• A group of prayers inspired by Christians who just wants the best for this world. They can be recounted by anyone so moved by the words and ready to make a change.

A Prayer For Discipleship

Let us Pray for Discipleship


God of wisdom, love and peace, we praise and give you thanks for the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ; we celebrate the joy we have received in this new life and we give you thanks for the opportunity to be living the reality of the resurrection. Inspire us, by your grace, to re-commit ourselves to the life of intentional discipleship. Here we surrender ourselves to the life of Jesus who called us in baptism to be faithful servants in discipleship. As followers of Christ we commit to follow him as Andrew of old did in response to your invitation. Help us to perceive new Galilean seas where we are today so that we may respond to your call to be faithful disciples. All this we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer written by: Canon Garth Minott

  • A group of prayers inspired by Christians who just wants the best for this world. They can be recounted by anyone so moved by the words and ready to make a change.

A Prayer For Support

Let us Pray to the Lord for Support


Almighty God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth and giver of all good things; you are always open to hear our prayer and we give you praise and thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us. Because your are our Creator you continue to open paths of righteousness and peace for us; in your creative love you have given us Jesus Christ as redeemer and Lord for the salvation of all people. We acknowledge our helplessness before you and bow at your feet pleading for intervention, support and help in all that we undertake. The path before us is laden with uncertainties; nevertheless we are confident that with you as our ruler and guide no obstacle is too great for us to overcome. As the source for our overcoming we plead your intervention as you did on the day you raised Jesus from the dead. You are the one who holds the key to life and hope. We come with an attitude of trust, confident that you will not disappoint us. Our hearts are filled with the cares and concerns of the present age. We are mindful of pockets of crime and violence, attitudes of mistrust and malice, high prices, chronic corruption and death. We bring these as we come to listen to you as well as listen to each other. Give us, we pray, open hearts and minds to discern your will for us and for all the people of the world. You love the world so much that you gave us Jesus Christ as a guarantee of life. Help us to celebrate this life in all that we undertake. Give us hearts of trust, confidence, faith, hope and love for all and enable us to rely on you for all things. Our faith does get weak and we sometimes feel like letting go. In such situations raise us as you did the life-less body of Jesus and remind us of the power that is within us to do all things. Be with us at all times and in all we do. We ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Give us, we pray, open hearts and minds to discern your will for us and for all the people of the world. Amen.

Prayer written by: Canon Garth Minott

  • A group of prayers inspired by Christians who just wants the best for this world. They can be recounted by anyone so moved by the words and ready to make a change.

A Prayer For

The Nations of the World


O, Eternal Lord God, creator of heaven and earth, ruler of all things visible and invisible, the lover of souls and the source of our salvation; bless Jamaica and other countries with your love and divine grace. You have called these nations into being to provide space for your kingdom to be manifested. You have provided us with leaders chosen to be your instruments of justice to our people. Remind our nations’ leaders that they are chosen by you to administer the offices and institutions of your world. Remind us that we are to provide the support and encouragement necessary to enable our leaders to perform the tasks you have given to them. Leaders in the political and other spheres of life tend to forget that we are all ultimately accountable to you, our chief steward. Inspire the leaders of our nations to serve your people out of an acknowledgement of our call to serve you. Since the whole world is yours remind us that it is your will that all persons come to knowledge of you as Lord and God. Bless the government and people of our nations; fill us with the zeal to build up each other so that your people will find in our lands sources of help for each other. Herein we pray especially for young people in universities and colleges, in high schools and in other educational institutions. Inspire them with a thirst for knowledge and faith and fill them with hope for the future. Though often daunted by the challenges before them, especially the prospect of employment and other opportunities, we pray that you will instill in them enthusiasm for life and a constant search for truth. Remind our people that you, O God, are the creator of heaven and earth and that all things work for good to those who love you. Calm our fear, allay our anxieties and enable us to trust you always for the provision of our necessities. We ask these things in and through the Name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Lord fill us with the zeal to build up each other so that your people will find in our lands sources of help and each other. Amen.

 

Prayer written by: Canon Garth Minott

  • A group of prayers inspired by Christians who just wants the best for this world. They can be recounted by anyone so moved by the words and ready to make a change.

A Prayer For

Faith


O God of faith, and giver of faith, we praise and glorify you for all your goodness and loving kindness to us. We praise your name for it is holy and from you all holiness processes. We give you thanks for the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, a faith which allows us to fear you and live in accordance with your will. We praise you and give you thanks for the faith of our forebears who remained steadfast to their call to serve you. Renew us, we pray, in the faith that has been handed down to us. Help us with the faith you have given us to trust you with all our hearts. Help us to recognize that, with the faith you have given us, we can remove mountains. With the faith we receive from you we allow you to work through us to advance the cause of your kingdom on earth. We confess that we have not always exercised your gift of faith as you desire of us. We have not always trusted you to do for us more than we can ever imagine or understand.
Forgive us for our lack of faith and renew your Church in the faith of Jesus Christ. With this faith, as our trust and confidence in you, help us to reclaim our place on your mission to the world. Inspire us to be ambassadors of faith to all your people, and help us to place all our trust and confidence in your plan of salvation. We ask these things through Jesus, Christ, our risen and ascended Lord. Amen.

Help us with the faith you have given us to trust you with all our hearts. Amen.

 

Prayer written by: Canon Garth Minott

  • A group of prayers inspired by Christians who just wants the best for this world. They can be recounted by anyone so moved by the words and ready to make a change.

A Prayer For

The Society, Nation and People


O God of Sarah, Rachael and Rebecca; God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob your name alone is worthy of praise and you alone are our maker, redeemer and sustainer. You have made the heaven your dwelling place and the earth your footstool. There is no people, place or thing over which your dominion does not extend. You are God alone, to whom every knee must bend and every tongue confess. Kingdoms, dominions, nations and people too often think you can be displaced yet you continually do for us as was done of old for the Israelites in Egypt. They cried to you and you heard them. Our society, nation and people cry to you, even in this hour, pleading your intervention in the lives of all. Make hearts of stone become hearts of flesh; make lives of clay become vessels of love; make tongues of fire become tongues which delight in the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. We commend to your divine mercy all those who continue to work for the advance of your kingdom. Remember those who witness and work in situations of war and conflicts of various kinds; we pray for those who minister to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, we pray also for men and women everywhere whose lives bear witness to the living Christ. Because the health, safety and salvation of all people remain your concern O Lord God, we commend all people into your loving hands in and for the sake of and the Name of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Redeemer.

O God of Sarah, Rachael and Rebecca; God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; your name alone is worthy of praise and you alone are our maker, redeemer and sustainer. Amen

 

Prayer written by: Canon Garth Minott

  • A group of prayers inspired by Christians who just wants the best for this world. They can be recounted by anyone so moved by the words and ready to make a change.

A Prayer For

Black lives matter: Let Us Pray to the Lord, the giver of life


Our Gracious Lord and God we adore you and bless you; we magnify and exalt your glorious name. We thank you for sending us your Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have access to fullness of life eternal. We thank you also for the gift of your Holy Spirit: the Lord and giver of life, the author of the Church and the giver of compassion to each pilgrim. We thank you too for the opportunities given to us to share your love with all people. Through our sacramental life, as a Church, you remind us that all of life is scared and must be treated with the utmost respect. Through our worship you remind us that the fullness of life is only discovered when our hearts and bodies are in tune with your will. Your purpose is made real through our daily witness. In it you continue to testify to your greatness, your mysterious power, your love and your glory. Make us shine in our daily lives like the pillar of fire which accompanied your people Israel of old and, fill us with the power which propelled the early disciples to share the good news of the resurrection. Help us to be ever mindful that the world searches, amidst the business, noise and confession of daily life, for meaning, hope and direction. Make our hearts always ready to respond to the needs of others and be committed to share the great news that Jesus Christ is alive and is life. We pray as your Easter people in the Name of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our Gracious Lord and God we adore you and bless you; we magnify and exalt your glorious name. Amen.

 

Prayer written by: Canon Garth Minott

The Nature of God

Reading Association [ 1 John 01:5-9 ; Matthew 05:15-16 ]

Discipleship as Glowing Waters

There are plankton or small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water all over the world with unique abilities.  They can give off light; and the spectacular display of brightness and vivid colours is an awesome sight to behold.  Puerto Rico, Mauritius and Jamaica are some of the countries that experience the beautiful light show from bioluminescent or star like plankton.

Science explains that plankton gained the ability to light up when they are threatened by predators.  The idea is that the sparks of light would startle their would-be attackers, giving the plankton a chance to escape.  I guess these are the measures one must take when one is in demand on the food chain.  Plankton have become so sensitive to predators that they now glow for almost any kind of movement in their vicinity: from a hand wading in the water to waves crashing against the rocks. With all these motions taking place continuously, it is even more spectacular when you realize that the plankton never tire of glowing; and even seem to glow brighter as more activities take place around them.

Is it not amazing and wonderful how nature easily performs the tasks that God wants us to do as his children?  As we go through life each day we are faced with so many movements and activities around us – whether good or bad.  A hand stirring the water for the plankton could be a lost job opportunity or a departed loved one for us.  The waves pushing the plankton against some jagged rocks could be for us an approaching hurricane or an unknown depression.  God desires that we as disciples glow brightly even during these trying times by praying constantly, giving thanks for all the good things He has done, smiling at the world even if it frowns at us; and even helping our enemies as they plot against us.  It is tough to “let your light so shine” (Matthew 05:15-16) on earth but we must realize that with God’s help we can overcome any hurdle.

However, the plankton also glows when the motions are not threatening.  God desires us as intentional disciples to light up the world during the good times as well.  What may be gentle waves could be our new born baby, finally being able to pay off the mortgage, getting some alone time, and, being able to see the beauty in the world around us.

As disciples of Christ our lamps must always be burning brightly (1 John 01:5-9), letting everyone around us know that we all are children of God and that we are happy to be a part of God’s family. Let us endeavor to glow like the bioluminescent plankton and strive to have a better and even closer walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.

About This Blog

A team of nature-lovers who have come together to write about those things that we see happening naturally around the world which can help us to action the Word of God.  It is meant to enlighten, to initiate, in provide different perspectives, to inspire others whilst keeping the reading content to manageable bite sizes.  Leave your comments and questions below.  We would love to hear from you.

 

The Nature of God

Reading Association [Psalm 24; I Cor 12; Ephesians 02:10; 1 Peter 04:10 – 11]

The Eye Of The Owl

So, what I had found out recently is that all owls have amazing vision since they do not have eyeballs but rather have “eye tubes” [mother nature network: mnn.com].  These tubes are elongated and therefore can detect motion and differences for great distances.  They allow the owl to see prey and/or danger long before they even know of the owl’s presence which is especially effective during the nights.  Also, note that since the owl’s eyes are forward facing it means that they have binocular vision like humans which gives them better depth perception.

However, due to the size and structure of an owl’s eye, it is able to swivel/move the eyes from side to side or up and down within the “sclerotic rings” that they are held in place by.  Which is why the owls give thanks for “swivel necks”.  Owls swivel neck is just a summarized way of saying that they have more vertebrae in their necks; they have alternate blood vessels to their heads, blood pooling systems and air-cushioned vessels which translate to the fact that their heads can turn 135 degrees in either direction giving them a full 270 degrees of view.

This shows how the owl relies upon many of its features working in unison to survive each day.

Similarly, as Christians, our talents are meant to work together with the talents of others to accomplish great tasks (I Cor 12).  A speaker who can make persons see the beauty of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may not have the skills to get the same people to come to their presentation(s) and therefore will rely on others with strong social, missionary and even marketing skills to help gather the flock.  A social church member may be able to serve food well to the elderly but may not know anything about preparing those meals as much as another member who is a talented chef; and that talented chef may not know about gathering ingredients for the dishes at an economical cost in the same way that a taxi-driver might.

All missions that are given to us through Jesus Christ usually require the involvement of a team of persons with varying skill sets and talents working together for one common goal.  The Bible says that each talent from each person is important to completing any job and especially the Lord’s work (Ephesians 02:10; 1 Peter 04:10 – 11).  As a body of Christ I pray that we strive to be like the owl; whereby it employs its many talents to help in his survival; so too can we bring together our many talents to praise God and bring others even closer to Him who is our hope and our salvation. Amen.

 

About This Blog

A team of nature-lovers who have come together to write about those things that we see happening naturally around the world which can help us to action the Word of God.  It is meant to enlighten, to initiate, in provide different perspectives, to inspire others whilst keeping the reading content to manageable bite sizes.  Leave your comments and questions below.  We would love to hear from you.

 

do not be afraid, I am

In another month and a half we will start the hurricane season. The season is a time of living on the edge. Yet, it is also a time of heightened preparation. In the midst of living on the edge and the preparation is the voice of the silent God in Jesus Christ who says, “do not be afraid, it is I” or more precisely “do not be afraid, I am.” In this latter sense, the reader is transported back to the liberation of the people of Israel in the book of Exodus. There God announces the divine name as I AM (Exodus 3). In the Gospel according to John Jesus is announced as the I am in chapter 6. Faced with a storm at sea the disciples surrendered to I AM and got to shore safely. In a similar way we too will be caught in the storms of life; not just during the hurricane season but throughout our lives. Trust in the presence of God, as the disciples did, while still working for peace and calm, is sufficient to get us safely through the storms of life.

 

Easter Vigil 2017

Visioning Prayer 2017

Almighty and ever-living God, ruler of all things in heaven and on earth, and by whose grace we have been called into a goodly fellowship of faith: Send down upon our bishops, other clergy, and all your faithful people an outpouring of your Holy Spirit for the renewal and mission of your Church. Give us a vision of where you would lead your Church, and so discern new things that you are doing in your Church and the world. By your grace, save us from unnecessary distractions, so that we may be able to determine your will for us, go forward perceiving that which is right, and have the courage to pursue the same, to the end that we may utilise the gifts which you have given to each of us for the furtherance of your will in simplicity, confidence and steadfastness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Collect for Independence

O God our Father, whose will it is that your people should live in ordered societies; inspire the people of this nation with the spirit of justice, truth and love; and so guide our leaders, and all who make decisions on our behalf, that they may direct our affairs in righteousness and peace; that we may live in peace and harmony and to your honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.
Amen.