My Journal

Father I thank you this morning for the choices I have. Lord as I am constantly faced with choice and decision I pray that you would help me go your way. Lord I thank you that every choice I make leads me on a path where more choices become available. Give me wisdom to go your way at every opportunity.

Lord I recognise that worry and fear are natural human reactions to stressful situations. I thank you that I can invite you to 'come on board' and share them with me. Thnak you that you bring peace and enbale me to face the storms in my life. Lord I ask that you would join me in the storms I currently face and that you would bring your peace to these situations.

Lord Jesus in the account of the feeding of the 5000, the boy gave 5 loaves and 2 fish, it was all he had, you took these and and fed 5000. Lord help me to give you all I have, small as it may be and use it I pray to bless others and bring glory to yourself.

Knowing you Jesus, there is no greater thing, you're my all, you're the best, my joy, my righteousness, and I love you Lord.
Lord Jesus I thank you for what you have revealed to me about yourself, but I want to know more so that I may change and live a life that brings you honour and pleasure, a life that follows your will and has impact on your world.

Lord Jesus I thank you for your example of doing only what you saw the Father doing. I ask that you would help me become more in tune with your heart, that I might only do what you and Father God would have me do.

Father although the satus quo is a very blessed and comfortable place to be, I know that you have more for me because you are an abundantly generous God. Will you help me rise to the challenge of moving on in my faith. Holy spirit inspire and help me to go deeper I pray.

In an ever changing world Father, you are constant. Regardless of the situation I find myself in, you are trustworthy.

FAITHFUL ONE, so unchanging,
Ageless One, You’re my Rock of peace.
Lord of all, I depend on You,
I call out to You again and again.
I call out to You again and again.
You are my rock in times of trouble.
You lift me up when I fall down.
All through the storm Your love is the anchor,
My hope is in You alone.

Lord, thank you for the truth within these lyrics.

Father I thnak you for the many material blessings I enjoy. My home and financial situation especially. Lord I bring these two areas to you and ask that you would continue to speak to me about how I use them to bring you glory. Give me clear direction I pray.

Lord I am reminded today of Sharon Gator the endurance runner. I am reminded how impressed I was not with her physical stamina although this was remarkable but her mental strength. Lord as i run the christian race I pray that you would give me focus for the winning lune and proze and discipline to continue with my daily training. Thank you for your help so far.

Father my study today asks me to consider what my motives are for serving you. On refelction, I beleive there are 3 reasons.
1. Because of the love I that I have for you - I want to do your will.
2. Because of the love I have for my fellow beleivesd - I want them to expereinces more of you.
3. Because of the love that I have for my pre-Christian friends - Lord help them to see just how much you love them and want them in your kingdom.

C Wesley
'Happy if with my latest breath, I may but gasp His name, Preach him to all who cry in death, "Behold, behold the Lamb!"'

Lord I pray that I may sing this line with truth and sinserity.

Father thank you for the daily provisdion of food. Thank you that my family and I have plenty. Help me to fully appreciate all I have and give thanks not out of a ritual habbit but out of true gratitude for your wonderfully abundant provision in my life.

=Paul's teaching to the church in Corinth about relationships is interesting. It appears that most relationships, married or single are blessed. The important element is about making God number one in all we do. Lord God I ask that you might help me work this out in my marriage and my relationship with you.

Thank you Father for my work and family. Iask Lord in all I do in my roles as leader, husband and dad that I may please you and bring honour to your name. Please forgive when I haven taken the glory for myself and not given it to you.

Father you are indeed a holy God who longs for a holy people to have an impact on your world. I ask that you would help me and my fellow Christians to start with ourselves, living holy lives and impacting your world for good.

Father thank you once more for the reminder of the importance of parenting. Lord I thank you especially for the career advice dad gave me and the constsnt love they have shown me. Father God thank you for your watch over me, your guidance and help. Developme as a Father I pray.

Father my reading today is aboout marriage. I thank youfor Liz and the past 17 1/2 years.I recognise that over this time our love has grown and developed as we have grown and developed. I pray for htose who have not been as blessed as we have and ask that you would be close to those who are struggling at this time.

Father, when you called me to faith, you called all of me, not just my mind, but my heart, my emotion, my body, my strength. I pray that as I continue to strive to give you all of these aspects that you would help me and cause me my efforts to submit to you to be a real witness to those around me.

Father God thank you that in your kingdom we do have rights but also responsibilities to love and serve you and one another. Bearing this in mind Father God I pray you would develop in me a deep concern for the reputation of your people and guard the things I Say and do.

Lord my study notes ask me to consider whether the Church I am part of is more concerned about the world's sins than its own, I feel reasonably confident that this is not the case especialy with our focus on Discipleship. I am however a little concerned about ther falling interest and attendence at mid week whole church gatherings. Lord would you encourage all ti tkae seriously their own discipleship.

Lord would you help me avoid arrogance and pride. In all I do I ask thst you would help me make am honest assessment of the situation that I might see them as you do. In my life I am very aware of many successes, but many failures too, help me be honest with you, with others and with myself.

Psalm 133
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

Thank you for this most precious reminder of your desire and will not just to bless individuals, but communities of believers too. Lord as I commit myself to leadership I pray that you would guide me and use me to bring this kind of blessing where we are truly - one in the Spirit, one in the Lord.

I thank you for today's reading about wisdom (Prv 8:1-21). Lord throughout this week you have reminded me how relevant your word is for me right now. Help me as I continue along my journey to recieve your wisdom through Holy Spirit so that I might make wise choices.

Father I thank you for my co-leaders within ECBC. Lord I ask for myself and them that we would remain humble and always point our church members to Jesus rather than ourselves. Help us live lives that reflect the love and compassion of Jesus that people will see Him and not us in all we do.

Father I learn so much from your word and through worship. Yet I learn most about you as Holy Spirit reveals the mysteries of faith to me. I ask that you would help me be open to your Spirit that I may learn deep truths about you that would shape my life.

Father I thank you this morning for my salvation. Lord I have come to accept my salvation without need for miraculous signs or being fully able to work out wht you love me so much, I ask this morning that you woud be close to my friends who need more evidence to believe. Would you develop their faith to help them respond to you without miraculous signs or full understanding of why you love them so much.

Lord Jesus in our very secular, very multicultural society there are many voices that are shouting out to be followed. I thank you that I follow you and that I am part of a bigger team too. I ask that you would protect me from thinking that as a baptist I have all the answeres and remind me that I am part of a wordlwide christian family with many denominations.

Thank you Father for your faithfulness shown to me over my past. with that in mind, I give you my future and ask that you would fulfil your purposes in my life, wherever that may lead me.

Thank you once more for a reminder about the effect of sin on my life. My notes today have asked me to comsider carring a medium sized pebble around with me for a few days to remind me of the burden of sin I carry if I do not confess and recieve forgiveness from you. I know that I am fogivena and I rejoice in that and give you thanks but I am often reminded of past sin, help me to know your complete forgiveness and freedom.