Julie is a singer/songwriter and a published writer of prayer poems. Her heart is at all times to be open and loving, especially to the least, the last and the lost. In her home church she has a ministry in prayer and pastoring, and is also a mum to two lively young boys!
I love the “in between” bits in life. Those very ordinary days amidst the many plans, engagements, commitments and occasions. This song sprang up in one of those moments. Believe me, I wrote what I needed to hear! “What we have is enough” was penned as I had just survived another festive season. Christmas is always a time I intend to navigate better, only to find that once again I have exhausted myself with present planning, buying, wrapping, not to mention balancing everyone’s expectations, getting the home looking right, the food correct and the all the cards sent! So I find that I need to remind myself to “be”, to “breathe” and to enjoy the small moments! To feed my heart on the “in between” times in life and relax in the calm and intimacy that is there. To be “full” instead of falling into the snares of comparison, and to be kind to myself instead of feeling like I’ve not made everything happen.
May I embrace this treasure that is freely available. I don’t need the perfect house, family, party or meal to fill me up! What I long for is peace, security, fellowship, intimacy and rest. I hope this simple song helps to calm your heart in the way that it somehow calms mine!
What We Have Is Enough
What we have is enough All that riches and stuff it don’t mean All we think that it does When success is a bubble that blows Far away as we find That it’s drifted from sight
For what we have is enough All the castles we build crumble down As they’re made of mere dust Dare to stop and you’ll find the small things That we cherish are here Free to all, held so dear
Dream, breathe, shine The treasure that we seek, Is one our hearts can find Sing, walk, unwind The precious jewels of life Are hidden deep inside.
What we have is enough All we cherish and love is like gold Running deep within us And the more that we share it we find That it just multiplies Given love grows in size
As Christians we are asked to be the “Body of Christ”. This means we are called to work in close contact with others, to be the ones who engage with humanity at every level. This is a messy calling! It is not a setting apart from life, it’s about being called into participation! Every other soul I encounter is, like me, finding a path through the wonders of this world and navigating the impact of the fall of humanity. This means that human relationships will always be the place where the legacy of Christs sacrifice, and his loving grace has the most poignancy. This is especially true in our close relationships! These are the friendships where our true colours can be seen. These are the people who are around us when life is stressful – who navigate our weaknesses, our frustrations, and our anger.
This song flowed out of me after a “missed moment”. It is still a significant one for me, as I am still learning how to express my love. I find it hard to remember to say the little things that I really want to. Sometimes I freeze, and the moment passes without me seizing it in the way I want to! As my parents grow older, I do not want to miss out on saying the important things. I know I can be so grumpy with the children; I need to remember to say and remind them that I love them. So fond greetings, treasured goodbyes, and the courage to say how I feel is an area I am working on! I really hope that if you too find you “miss the moment” that this song might help to remind you to have courage in expressing your feelings, whether it’s in apology, an encouragement or “just some words of love each day”.
I Missed The Moment
I missed the moment And it’s a moment I can’t forget I missed the moment My body froze and I let it slip
So many words I throw away, so many things I’d rather say Just one touch would save the day, instead I lost the chance Again the moments fly so fast, I wish that I could make them last Long enough for me to say, just some words of love each day
I’ll take each moment For every moment brings promises I’ll take each moment Embrace the chance that we have to give
So I pledge to change my ways, and say the words it’s tough to say Practise each and every day, let my feelings show be brave So much we have to share, let you know how much I care Take each chance, seize each day, find some words of love today
I love you so, I love you so, I love you so, I love you so, I love you so, So I pledge to change my ways, and say the words it’s tough to say Practise each and every day, let my feelings show be brave I love you so, I love you so, I love you so
I’ll take each moment For every moment brings promises
We wanted to share with you the inspiration behind a track that we’ve recently released called “Freedom in Grace”. About a year and a half ago, just before the pandemic hit, I felt God was speaking to me, and to the world, through Isaiah 40 “A Comfort to God’s People”:
“Prepare the way of the LORD. Make his roads straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low, and the uneven will be made level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed…” (Isaiah 40:3b-5a, NHEB)
I felt that God wanted to proclaim hope and proclaim restoration to the lands and this song, this prophetic film and outpouring is a way of praying, a way of calling out and declaring that God is a God of restoration, God is a God of love and that He wants to pour out His Holy Spirit at this time to bring new blessing, new restoration into our hearts and our lives right across the world:
The landscape across the world is changing but God has chosen to work with us, not apart from us. And our prayers, petitions, actions and hearts all create landing space for the Holy Spirit to bring a new wave of restoration and healing across a broken world. We have all experienced the suffering together and our prayer is that we will all see the restoration together too.
“Freedom in Grace” is out now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
Freedom in Grace
Singing hope across the desert Singing healing for the broken Singing shelter for the lonely Singing life across the ruins Strength to lift the weary
Singing hope, singing life Singing freedom in grace Singing hope, singing life Singing freedom in grace
And the people rose to pray, hearts awakening they knelt down low each day Hands that couldn’t touch displayed, unity to build a deeper love again And the valleys laid with grief, filling gentle streams of grace and empathy And the mountains toil with fear, bowing low as voices join to intercede
Singing hope, singing life…
Barren land felt gentle rain, growing soft to hold new seeds of hope again From the ground such beauty came, rising up were Kingdom treasures free to reign And the light shone in the dark, chasing shadows to reveal the Father’s heart And the people rose to see, the Lord of heaven and all earth was now revealed
Singing hope, singing life…
New springs of life so fresh and full Soak tender shoots of Kingdom truth And rocky places smooth to lead Creating pathways, helping heal
Many of us have experienced walking with a loved one when they are going through hard times, be this through a physical battle with illness, an emotional chasm like grief, or a daily struggle with mental health issues. We are complex and fragile as people, made beautifully in the image of God, yet vunerable in so many ways as we navigate our way through a fallen world. “Soar” is about remaining beside those we love, about love holding on despite everything that happens and about trusting that hope will return. It can be an extremely hard journey to stay close when the one we care for instinctively wants to shut down or push us away. It can be challenging to speak in hope when all we see is devastation, or to faithfully pick up a friend’s broken pieces each day. Yet by God’s grace and power we can care for those who are falling apart and help in their rebuilding.
I suspect we would all remember times when others have been there in this way for us and we know we could not have made it through the hard times without them. Yet we must remember that as followers of Christ, there is an “X factor”, another ingredient to what we offer and hold out to others. Because of this our gifts have great worth, huge impact and eternal beauty! For we see each person we encounter as a child of God, wonderfully made, worthy, and unique. We see them through the Fathers eyes. So, we can faithfully love, cherish, and keep them close knowing that the Holy Spirit is in team with us. He will move within their lives, both in this life and beyond into eternity. We can be certain that there will be freedom, restoration, and new life.
Soar
If you are frozen I’ll be an ocean Lapping at the waves of your heart Lovingly I’ll move and impart Ripples of new hope in the hurt Breaking waves of love will be heard
I’ll keep you safe, I’ll keep you close For you’re the one that I adore And we will rest within the truth In time will fly again and soar In time will soar
If you are broken I’ll be a potion Pouring out a softness that mends Picking up the pieces my friend Keeping safe the you that I love I’ll restore the treasure you are Treasure you are
I’ll keep you safe, I’ll keep you close… You will be free, will be free, you will be free (repeated) You will be, you will be, you will be, you will be, free.
As followers of Christ death is not something we avoid or ignore. It is a fundamental brick on which our whole faith life is built around. This cornerstone is the death and resurrection of Jesus! The end of my life on earth, I believe, will be a continuation of the redemptive love I walk in now. It will be an extension of the restoration going on in my heart, a continuation of the bread I receive from Heaven every day.
Remarkably, I am carrying within my being a little piece of eternity! The Holy Spirit has been released into our hearts and souls, God’s redemptive seed has been sown into the lives of all those who believe. I have become overwhelmingly reliant on this truth when I have been grieving dear friends who have sadly died far too early. As I have waited to visit them, maybe for the last time, I’ve cried out with my spirit come Lord! Come through me Jesus! Be here with these beautiful hurting people. I have with a trembling heart walked beside family and friends in their suffering, wanting so desperately to rescue them and believing with a passion that they deserve so much more. I hope that as I have held their hands and spoken the only words I could find, that they may have seen Jesus not me.
“Eternity is Always Close” is out now on all major digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
“Eternity is Always Close” was written after the loss of a beautiful friend whom I miss dearly. It is a song of comfort, a song that reminds me of the promises before us all. So much of creation speaks to us of renewal. I think of the seed that holds everything needed to create a majestic tree, or a melody that rises to surpass the words that are within it and create a glorious connection across humanity. God’s unconditional love is the real treasure and we as his sons and daughters are living, breathing, grace filled love! We carry the promise of eternity within us and we give this hope out to others. Then as we grieve and come to terms with our loss, we can be comforted by the promise of new life. A life that awaits us all beyond death, where we will soar with freedom, leaving behind illness and isolation, united with Christ forever. I hope the words in this song might resonate with you on your journey of grief and eternal love.
Eternity is Always Close
The treasure’s safe the love and care the laughter shared You’re so unique you make me smile So this is not goodbye As I know you’ll fly
I’m with you every single day my heart will pray Your soul is woven in with mine Into heaven’s perfect time So I know you’ll fly, wherever you may be
Fly, wherever you may be Fly, wherever you may be Fly, wherever you may be, fly
Eternity is always close it’s there in every single note It’s whispered on a gentle breeze And every touch and in the smallest seed So I know you’ll fly, wherever you may be
Fly, wherever you may be…
And may you soar above the cloudy skies And open your eyes To see the world from heaven’s gentle gaze My songbird of praise
It is so important to nurture the presence of God’s Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, the one who wraps wings of protection around us when we are vulnerable. He is our teacher, illuminating truth so that we can see and understand his beautiful ways. And He is our healer, binding our wounds and covering us in His restorative power. As we become in tune with the ways in which He is moving, we learn, we grow, we rest, and we see more clearly. As Jesus said “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.” (John 14:16-17)
Receiving
the Holy Spirit Is a life transforming moment yet walking in spirit and truth
is a conscious choice we make each day. Our mission in life is to find out where the Spirit
is at work, and to join in! Let our passion be to create landing space in the
world around us for Him to minister the grace and peace of Christ. As we do
this we become the very hands and feet, the voice and touch of Jesus to a needy
world. What a remarkable invitation God offers each of us! May your celebration
of Pentecost this year be a beautiful reminder that we go not in our own
strength but empowered by the very one who sent us. As we invite the Holy Spirit
afresh into our lives and hearts, may we fan into flame the gift of God which
longs to be at work within each of us.
Come Living Lord
Come living Lord, live within our hearts, For you are welcome here. Come like a gentle dove, settle us with your grace and peace. We welcome your Spirit’s presence to calm us. Come like a mighty wind, roaring with power from on high. We welcome your Spirit’s freedom to move deeply in us. Come like an untamed fire, raging with holiness. We welcome your Spirit’s beauty to burn brightly through us. Come living Lord. Come this day, this hour, this moment For you are welcome here. Come living Lord. Come this day, this hour, this moment For you are truly welcome here.
This is a very different Easter time for many of us across
the world. Just like Jesus’s disciples after they had witnessed his death, we
face uncertainty, fear and sorrow. Yet as we take time to pause and reflect, we
shall unearth new treasures of Kingdom value. They will hold a fresh message,
anointing and significance for us all. Everything changed the day when Jesus
rose from death to eternal life. The same Spirit that released Christ from the
grave is now available as a free gift to us all!
This Easter prayer film seeks to capture that truth, that miracle, and that promise. We hope that faith will arise within your hearts and God will hold you safe in your sorrows and lift your eyes unto heaven. We ask for unity to strengthen us all at this time and create new ground for God’s Kingdom to flow in fresh and amazing ways:
It’s possible to download this film in HD for a small sum by following this link.
Here are the words to the prayer in this film:
Easter Prayer
Loving Lord,
today we remember
the veil of darkness
transforming to the brightest light.
The most
dreadful end
becoming the most beautiful beginning.
We remember with
trembling hearts
the depths of despair
fading to reveal hope everlasting.
The curse of
death
defeated by eternal life.
Today we remember with thankfulness
your willingness to be pierced for our sins.
We sing with
abounding joy,
of your miraculous rise,
from death’s
tomb to resplendent life.
Thank you for
the promise of heaven
and your generous invitation of eternal life for all.
Peace is so important to our hearts, our minds and our bodies, so coming before God will always bring more peace into our lives. It’s important that we take time with our prayers, because God knows that we need to slow down, we need to still our minds, we need to our rest hearts, and then we’ll enter into the inner sanctuary of His love. So let’s prayer together now:
Short prayer for peace and protection
Dear Father, we come before you our Lord, Saviour and friend. We journey with you through every season of our lives. Thank you that you hear every prayer and petition of our hearts. We lay out before you the great trouble we feel, the stresses we are under, the losses we have endured, the burdens we carry and the doubts and fears that can consume us. You hold each of us in your care. You remain, you abide with us and within us. We are always safe in your care. Amen.
Prayer
for peace and comfort
Come dress us Lord in comfort. Give us new shoes, so that our
feet might tread steadily across this difficult life terrain. Give us new
clothes, so that our vulnerabilities are covered and our souls protected at
this turbulent time. Give us a new crown, perfect to our size, unique and real,
one that reminds us of who we are in this season.
Come shower us Lord with peace. Cleanse us with grace, may
it fall softly upon each moment, bringing restoration in these harsh days. Come
shower us Lord with peace. Refresh us with hope, may clean dew pour into every
shadow of despair that we endure. Come shower us Lord with peace. Refill us
with faith, may it overflow in our souls and rise high in our hearts.
Lord, thank you that you are our comfort and our peace. Amen.
God, I am crying out for help in this difficult time. Help me to find some light in this darkness. Lift my eyes to see even the faintest glimmer of hope And hold tight to you.
Lord, you are beside me, stay close today. Surround me with your love. Help me to remember your goodness and trust in your saving grace. May my tears turn to joy And may your light flood this soul. For surely you are my saviour, My friend, and my guide. Amen.
Prayer
for Peace and Comfort
Lord God, You promise the peace of a still lake Even in the midst of a storm. You promise the peace of a slumbering child Even in the middle of tension and disagreement. You promise the peace of a poppy field Even in the place of heartbreak and devastation. Your promise is a peace that surpasses our human understanding. So I choose to rest by the still waters, to lie down and rest amongst the poppies. Your resurrection declared peace over trauma, power over death, and life everlasting. I trust in you.
It’s been a real privilege to join with you in prayer. Please do leave your prayers in the comments below so that others can join with you. There are many more films and prayers on this site about receiving God’s peace. Here’s one you can watch now:
And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hands.
When we work, we serve God. No matter what our occupation we
contribute daily to the ongoing work of His Spirit. It can be daunting when we
feel the stress of responsibility, the fatigue of physical tiredness or the
fear of the unknown and yet God longs to journey with us, to help us through our
daily working lives.
Here is a list of prayers to help when we need protection at
work:
Short Prayer for Protection in the Workplace
Abba Father, you are the author and creator of life. It is
all held within your care, from beginning to end. We thank you for Your
presence, for the strength it brings and the protection it gives us. We pray
now as we anticipate our working day. We give you our concerns, our anxieties
and responsibilities. Please come and bring reassurance into our hearts, minds
and souls. Amen.
Prayer for Protection at Work
Lord God, come be our protector as we work today. Enfold us with wisdom as we seek to serve. Cover us with gentleness as we engage with each situation we face. Fill us with courage to solve the problems and negotiate the difficulties. Shower us with hope, that we might go boldly in your strength, knowing you are behind us and before us. Lord, come and walk ever closer by our side. Thank you that you are our guardian and protector. Amen.
Short Prayer before Starting Work
O Lord, meet me today in the ordinary rhythms of my working life. I invite you to come and breathe your life into mine. Come, may your love fill this heart and may it overflow into the lives of others. May your hope well up inside me and bring new vision for my life. And may your truth light up my reactions and decisions. May this ordinary day become extraordinary because of you. Amen.
Prayer for Peace and Comfort
Lord God, you promise the peace of a still lake even in the midst of a storm. You promise the peace of a slumbering child even in the middle of tension and disagreement. You promise the peace of a poppy field even in the place of heartbreak and devastation. Your promise is a peace that surpasses our human understanding. So I choose to rest by the still waters, to lie down and rest amongst the poppies. Your resurrection declared peace over trauma, power over death, and life everlasting. I trust in you.
It’s been great to join together in prayer with you today. I know that God would want to say “thank you” for the work that you are about to do. Here is another film which you might want to watch before you begin work:
If you’ve not subscribed to Prayerscapes, then please do! But until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hands.
We all need vision. We all need to be able to look forwards and feel hope arise in our hearts. So if you are in a place where your vision has faded a little, where you are not sure of the next steps, or if you are finding it hard to look forward with certainty and hope, I stand alongside you today and seek to help you in bringing about change and renewal. Life is multifaceted, it is complex! We live in the beauty of God’s intention for us but also the fall of the world. For some of us, we are seeking God for a specific area of our lives but for others there may be a significant reason for a general loss of vision. This can occur for many different reasons such as illness, grief, disappointment, hurt, conflict, confusion and doubt. These are all vision suppressors. So how do we pray to God at these times? How can we move to a place where there is revelation, renewal and change? I thought I would share with you a three-step creative exercise that I find useful in these times. Hopefully this will help you to hear from God for your life as well.
1. Firstly, it’s important to be really honest before God. Come
to him just as you are, you need not pretend to be anything. Find a time where you
can be self-aware and God-aware, a peaceful moment in the home, a long walk or a
drive in the car. Be truthful and admit to yourself and your heavenly Father
how you feel! Talk to Him about the areas of your life you need new vision in. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you unpack your
feelings, your uncertainties, and your options. Take your time, be gentle and
kind to yourself. It might be a while before you can search out what you are
really facing or asking for direction in. One helpful way to record these
feelings is to draw out a big question mark, then write how you feel,
your confusion, the possible different pathways or just the words ”I need to
hear you!” on the inside. This helps to frame our reality not in stone but as
a question. I find this opens the door to the possibility of revelation and of change,
and new vision.
2. The second thing to do is to draw a dream cloud, then write or draw in there a picture of where you hope your life could be. God works with us and through us, not despite of us or by force. We are taught to pray Abba Father, and like any dad would, God wants us to dream! However, also like any father would, he wants our dreams to move, evolve and change, so that they come alive with His kingdom heart. He wants our dreams to be real and achievable, so that we find contentment and peace. Sometimes we hold onto an ideal in our minds and will not let go! We allow ourselves to compare our lives to a dream ideal, always falling short. It’s only human to measure our lives in this way. However, we are taught by Jesus “do not worry about tomorrow”(Matthew 6:34). We are taught to take each day as it comes. The truth is God can give us vision wherever we are, whatever the landscape looks like, whatever the time or season is in our lives, and whatever obstacles lie before us.
3. Lastly, write in multi-colour! You have a chance
to dream afresh at this moment in your life, so lay out your question mark, and
your dream cloud. Now take some coloured pens, pencils or paint and get ready
to put down afresh your Fathers’ insights! In this moment listen to your heart
and thank God for your life! Listen to the sounds around you and thank God for
the place you are in today. Now dwell upon all that you hold, every aspect of
your life and commit these things to God. The truth is that our dreams are the
vehicle for God’s dreams! So, begin to write in colour this time for your hopes
in work, in relationships, in finances, in leisure time and in ministry. For
those who have been robbed of vision by a life storm this might be hard, so
just begin by writing in colour one thing that might be a small hope for
tomorrow, even if it’s just a nap! Or maybe it’s just a moment to relax, watch
telly, a hug, or a new novel to enjoy. It’s OK to both start small and it’s
also OK to go big! Get a promotion, fall in love, feel well! Now ask God what
he would want for you……sense his peace, let yourself see what God sees.
See your life illuminated by hope and possibility!
I must confess, I’ve not always been able to do this when in
a dark place. Just wait it out…. give yourself grace…. then the moment you feel
things clear a little have a go at waiting on God in this way. We are children
of the living God. He will lead us through our lives and through death into new
life so don’t allow vision to leave you for too long. Come as you are to the Creator
of the universe and ask for renewal. I often pray ahead and ask that when I am
near to the end of my earthly life, that I would be given a vision for my life
in heaven. I imagine there will be all kinds of new colours to paint and new
instruments to hear, and so many wonderful things to turn my hand to!
So to sum up, try these three steps out. Begin by being
honest with God and try writing a question mark and making a note of how
you feel and anything that you find confusing at the moment. Then draw a dream
cloud and write in it what you are dreaming for. Finally, change your pen
and write around this cloud in multi-colour the different things that
you are hoping for.
Do feel free to comment below on your experiences on hearing
from God. We would love to read them and for you to share them with this
community here. Don’t forget to subscribe to us if you haven’t yet, and until
next time, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
latest from the blog
What We Have Is Enough
I love the “in between” bits in life. Those very ordinary days amidst the many plans, engagements, commitments and occasions. This song sprang up in one of those moments. Believe me, I wrote what I needed to hear! “What we have is enough” was penned as I had just survived another festive season. Christmas is Read More
I Missed The Moment
As Christians we are asked to be the “Body of Christ”. This means we are called to work in close contact with others, to be the ones who engage with humanity at every level. This is a messy calling! It is not a setting apart from life, it’s about being called into participation! Every other Read More
Freedom in Grace
We wanted to share with you the inspiration behind a track that we’ve recently released called “Freedom in Grace”. About a year and a half ago, just before the pandemic hit, I felt God was speaking to me, and to the world, through Isaiah 40 “A Comfort to God’s People”: “Prepare the way of the Read More
