Pray As You Go - Daily Prayer

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Monday 26 January 2026 - Do not be ashamed Jan 26, 2026

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Monday 26 January 2026

Today is Monday the 26th of January, the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, in the 3rd week of Ordinary Time. Bifrost Arts sing, ‘Wisdom and Grace’. As you listen, become aware of the consoling presence of Christ in your life – which could be at work this very moment… Teach us to number our days That we may apply our hearts to Your ways O! Teach us to number our days with wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace. Wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace You've been our home and our dwelling our place in all generations. Before the earth or the mountains were formed, Lord, You were God. Teach us to number our days That we may apply our hearts to Your ways O! Teach us to number our days with wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace. Wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace Now the span of our lives, It is made of sorrow and labour As the days pass away like the grass How soon we are gone. Teach us to number our days That we may apply our hearts to Your ways O! Teach us to number our days with wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace. Wisdom and grace Let the work of our hands bring you praise, set Your favour upon us. O establish the work of our hands, May Your kingdom come! Teach us to number our days That we may apply our hearts to Your ways O! Teach us to number our days with wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace. Wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. Can you receive Paul’s message to Timothy as a message to you now, the message of ‘grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord’? If you can, then how does that leave you feeling? Imagine if someone affirmed your faith, like this, as ‘sincere faith’. How would you feel? Encouraged? Embarrassed? And if those words were spoken directly to you, that ‘you have a gift of God that is within you’ – a gift that you can rekindle – what would you want to do about it? Might all this be true? Might all of those “ifs” in fact be true? As you listen again to the reading, think about that, that all of these words may also be meant for you, now. 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. The reading tells us that our calling and the gifts we receive are freely given by God, not created by us, or earned, or deserved by our efforts. What gift – that you have not earned – do you feel the desire to ask for from God? Pray for it in your own words. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Sunday 25 January 2026 - God's promises Jan 25, 2026

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Sunday 25 January 2026

Today is Sunday the 25th of January, beginning the 3rd week of Ordinary Time. The Corydon Singers, conducted by Matthew Best, sing Cantique de Jean Racine by Fauré, a hymn to the invincible power and utter goodness of God, whose fire lights up the darkness, whose grace overcomes all evil. As I enter into prayer today, I trust myself to that grace, to that powerful goodness. I place myself in the hands of my loving God. (Lyrics currently unavailable) Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 8:23-9:3 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. A month ago, it was Christmas Day, and we had just completed a month of Advent, listening to God’s promises through his prophets. Now, moving forward, we hear one of the greatest of those promises repeated. What’s your own first reaction to hearing good news of this kind? Notice that it’s those who live and walk in darkness who are the first to come forward into the light. What resonance might that have in your own life at the moment? What is it like to move from darkness into light, as a new day dawns, or you switch on a lamp? Find an image that captures this feeling for you. The last few lines of the passage speak repeatedly of joy and rejoicing. As you hear these words read now for a second time, allow yourself to be open to receiving this joy as a gift from God. Isaiah 8:23-9:3 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. You might like to finish this prayer by simply basking quietly in God’s light. Or perhaps it has stirred in you words that you want to bring to God. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Saturday 24 January 2026 - Lights and shadows Jan 24, 2026

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Saturday 24 January 2026

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Our readings this week have described both highs and lows in the ministry of Jesus. Great crowds have followed him, hanging on his words. He has taught and healed and confronted evil. But he has also been repeatedly opposed and attacked, often by those religious leaders he might have expected to welcome him. Today’s time of prayer invites you to recall the highs and lows, lights and shadows, of your own life this week. Start by taking a moment to become aware that God is with you here and now. Ask God, in your own words, to become increasingly aware of God with you throughout this week, alongside you wherever you have been. Notice, first, where things have gone well for you. What is there, as you recall it, that it would be obviously worthwhile to thank God for? Spend a while in quiet thanksgiving. Now recall some of the lows, the shadow times. What leads you to think of them in that way? And from where you are now, in this time of prayer, are you perhaps able to see God present and working even in some of these difficult moments? How would you describe your own response to God’s presence in your different experiences this week? Speak to God for a little while now about this. Lastly, look forward to the week ahead. No doubt it will have its own lights and shadows. What do you most need to ask God for as you move forward into these days? Make that request of God now. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Friday 23 January 2026 - He appointed the twelve Jan 23, 2026

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Friday 23 January 2026

Today is Friday the 23rd of January, in the 2nd week of Ordinary Time. The community of Taizé sing Toi, tu nous aimes. “You love us, Lord, source of life.” As you listen, remember that you are in the presence of God right now, that God is looking on you now with love and has called you by name. (Lyrics currently unavailable) Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 3:13-19 [Jesus] went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. In all the prompts to prayer offered so far this week, Jesus has been at the forefront of the action. Now he steps back, inviting his closest followers to carry on his work in his name. Can you imagine yourself being sent out in that way? What’s that like? Jesus gives some of his friends nicknames, that tell us something about them. Simon is Peter, rock-solid; James and John are fiery “sons of thunder”. What nickname might he give you, when he has called you to him? Listen out, as the passage is read again, for what the Twelve are being sent out to do, and what authority they are given for the task. Mark 3:13-19 [Jesus] went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Speak, finally, to Jesus of those who brought the good news of his message to you, and what it has meant in your own life. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Thursday 22 January 2026 - You are the Son of God Jan 22, 2026

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Thursday 22 January 2026

Today is Thursday the 22nd of January, in the 2nd week of Ordinary Time. Today we hear ‘O Lord, Listen to my Prayer’, by Margaret Rizza. As you begin to pray today, what is on your mind? And what is in your heart? Are you feeling happy with life? Calm? Serene? Or perhaps tired, frustrated, fed up? God knows you better than you know yourself, so you can be honest with God about your feelings, and place yourself now, as you really are, before the Lord. O Lord, listen to my prayer My prayer as I call to you Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 3:7-12 Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he sternly ordered them not to make him known. As today’s time of prayer starts, join this great crowd who are intent on hearing all that Jesus is doing. What’s the atmosphere like among these excited people? One thing drawing so many to Jesus is his reputation as someone with a healing touch. Where do you, or where does someone you know, most need that healing today? What do you make of the fact that it is the unclean spirits who seem to recognise most clearly the truth of who Jesus is? As you hear the words of the gospel again, do what you can to stay with this noisy and expectant crowd. Mark 3:7-12 Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he sternly ordered them not to make him known. For the last part of this prayer, let Jesus take you to one side, alone with him, and tell him whatever is in your mind and heart at this moment. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Wednesday 21 January 2026 - Stretch out your hand Jan 21, 2026

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Wednesday 21 January 2026

Today is Wednesday the 21st of January, the feast of Saint Agnes, in the 2nd week of Ordinary Time. One Hope Project sings, ‘My Soul Rests’. Let this song carry you into the presence of God today... Here in this mystery, here in Your majesty I find myself With nothing to offer, Your love surrounds me You give me Yourself My soul rests, my soul rests, in Your embrace My spirit sings, my spirit sings all Your praise Here in Your presence, the whole host of heaven Bows down low There's no higher honour, no love that's greater You make us Your own My soul rests, my soul rests, in Your embrace My spirit sings, my spirit sings all Your praise My soul rests, my soul rests, in Your embrace My spirit sings, my spirit sings all Your praise You're so close, Jesus, so close to me Like the breath in my lungs You're so close, Jesus, so close to me Like the breath in my lungs Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 3:1-6 Again [Jesus] entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Start with the man with the withered hand. How do you imagine he is feeling at the start of this story, as he sees Jesus entering the synagogue? And at the end, with his hand restored, how does he feel? How, as you see the outcome of what Jesus has done, does the healed man react? This could have been simply a story of a great deed done for a needy individual. But once again, it provokes the Pharisees to an ever-growing opposition. What is it, do you think, that makes them so opposed to what seems initially to be so great a blessing? Hearing the passage again, pay particular attention to Jesus’s reaction at different points. Mark 3:1-6 Again [Jesus] entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. What, finally, might you say to this angry and grieving Jesus? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Tuesday 20 January 2026 - The sabbath was made for humankind Jan 20, 2026

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Tuesday 20 January 2026

Today is Tuesday the 20th of January, in the 2nd week of Ordinary Time. Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing: ‘You will make my heart pure’. A pure heart is a heart that is open to God, that doesn’t seek its own advantage, but wants whatever God wants. As I enter into prayer today, I ask for that openness of heart. I ask the Lord to lead my heart to him, to guide me in the way he wants me to go (Lyrics currently unavailable) Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 2:23-28 One sabbath [Jesus] was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’ For the second day running, Jesus is under attack. Yesterday, his disciples upset the Pharisees by not fasting. Today they are neglecting time-honoured Sabbath observances. What is it in particular about him, do you consider, that is annoying Jesus’s opponents? And what do you make of the way that Jesus appeals here to the example of King David and his followers? This account builds to a climax with the declaration “The sabbath was made for humankind”. When and how do you find this Sabbath rest in your own life? As the passage is read again, try to get a deeper sense of how Jesus regards the Pharisees in readings like this. Mark 2:23-28 One sabbath [Jesus] was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’ Speak, finally, to the “Lord of the Sabbath” about whatever has most struck you here – the condemning Pharisees, the hungry disciples, the self-assured Jesus, or your own place in this debate. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Monday 19 January 2026 - New wineskins Jan 19, 2026

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Monday 19 January 2026

Today is Monday the 19th of January, in the 2nd week of Ordinary Time. Eliza King sings, ‘All Things New’. As you begin this time of prayer, allow yourself to be refreshed by God... You break like the light of the sun Bringing colour to shadows Christ, it was you all along You’re the words of an ancient song, we’ve been singing Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new You rise, as the bright morning star We were blind but we see you now The light of the world here with us You’re a fire making holy ground, by your spirit Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new You’re the treasure of the ages Sought for generations How the prophets longed to see what we have seen You’re the final word incarnate Leaping from the pages You’re the burning heart behind the mystery Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 2:18-22 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to [Jesus], ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. ‘No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.’ Many think they know what holy people should be like. That’s as true in Jesus’s day as it is in our own. And they can then be quick to reject those who don’t live up to their expectations. How do you hear this question about fasting that is put to Jesus? Is it an innocent enquiry, seeking knowledge? Or a barely-concealed attack on Jesus and his followers? What part, if any, does fasting play in your own response to God? If it’s important to you, why is that? And if it’s not, then why might that be? We’re only in the second chapter of Mark’s gospel here, and already Jesus is conscious of a time when he’ll be “taken away” from his disciples. Recall for a few moments times when you’ve experienced the absence of God, of Jesus, in your own life. Notice, as the passage is read again, the way that Jesus insists on new wine being put into new wineskins. If the “new wine” is his teaching, what “new wineskins” are you able to present so that you can receive what he offers? Mark 2:18-22 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to [Jesus], ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. ‘No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.’ As this time of prayer draws to a close, share with Jesus whatever you will be taking away from it. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Sunday 18 January 2026 - My God has become my strength Jan 18, 2026

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Sunday 18 January 2026

Today is Sunday the 18th of January, beginning the 2nd week of Ordinary Time. The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing: Ego vos elegi. ‘I have chosen you out of the world, so that you might go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last.’ As you listen to this chant, take a moment to remind yourself that God calls you, calls you by your name. However unsuitable or unworthy you may think you are, God has chosen you. Ego vos elegi de mundo, ut eatis, et fructum afferatis: et fructus vester maneat, alleluia. Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— he says, ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ God calls each one of us in a particular way. He called John the Baptist; he called Mary; more recently he has called well-known figures like Oscar Romero and Mother Teresa, and lots of people we’ve probably never heard of. How do you feel about this idea of each person’s personal call from God? How do you feel about God’s personal love for you, and God’s personal call to you? What might that call be? As you hear these words of Isaiah again, remember that God wants us to be glad and confident about this shaping and moulding of our lives. Through these words, can you hear God telling you something specific, perhaps about your relationship with him? Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— he says, ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ “I will give you as a light to the nations.” Think for a moment about your own friendships and acquaintances and experiences – about how God has put you in touch with a unique network of people and places. Speak to God about your own situation. Ask for God’s help in living out his calling. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Saturday 17 January 2026 - Persistence, perseverance and great faith Jan 17, 2026

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Saturday 17 January 2026

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Prepare yourself for prayer today by focussing on your breath…take a few deep breaths in…and then a few releasing breaths out. Notice how the change in breath brings stillness and an awareness of God’s presence. Cast your mind back over the week… we have heard of lives changed through persistence, perseverance and great faith. At the beginning of a new year it may be that these qualities may be part of your resolutions for the future. Take a moment to recall your responses to the week’s reflections. Is there a particular moment God is drawing you to remember? Notice what rises to the surface naturally… allow the moment to reveal itself … Do you notice any tensions, lack of understanding or frustration? Allow these moments to be witnessed… Where, in the prayer journey of the week, have you found an opening of the heart or sense of revelation or relationship? Is there something you would wish to be part of this new year journey? Again, notice what arises naturally… Looking forward, what would you like to ask God for, to find movement in your prayer life and practice? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

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