The Prayer Garden

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.
Music – ‘Open Ended’ by Keston Wright.
Prayer – Will Sorrell

________

Almighty God, Giver of Work and Rest,
I awake, and I am with you.
My commute is a trudge from bed to desk,
a stepping over toys and garments,
feet that feel like miles.
Ready my body to face unfamiliar tasks in this familiar place.
My eyes are prone to wander alone.
My ears are prone to hear my flesh over your Spirit.
My lips are prone to curse and lash.
My fingers and back are prone to cramp and complain.
My nose is prone to forget that every breath comes from you.
Let my eyes keep watch with you with care.
Let my ears hear the birds raise their carols to you.
Let my lips be patient on conference calls and voicemails.
Let my fingers and back find relaxation under tension.
Let my nose relish the home-brewed tea and remember.
O omnipotent and omnipresent Carpenter,
you who fashioned the lumber of the land,
you who breathed life into us from the dust,
you who are crafting this world anew,
build in me a confidence that I am your temple.
Make my heart believe that you are intersecting
the heavens and the earth in my very being.

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Psalm 139.
Music – ‘To bring you back’ by Birds of Norway.
Prayer – St Aquinas.

________

Creator of all things,
true Source of light and wisdom,
lofty origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of Your brilliance
penetrate into the darkness of my understanding
and take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of both sin and ignorance.
Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory,
and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.

Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations, and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in completion; through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Psalm 23.
Music – ‘Crocus’  by Jacob Pavek.
Prayer –  St John Damascene

________

O Christ, my God,
You stooped down to me, poor straying sheep,
to take me on Your shoulders and have set me down in green pastures…

Lord, lighten the heavy burden of those sins of mine that have gravely offended You, purify my mind and heart.
Lead me by the right way as by a light enlightening me.
Enable me to proclaim Your word boldly, may Your Spirit’s tongue of flame give perfect freedom to my tongue and make me constantly attentive to Your presence.

Be a shepherd to me, O Lord and together with me, be the shepherd of Your sheep, that my heart may not cause me to swerve either to right or to left.
Let Your good Spirit lead me in the right way, that my actions may be carried out,
according to Your will – even to the end.”

Amen

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Psalm 113.
Music – ‘Reminiscing’  by Yehezkel Raz.
Prayer –  A prayer of Dietrich Bonhoeffer while he was imprisoned by the Nazi Regime

________

God, to you I call early in the morning.
Help me pray and gather my thoughts to yourself. 
I can’t do it alone. In me, it is dark, but with you is the light.
I’m lonely but you don’t forsake me
I’m faint-hearted, but with you is help
I am restless, but with you is peace
In me is bitterness, but with you is patience
I don’t understand my way, but you know the way for me.
Father in heaven, praise and thanks be yours for the night’s rest.
Praise and thanks be yours for the new day
Praise and thanks be yours for all the kindness and faithfulness in my past life. 
You have shown me so much good, let me now receive from you what is hard. 
You will not lay upon me more than I can bear.
For your children you let all things serve for the best.
Lord Jesus Christ, you were poor and miserable, captive and forsaken as I am. 
You know every need of humans, you remain with me. 
When no-one stands by me you don’t forget me and you seek me out.
I will recognise you and turn to you. Lord I hear your call and follow, help me! 
Holy Spirit give me faith that rescues me from despair, addiction, and vice,
Give me the love for God and humans that destroys all hate and bitterness
Give me the hope that frees me from fear and despondency…
Grant me freedom again, and let me live in the present so I can live responsibly.
Lord, whatever else this day brings,
May your name be praised. 
Amen 

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Revelation 22.
Music – ‘Equinox’ by Kevin Graham.
Prayer –  A prayer adapted from The Last Battle by CS Lewis.

________

Lord Jesus, 
You are great and beautiful - no words can describe you. You are the real thing. Give us hope and faith to believe that we will see you face to face. That we will stand under your sky and smell the sweetness of your land. 
We will come home at last. To our real country where we belong. To the place we have been looking for all our lives. 
Our lives in this world and all the adventures we experienced are only the cover and the title page of the great story you have in store for us. Lord, we can’t wait to begin Chapter One of that great story. which no-one on earth has read, which goes one forever,  in which every chapter is better than the one before.

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Revelation 21.
Music – “Equinox” by Kevin Graham.
Prayer - A Prayer adapted from “The day that He returns” by Evan Wickham.

________

Beyond the borders of the soul, there flows a river fast and free
It rushes in swallows whole and carries loved ones out to sea
with broken hearts and faith filled eyes help us search for hope behind the hurt
Oh Lord, lead us as we grieve, believing we will see the day that You return

Though in this moment we may weep, the grave is not the final word
The song that spread the skies will make our bodies rise, the day that You return

I know the pain will fade away and peace will rule the years
But I need you now to help me see farther than the tears. 

Creation waits with baited breath for heaven’s heart to be revealed 
When all your children rise from death, and all the universe is healed
Your family from everywhere will gather in the open air 
To welcome Jesus home, his fire in our bones, the day that He returns 
United with our own to know as we are known, 
Oh how our Spirits yearn for the day that you return.

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Genesis 3:1-10 – 3:21-24.
Music – ‘Seasons’ by Jacob Pavek.
Prayer – St Anselm.

________

Give me, Lord Jesus, in the exile of sin, the grace to eat the bread of tears and sorrow;To offer the sacrifice of a humble spirit, the broken contrite heart you do not despise Accept my prayer, though I have sinned against you, wipe away my transgressions.Strengthen the weak effort of my love to do your will. Rouse my heart and mind out of their sleep, And by the great fire of your love, kindle in me an ardent longing for the light of your presence.
Amen

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Genesis 2:2-9.
Prayer – A prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours.

________

Spirit of God, on the waste and the darkness
hovering in power as creation began
Drawing forth beauty from clay and from chaos
breathing God’s life in the nostrils of man

Come and sow life in the waste of our being,
pray in us, form us as children in the Son
Open our hearts to yourself, mighty Spirit
bear us to life in the Three who are one

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Psalm 84.
Music – ‘Reverencia’ by Alice In Winter.
Prayer – adapted from the words of Henri Nouwen.

________

Lord, I stand 
Here in Your presence.
Here with mind and heart together,
Here as my undivided self.
Here Your Holy Spirit dwells,
Here the great encounter takes place.
Here may your heart speak to my heart.
Lord, I stand 
Here in your presence.
Amen.

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Prayer Garden is a podcast from St Peter’s Bethnal Green to help you meet with God and pray for the world.

Reading – Psalm 77.
Music – ‘The way things were’ by Kevin Graham.
Prayer – A prayer from Richard of Chichester.

________

Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the gifts which you have given to me. 
For all the pains and insults you have borne for me
O most merciful redeemer, friend, and brother, 
May I see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly,
Day by day
Amen

________

We are an eclectic church community at the heart of East London which worships Jesus in scripture, Spirit, and the sacraments. We hope to be a safe haven to whoever steps through our doors.

Although our church building is currently closed, we hope that we can meet you in many ways, including through this podcast.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.