our commitment to serving at this time, this blessed time. It is all too easy to find time swallowed up by worldly preparation for the Feast Day. But in reality what is important, especially if we seek reverence, is spending time with Jesus, in prayer, alert to the Holy Spirit’s every prompt and persuasion. Dearest Father, so ready to show us the mercy of Your love, as made real to us by Jesus, forgive us when we have turned from You. For all the times we have ignored or abandoned or defied Your Holy Spirit’s call to us, Lord have mercy upon us. Renew us in time for Christmas. For those occasions when we have failed to show love to You, for we have failed to love each other properly, forgive us and turn our heart and mind once more to Jesus. Thank You for this special time of Advent preparation. May it be a time for extra prayer. May the Spirit mould our desire to pray, our efforts to carve out a time of silence before You, Father God. Perhaps we can become more attentive to Jesus’ call, as made to Andrew by the Sea of Galilee when He asked Andrew what he was looking for. Are we looking in the right direction for the right purpose? Are we looking forward to Christmas for the real reason of our Saviour’s birth on earth? Or have we been caught up, waylaid, distracted by all the frippery? If so, please call us back to the more serious challenge as to what is life for, why are we here being the question. May the Spirit aid us to find the correct answer by directing our focus onto Jesus. Jesus summons is specific to each of us to follow Him so as to begin a new, holier, happier way of life as His willing disciple. This is what we must make ready for or else our soul and spirit will ever be restless. Come, Lord Jesus, come and possess us! Come as at Christmas. Come into our being and be the focus of each and everyday. Come, return at the end of time to wrap up human history in the glory of salvation. In the meantime, let us seize every opportunity to strengthen and deepen our friendship with You, our way to worship our Father correctly. Let us be caught up by Your Spirit. Thank You Father God, for gifting the church this special time of Advent, a time to seek reverence, finding this by praying in heartfelt earnest to know and grow in the love of Jesus. As Saint Andrew was called from his task as a fisherman to then catch souls for Jesus, may we too become a modern day disciple, praying and working to gain a bigger catch for believers. I ask that mankind as a whole learns to seek, find and glory in the holiness the Lord Jesus shares with us, as we focus on Jesus and open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, as You hope for, Father God. May this happen as we carve out more time for silence that we can pray and so evoke many a blessing, all to the full glory of the almighty Trinity. Amen. 30.11.20 Sue O’Donnell

“One cannot seek God after a while except inside a greater density of interior silence in prayer, where there is no help from words, no distinct utterance that would predictably cast open a door.” (Father Donald Haggerty) Stop. Pray. Listen. “The soul can only wait in a poverty of speech...” (Cont) Look. Wait. Hope. “To wait upon God without words can seem to assume His absence of the soul.” (Cont.) Trust. Depend. Rely upon. “But the silence is a true hiding place for God, and He has His own secret ways of speaking in this silence.” (Cont.) Yearn. Attend. Believe. “In the deeper layers of silence, His presence is a mysterious power drawing the soul’s poverty and love.” (Concluded) “Learn where knowledge is, where strength, where understanding, and so learn where length of days is, where life, where the light of the eyes and where peace.” (Baruch 3 v 14 TNJB) Father God, Lord Almighty, our eternal hope, peace and joy, in the silence of waiting upon You prayerfully, may we receive whatever direction, correction, inspiration or information You wish to give us. Thank You that You always do this in a recognisable way through Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, according to Your timing, not ours. As we pray, may we concentrate attentively, be expectant hopefully, accepting that at times we will be met only with further silence. But this does not indicate Your absence. What is this for? What does Your silence mean? Is it to increase our trust and expectancy and to develop our hope? Thank You that living by faith means nothing is impossible to You, for You, nor with You. “As by your will you first strayed from God, so now turn back and search for Him ten times harder; for as He has been bringing down these disasters on you,” (Baruch 4 v 27, 28 TNJB) - could we ascribe Covid 19 to this because the world as a whole has lost sight Your commands, Lord God? “So will He rescue you and give you eternal joy,” (v 29) but we have to pray and wait for Your answers so as to rejoice in Your glory. As thankfully, “We walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 7) We must keep praising amidst our everyday busyness, stop and listen for the Holy Spirit’s stirrings offering us Your small voice of calm in the stillness. We must look at our world and see what is happening that we need to pray about, never losing hope in the face of delayed answers. For You are never absent, but with us in Christ Jesus. Let us then learn to trust more readily, depend upon our Saviour Brother fully, and rely upon the safeguarding and guidance of the Holy Spirit of prayer. Let us yearn to discern when You are speaking and attend to this be it through our heart, our mind, our will or our conscience. Your answers will be given. We may have to wait what seems to us a very long time indeed, realising it is not up to counting, for You, Father, make eternity timeless! If we yearn for answers, they will come. “You must not forget this one thing, dear friends: a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake.” (2 Peter 3 v 8, 9 NLT) Let us pray, wait, believe and sooner or later receive, realising our souls’ poverty without prayer, therefore resolved to pray more ardently, frequently and conscientiously, ever looking to the Lord Jesus, by means of the Spirit. Let these times of silence build us up in holy love’s amazing, life changing, life enhancing power, going on from strength to strength. The reality we must ever, ever seek is the Lord of love, the Lord Jesus, actively alive in us through the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit, so as the body of Christ Jesus we act. We pray wait, trust, attend and act, all to the visible, audible, tangible glory Lord God, maintaining and extending the Lord Jesus’ kingdom on earth, a foretaste of heaven. We must remember that the darkness surrounding prayer awaiting Your answer, can shroud a mystery of all that is yet to be and will be the best for humanity, as long as we keep praying dependently, our gaze fixed on the love of Christ Jesus, love manifest by You, merciful Father. We are praying to, through and with the King of Glory, calling upon majestic, most marvellous, wonder working authority as worked by the Holy Spirit. Praise ever be to the Almighty Trinity, honouring us by their presence. Prayer expresses our trust and dependency, and confident, hopeful expectation with warmest thanks and highest praise offered daily. Holy love never fails us, for it is trustworthy, being true. This is what we see, hear and joyously experience in Christ Jesus, Light of the world, our Saviour, our Master, our Lord, Your living and abiding Word, according to the zealous Spirit. Let us never tire of setting aside time, finding a place of silence where we can be still, reflect, concentrate and connect with the Holy Trinity, expectantly. Thank You for placing the drive to seek to find You within our heart and mind. “The LORD is His memorable name. So you, by the help of your God return.” (Hosea 12 v 5, 6) We are in continuous need of Your Spirit for this, eternal Father. Thank You that the Holy Spirit will always help us to “Observe mercy and justice and wait on your God continually,” (v 6) or as another translation says: “Act with love and justice, and always depend on Him.” (v 6 NLT) We must learn to wait on Your answers dearest Father, so as not to run on ahead of You. We learn through our experience of the Lord Jesus’ friendship, that Your mercies never fail us, for Your love is steadfast. “Mercies begin afresh each morning,” (Lamentations 3 v 23 NLT) therefore we can afford to wait on Your answers. “I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him! The LORD is good to those who depend upon Him, to those who search for Him.” (v 24, 25) May the Holy Spirit enable us to be faithful to prayer, all manner of prayer because all types are essential, vital for mankind’s wellbeing. “So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.” (v 26) “And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of His discipline. Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD’s demands,” (v 27, 28) grateful for this faith building opportunity. “O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62 v 8 NLT) “Return, O LORD, and rescue me. Save me because of Your unfailing love.” (Psalm 6 v 4 NLT) I do not want to live without the joyous life enriching, peace giving, hope building relationship with You, Father God, as a Trinity. “Be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve Him.” (1 Samuel 12 v 24 NLT) Your command is my wish, all thanks to the impact of the Holy Spirit, making the Lord Jesus the main focus and daily purpose of service in my life. Please maintain this. “Think of all the wonderful things He has done for you.” (Cont) It is good to try and count the blessings, including looking for new ones. Blessings acknowledged help me when there is a silence in response to prayer. Also, the blessings should be a two way process, in that as You bless us Lord God, we hope to bless You through our faith’s practices and outreach as framed by the love of Jesus and led by the Spirit. “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ,” (Ephesians 1 v 3 NLT) in the inseparable bond of holy love. “What joy for those whose record You have cleared of guilt LORD, whose lives are lived in complete honesty,” (based on Psalm 32 v 2 NLT) trust, and dependency on the Almighty Trinity. “I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD,” (v 5) a significant form of prayer, “And You forgive me! All my guilt is gone. Therefore, let all the godly pray to You while there is still time...” (v 6) Time is such an important element to us. All we really have is this point in time to express our love in the best way we can, seeking to delight and honour You, Eternal Father, dear Jesus, Holy Spirit, Lord and Benefactor. Those who desert You are lost to the opportunity of living a fulfilled life, a truly worthwhile, ever blessed existence, a foretaste of the joyous happiness in heaven. I ask that the Holy Spirit calls them back or introduces them to our Saviour Brother for the first time. Oh how well I remember our first meeting, it makes me want to tell the world about the wonder of Your love and mercy! Holy love is to be shared. “Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My heart may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.” (Psalm 73 v 25, 26 NLT) I ever hope to thank You, Lord, grateful for the amazing happenings within my life. “Everything You do reveals Your glory and majesty” as a Trinity of love and mercy “Whose righteousness never fails.” (based on Psalm 111 v 3 NLT) “He causes us to remember His wonderful works” (v 4) and that is why when I need to wait for an answer to prayer, I can remain confident in faith and simply keep praying, expectant and hopeful of Your grace and mercy. Having ransomed our life from the grave, going to incredible, extraordinary lengths to do this in the sacrifice of Jesus’ holiness, You have guaranteed Your covenanted love with us forever. Jesus is our Forever Saviour. We have a forever Saviour and the eternal Spirit to spur us on, all according to Your will and wish sovereign Lord. What a holy, awe inspiring name is that of the Trinity, whilst to reverence You, makes us wise.! “Let all that I am praise You, LORD,” Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “With my whole heart I will praise Your holy name. Let all that I am praise You LORD; may I never forget the good things You have done for me.” (based on Psalm 103 v 1, 2 NLT) And may I never cease to pray. I come into the silence expectantly, although not ever knowing what direction my prayer will take, only that I am sure prayer is the basic tool of our Christian faith. “Let all that I am praise the LORD” (v 22) together with all that I hope to become. Yes, “Let all that I am praise the LORD, O LORD my God how great You are! You are robed with honour and majesty” (Psalm 104 v 1 NLT) and I bow low in prayer before You, delighting to be able to do so. Thank You for everything. Amen. 08.02.21 Sue O’Donnell

“The pure in heart are blessed, because they will see God, the Holy One.” (Matthew 5 v 8 The Truth) Seek God in the silence of adoration. Seek Him in prayer of admiration. Seek Him in silence, listening for His whispering. Seek Him in the Spirit moving silently within you. Seek Him in your ready closeness to the Lord Jesus. Seek Him in attentive veneration. Seek Him in meditation, thinking of God’s goodness. Seek Him in the divine presence of Jesus. Seek Him in admiration of the world’s outstanding beauty. Seek Him in the silence of contemplation. Seek Him in the kindness of others. Seek Him in the hope God has given us. Seek Him in the sacraments especially reconciliation. Seek Him in sung or said liturgy. Seek Him in the honesty, confessing your failings and finding relief. Seek Him in the majesty of the Trinity. Seek Him in the glory of our redemption. Seek Him in the mystery of the incarnation. Seek Him in the agony of Jesus’ crucifixion. Seek Him in the joy of the resurrection. Seek Him as heaven touches earth in the Holy Eucharist. Seek Him daily, regularly, searchingly, time to commitment given. Seek Him and you will never be disappointed. You will find your Eternal Father for He recognises, Responds to and rewards hearts and minds that seek to find. Seek Him in love’s service and high purpose. Seek Him in life’s meaning and in the eternal life beyond. Seek Him in the words of sacred Scripture. Seek Him through prophecy tracked and found true. Seek Him in the promises made to us. Seek Him in the fulfilment of God’s promises by Jesus. Seek Him in the Holy Spirit’s activity. Seek Him in the clarity of holy wisdom. Seek Him in the truth of all that is holy. Seek Him in valiant deeds of godly purpose. Seek Him in the all loving friendship of Christ Jesus. Seek Him in the royal line of King David. Seek Him in the angel’s announcement to Mary. Seek Him in the angel’s warning to Joseph. Seek Him in the angel throng announcing a holy birth. Seek Him in the Magi following a star. Seek Him in Jesus, the Bread of Life. Seek Him in Jesus, the doorway to heaven. Seek Him in the Light of the world shining over us. Seek Him in the gospel letters written by the first disciples. Seek Him in Paul’s adventurous missionary journeys. Seek Him in all love and mercy shown us. Seek Him in Jesus’ perfect likeness to our Father. “In our time, the final days, He (God) has spoken to us in the person of His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the ages.” (Hebrews 1 v 2 TNJB) “He is the reflection of God’s glory and bears the impress of God’s own being, sustaining all things by His powerful command, and now that He has purged sins away, He has taken His seat at the right hand of the divine majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1 v 3 TNJB) Come Holy Spirit of faith, help us please to come out of the silence in which we can wholeheartedly seek to find our Father in so many ways. It is said that many people only seek to find our Father in times of crisis. Whereas if we seek daily, You show us the presence of our Lord God, our all loving Father in so very many ways. We are in the midst of a family crisis now, and my first thought on waking was the relief to know that all thanks to the Lord Jesus, I can approach the throne to find mercy. The first Scripture I read today said: “Because (s)he has set his (her) love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him (her)...I will be with him (her) in trouble; I will deliver him (her) and honour him (her).” (Psalm 9 v 14, 15) This is no coincidence. If I had not previously sought to find my heavenly Father, I would not have recognised Him speaking. I would have missed such comfort and reassurance and am grateful this did not happen. The next text I read made me think how generously loving and compassionately kind the Lord God is. I was told “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid...for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31 v 6) Oh how I needed to hear all of this today. Thank You, Holy Spirit Lord, for encouraging me to pray and to develop a friendship with the Saviour of all troubles. You show us how near the Lord Jesus is to us, and it is in His presence we can approach God. I pray for those who have received no teaching in the Christian faith. I ask that somehow they encounter our Father through meeting with Jesus. Then with faith activated, they go on seeking to find out more each day as to the outcome and purpose of faith. Let them hear the Father tell them personally of His plans, not to harm us, never this, but to give us a future and a hope which is discovered in coming to know the Lord Jesus. Our human nature enjoys puzzles and perplexities and “The mystery of Christ’s godly nature is undoubtedly great” (1 Timothy 3 v 16) made to appeal to us, to our inquisitive inclination. May we then, all of us, decide to set aside quality time in silence. Come, Holy Spirit of prayer and shape this silence for us. Show us how seeking the Lord God, especially in Christ Jesus, always offers hope, peace and joy. Please remind us to pray to seek to find life’s answers daily, for there are always many decisions to be taken and we all too easily go wrong. But all thanks to the salvation won for us, we do belong to Jesus. He has promised to be with us always, even to the end of time. (Matthew 28 v 20) and has asked His followers to broadcast all Jesus has commanded us and committed to us. You will help with this, thank You. I ask then, that as we seek to live by faith, having found the Father, in the Son, according to Your revelation, Holy Spirit, Lord, we will be in the position not to be anxious about anything, for our Father is in full control. “He understands us and knows what is best for us.” (Ephesians 1 v 8 TLB) This is our faith, believing in the best outcome of seeking and finding the Lord our God, the Father of mercy, as introduced to us by the Lord Jesus, that life is blessed. Thank You for all the benefits and blessings of a life led by prayer, open to the godly influence of the Trinity. Oh the comfort, reassurance, peace and joy in all the hope the Lord Jesus gives us. Faith is invaluable, thank You! “I do not claim to have received all that God has for me, neither have I yet been made perfect.” (Philippians 3 v 12 The Truth) These two things go hand in hand. But I do know faith is invaluable to us, so I pray. I pray that “I am always moving forward to take hold of everything that Christ Jesus had planned to give me when He laid hold of my life,” (Cont) and I ask that others have the same wonderful experience. Holy Spirit, Lord of all hope, be ever with us in our seeking and finding. Do not allow us to go off track lured by false values and erroneous philosophies, an ever present danger. Thank You for prompting us to seek, telling us why and where to do so. Let satan no longer lead us astray with empty promises and seemingly easy options, which actually mask danger. Please keep us safe by reminding us there is only one way to seek our Father of mercy and that is through getting to know Jesus our Brother, as our Saviour, the One who leads us home to heaven. And to find this we must pray. We must make time in silence, set apart from this noisy, busy world. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2 v 5, 6) This above all else we must seek to find. Please, please help us, Holy Spirit of faith. Be in our searching. Be in our finding. Be in our developing friendship with the Lord Jesus, as we make Him our worship of the Father. Now is the time of Advent when we make spiritual preparation for the joy of our Saviour Brother being born to us, for us, to ever live amongst us. What a good time for seeking to find. In the run up to Christmas, may the world at large take stock of what Christmas is all about, coming to realise that there is but one way to find the truthful answer. Holy Spirit, Lord, enthral us by the love which first came to us at Christmas. Keep us praying, asking for a better, fuller, clearer understanding of who Jesus is and all the grace and favour with our Father, He has won for us. Let us not spend all our time on festivity and frippery, when what matters is Christ’s nativity, the day true love was born into our world and mankind’s history was changed forever. Let all seek to find and rejoice in Jesus, our Christmas hope and everlasting joy. Jesus is everything to us, for He tells us that to have seen Him is to have seen the Father. We grasp this reality only by faith, through prayer, seeking Your input and illumination Holy Spirit, Lord. Breathe on us, that we come under the influence of love’s holy power. Act in us to enlighten our understanding, especially of the written word of sacred Scripture and the living Word of Christ Jesus. Strengthen us in the face of difficulty, trial and tribulation. Defend us against the world, the flesh and all that is evil. Having guarded us, please guide us to always live a life which delights and honours our Father. For this to happen we have to seek and find life’s fulfilment in just one way, in our holy Brother, our Saviour, our Lord and Master promising and delivering fullness of life. Thank You that in this life shared with Jesus, as You impact upon us and influence us, Holy Spirit of love, we discover all the hope, peace and joy anybody could ever want, imagine, dream of or work for. At Christmas we will truly rejoice! Amen. 03.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

“Carry out my instructions; don’t forget them, for they will lead you to real living.” (Proverbs 4 v 13 TLB) Lord, fill us by Your Spirit as wisdom seeks us, speaks to us, That we can know Your will And sincerely follow it, perseveringly to fulfil. Be in us, Lord Jesus, Work through us, by Your Spirit, All to the glory of God, our Father. His will is Your will, Lord Jesus. Teach us by the Spirit, to focus on this. Reign in our hearts and minds, For we find You are Christ Jesus, As a Saviour born to us out of mercy, That Your kingdom comes entirely. “I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way; oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” (Psalm 101 v 1, 2) It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to be prayerful, Dutiful in our efforts to serve wholeheartedly, According to the godly skills well developed And the joy we experience in serving the Lord Jesus. For Lord Jesus, You showed us how You care To be for humanity, a Servant King, Your followers intended to bring glory to God, Both in words of praise and helpful deeds, Always but always, enhanced by the Holy Spirit, He who leads us into Your promised fullness, Lord Jesus, The peaceful joy and hope of holiness. It is You who makes us righteous and the Spirit supports this, That the power of holy love brings out the best in us. Should this not be our Advent’s focus? “If anyone does sin we have Someone who speaks to the Father in our defence, Jesus Christ – the One who is always right.” (1 John 2 v 1) “He is the sacrifice that was offered to cleanse us from sin and restore us to unity with God. He offered Himself, not only as the punishment for our sins, but also for the sins of everyone in the world.” (1 John 2 v 2) The Author of life, the Alpha and Omega of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, does by His Holy Spirit, enable us to sing Your praises with thanksgiving forever, Father God. Let us pray each day with rejoicing, alert to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, to draw nearer to the Lord Jesus in all the circumstances of our life. It is Your will for best reason that in everything we give You thanks. Let us then do so, empowered by the Holy Spirit and enthused by the love of the Lord Jesus. Amen. 04.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

“Of course you’ll encounter trouble. But behold a God of power who can take any evil and turn it into a door of hope.” (Catherine Marshall) Through the prayer we share, We dare to hope. This hope is realistic, For we have Christ Jesus More than ready to help us. Prayer aids our realisation Of Him here, near. “ ‘Be assured of this: I am always present with you, even to the end of this age’.” (Matthew 28 v 20 The Truth) Ready at all times By His all powerful Spirit, To come to our aid, Jesus will run to help us. The rest is up to us. We must continue to pray, So as to obey the wisdom given. “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding... Seek them...Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2 v 2-5 The Truth) The Spirit in Jesus, Will find the best way forwards. This is not necessarily done quickly. It does call for our trusting dependency continuously. Christ alive in us Gifts life a godly focus. We act and react differently To how we probably would independently. “For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD bestows favour and honour; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” (Psalm 84 v 11 NIV) Prayerfully we maintain our confidence in Jesus, And gradually we will win through difficulty. Prayer is always needed, Good causes can be interceded. It is in belonging to our Saviour Brother, We discover He is the King of Glory, Recreating our personal faith story. “We can be sure then, that in everything God is working for the welfare of those who love Him, those He has called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8 v 28 The Truth) “In Him there is wisdom, and power too and decision no less than discretion.” (Job 12 v 13) Oh to access this! Thank You dearest Father, that as You want nothing other than the best for us, You grant us wisdom by our turning to Your Son as Saviour and Your Spirit as Sanctifier. When we are downcast, disheartened by problems and trials, aghast at certain situations, You ask us to pray. Thank You that prayer releases a flow of godly wisdom. How much we have to learn in life, but You provide the way. You speak to us through Your Son, “The One who shines with Your glory.” (based on Hebrews 1 v 2 The Truth) In meeting with Him as a trustworthy Friend, we grow to know He is our Saviour although a Brother, and this ensures our faith’s journey into understanding and appreciation of Your majesty of loving authority. “Now faith is being sure of the hope we have, and being certain that we shall see what has been promised, even though we do not see things at present.” (Hebrews 11 v 1 The Truth) In prayer this hope develops, thank You, for our relationship with the Lord our Saviour is secured, deepened and extended by Your Spirit of love busily at work. Wisdom reminds us of all the Lord Jesus has said and done. “ ‘All these things I have told you now, so that by trusting in Me you will be able to maintain your peace’.” (John 16 v 33 The Truth) “ ‘In this world you are bound to experience trouble’,” (Cont) this of course, often being brought upon ourselves because of disobedience. I am sorry for the times I have been at fault. I am truly, truly grateful to be able to turn to the Master, trusting in Your mercy because “When He became Man He expressed Your nature perfectly.” (based on Hebrews 1 v 3 The Truth) Also, “The reason He became Man was to provide the means by which we can be purified from all our sins.” (Cont) Therefore our hope in help is justified. “ ‘You do not need to be downhearted about this’ (about anything) ‘for I have already defeated the world’.” (John 16 v 33 The Truth) What an assurance! We are not immediately set free from our tendency to worry, but if we keep faithful to prayer, the release of peace does happen. Thank You for the mercy. Dearest Father, You are not only Deliverer and Protector, You are our Provider. I have just had this knowledge learned by experience as a result of praying, looking to the Lord Jesus frequently and calling upon His Spirit, readily, reinforced. You know how long I have prayed for a seemingly impossible to solve cause. Two nights ago I came across an intercessory prayer to St Jude, the Patron of desperate causes, of matters which can make us despair. “Make use I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded thee to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of.” “Come to my assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolation and succour of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings particularly...” Thank You so much for this lovingly helpful, supportive reassurance and encouragement to keep praying and asking of You. Jesus has taught us to ask in His name to add power to prayer. “ ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever You ask the Father in My name, He will give you...Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full’.” (John 16 v 23, 24) What rejoicing awaits the particular prayer petition which is almost despaired of. “O God, You have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things You do. Now I am old and grey, do not abandon me, O God.” (Psalm 71 v 17, 18 NLT) I need Your help daily. We all need Your help daily. Together in prayer and practical effort we must make the Lord Jesus’ kingdom on earth a foretaste of heaven. Thank You for the hope we live by. The door of hope stands ready to be pushed open and the Holy Spirit will help us with this. The Lord Jesus stands just the other side waiting to help, because that is the outcome of Your love for us. So we are never abandoned to despair nor even disillusionment. We have every reason to hope in our prayer based trust and dependency. For You are ever merciful, loving and kind. May our wisdom be born out of prayer, together with an ever deepening friendship with Jesus, shaped by the life enhancing Holy Spirit, shielding us so we live with integrity. Safeguarded and guided, always protected, being delivered from all that is evil, “Then we will understand what is right, just and fair, and we will find the right way to go,” (based on Proverbs 2 v 9 NLT) of this I am sure. Thank You so much for ensuring “Wise choices will watch over us. Understanding will keep us safe.” (based on v 11) Please, please, please keep us praying! Amen. 31.01.21 Sue O’Donnell

“ ‘Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! ...Remember the things I have done in the past...Only I can tell you the future before it happens’.” (Isaiah 46 v 8, 10 NLT) Profit from loss. Loss of confidence, Turn to Jesus. Loss of Hope, Yearn for Jesus. Loss of prospects, Ask of Jesus. Loss of opportunity, Work with Jesus. “Grant that in this day given to You we may receive such strength and guidance, that we shall be enabled to go out to walk with You, and not to fall from You, in all the days of this week which lies ahead; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (William Barclay) Loss of happiness, Depend on Jesus. Loss of peace, Seek through Jesus. Loss of blessings. Wait on Jesus. Loss of providence, Trust in Jesus. Loss of tranquillity, Pray with Jesus. Profit in all things. “Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who trust in Me will never be put to shame.” (Isaiah 49 v 23 NLT) “He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet thanking Him for what He had done.” (Luke 17 v 16 NLT) Lord, please teach us to pray at all times, in all situation, whatever the concerns, for without this life is fraught with all sorts of difficulties. Please pray to bring back the prodigals. Please pray to claim all God’s promises. Please pray to release any foothold of the enemy. Please pray for an increase in the gracious gifts of faith put to best use in the service of others. Please pray for the grace to carry any †of suffering. Please pray to acknowledge our part in any error in society that is due to us, pray repenting. Please pray for those who have lost hope or have no faith, and therefore no hope. Please pray to submit to the Lord Jesus’ authority and obey with a grateful heart. Please pray when in doubt and wait for the reply. Please pray not to miss any word of instruction, or inspiration, or direction. Please pray to call on the Spirit of truth, confident that He will not fail us. Please pray to rely upon His answer however surprising! Please pray to never venture in faith’s walk without asking for and following godly advice. Please pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to be evidently successful in the face of any spiritual battle. Please pray to live up to our Christian calling by Your word Lord, clearly put into our service. Please pray to uplift, comfort, console and encourage others that we be waiting of our calling as Christians. Please pray to regain any lost confidence, hope, Christian belief, wisdom, that accompanied by the Lord Jesus, alerted to the Holy Spirit, we find answers, fresh vision and new hope. Please pray for God’s peace to enfold us as His love upholds us. Amen. 09.02.21 Sue O’Donnell