VERSE 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

VERSE 2:
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

CHORUS:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

VERSE 3:
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

BRIDGE:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

VERSE 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow

I love You Lord
and I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul, rejoice!

Take joy, my King
in what you hear
May it be a sweet, sweet sound
in Your ear.

  -oOo-

Yes Lord, I love you, but still imperfectly;
please help me where love falls short.
Amen

reflection in the middle of a series of home based interviews

Sing to the Lord with all of your heart,
sing of the glory that’s due to His Name,
Sing to the Lord with all of your soul,
join all of heaven and earth to proclaim:

You are the Lord, the Saviour of all,
God of creation we praise You.
We sing the songs that awaken the dawn,
God of creation we praise You.

Sing to the Lord with all of your mind,
with understanding give thanks to the King,
Sing to the Lord with all of your strength,
Living our lives as a praise offering.

Thanks Stuart Garrard for writing this song.  Lord God, I pray that day by day we may learn to live and to love You this way.

This year in our church we have had a central theme: “If Jesus isn’t Lord of all He isn’t really Lord at all.” The word ‘all’ is in today’s verse four times and shows the commandment to be so central to that theme. However, it isn’t quite so easy to obey as to say! We do get distracted by ‘life’ and the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, but we must not forget to love God. After all, through Jesus, he showed how much he loves us.

However clever you are, pitting your wits against Jesus is a mug’s game.  The lawyer speaking here thought he could trap Jesus, but read on and it soon becomes clear who trapped whom!  Jesus praises the lawyer’s quick and ready knowledge of the law.  “This do and thou shalt live.” 
Praise God.  Whatever the lawyer’s motivation, he now asks the fundamental question: “Who is my neighbour?” 
Pray God.  I know the answer.  Let me live it.

Once again we hear Jesus speaking not in his own words, but in the words of the Hebrew Scriptures.  These two commandments are taken verbatim from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 respectively.  Jesus is confirming that the commandments of the Hewbrew Scriptures are still valid and have not been abolished.  It’s often tempting to listen only to Jesus, and to ignore the Old Testament entirely.  Today’s words should challenge that temptation.

By loving God, we open ourselves up to Him to let the spiritual kern within us grow, by living our lives the way He wants us to.
You know you are on the right lines when he rewards you with an incredible sense of peace, joy and fulfilment - He’s not stupid: by doing that, He encourages you to go on loving and living His way!

Sometimes we forget quite how much God loves us! He waits for us day by day with outstretched arms, waiting for us to return. Whilst we may sometimes forget our need for that love he waits patiently.  & when we do return he comes running to meet us and wraps his loving arms around us.  & then comes the challenge - how are we to respond to that love ? Can we repent of those things which separate us from that love and having repented can we respond to that love by being his disciples in the world and telling others of that love - a love that calls each of us by name as individuals?

I can remember my old parish priest giving a sermon in which he pleaded with the congregation: “Make Christ the centre of your life”.  This still remains a vivid memory over forty rears later.

We must always remember that this is the greatest commandment, and we should be very wary of letting other things take over our lives, no matter how important they may seem.

Last night I was graced at 64 to be able to lead a Lent Course for teens!(Last year we asked God to challenge our retired comfort zones ).As we try to Love him as in Luke 10 27 we realise how deep his love for us and confont the needs of others in order to serve as his son did The teenagers taught me more than I them last night .I touched their angst,need for the word ,confusion and genuine exploring and exciting thoughts.They lit my life as we explored the nature of God’s wisdom together as equals in his love.God strengthen us all in our capacity to open our hearts to you.I LOVE TEENS !