MONDAY
I PRAY YOU HAD A GOOD WEEKEND. HERE’S A BRAND-NEW WEEK WITH A BRAND-NEW
DEVOTIONAL TO SET US ON OUR WAY. GOD BLESS.
23rd June – Morning all… There are times in life when trouble finds us uninvited. We’re going about our
days when suddenly the phone rings, the news drops, or the weight of it all simply becomes too heavy. In
those moments, it’s easy to feel isolated – like no one truly understands what we’re facing. But Scripture
gently reminds us of a powerful truth: “The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort… comforts
us in all our troubles.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4) Not just some. Not just the ones that make sense or the ones
we handle well. All of them. God sees the situations we don’t talk about and feels the emotions we try to
suppress, and His response is always compassion. He doesn’t just soothe us so we can move on.
There’s a purpose in His comfort: “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we
ourselves receive from God.” That means your story matters. The way God meets you in the valley
becomes part of how He reaches someone else through you. Your experience becomes a testimony,
your healing becomes a gift, and your scars become reminders of His faithfulness. So, if you’re in a hard
place right now, take heart – God is not only with you, but He is equipping you with a deeper compassion,
one that can speak life and hope to others. And if you’ve come through a difficult season, look around:
there may be someone nearby who needs exactly what God gave you. Today, let His faithfulness in your
life become a light for someone else’s path.
Revd Mark Spiers
TUESDAY
REV MARK REMINDS ME OF AN OLD HYMN:
‘I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR, MOST GRACIOUS LORD:
NO TENDER VOICE LIKE THINE CAN PEACE AFFORD.
I NEED THEE, O I NEED THEE!
EVERY HOUR I NEED THEE;
O BLESS ME NOW MY SAVIOUR!
I COME TO THEE.’ (MP 288)
24th June – Morning all… There’s something oddly comforting about the routines we form in times of
uncertainty – morning coffee, a familiar song, the click of the kettle or hearing the toaster pop can offer a
strange sense of normal. These little rituals are anchors. They help us feel grounded. They whisper,
“You’ve been here before. You’ll get through this too.” But even routines can’t always steady us when life
becomes chaotic, when the diagnosis is serious, the job falls through, or the silence of God feels
deafening. The world can shake, and our comforting habits suddenly feel small and powerless. That’s
when 1 Chronicles 16:11 meets us right where we are: “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face
always.” Because in the middle of a fragile routine, there’s a greater rhythm available to us – the steady
heartbeat of God’s presence. David’s song in 1 Chronicles wasn’t written from a place of ease. He knew
battle, heartbreak, guilt, and uncertainty. And yet, in the midst of celebration, he gave this timeless
encouragement: “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Why? Because human
strength has a limit. God’s doesn’t. Seeking God’s face is not just about prayer or worship – although
those matter. It’s about choosing to turn your heart towards Him before you turn to your own solutions.
It’s saying, “I need You,” even when you’re not sure how to pray the right words. And it’s trusting that His
presence is not just a source of strength, but the strength itself. Maybe today isn’t about having the
answers. Maybe today is simply about where you’re looking. Look up. He hasn’t gone anywhere.
Revd Mark Spiers
WEDNESDAY
WORLD CHAOS? JUST WATCHING THE NEWS IS ENOUGH TO SAY, ‘STOP THE WORLD, I WANT
TO GET OFF!’
25th June – Morning all… Have you ever stood outside just before a storm breaks? The stillness feels
unnatural, the sky heavy, like something is about to shift. There’s tension in the air, a waiting. And
sometimes life feels like that – like you’re holding your breath for the next blow, the next piece of bad
news, the next storm to hit. In those moments, it can be hard to remember who’s really in control. Fear
creeps in, and we start to brace ourselves instead of trusting. But then comes Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is
good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” What a quiet, steadying truth. In a
book filled with warnings of judgment and the power of God against evil, this verse stands out like a
warm light in a dark valley. It reminds us that God’s strength isn’t just about might – it’s about mercy. His
goodness isn’t shaken by the world’s chaos. He is the refuge. Nahum wrote to a people under threat,
living in fear of a violent empire. They didn’t need clichés. They needed assurance that God had not
forgotten them. And maybe that’s you today. Maybe you don’t need a solution, you just need to know He
sees you. He cares. He holds. So, whether the sky over your life feels stormy or still, remember: God is
your safe place. Not your last resort, your first refuge. He is good. And He is near.
Revd Mark Spiers
THURSDAY
HAVE YOU HEARD THE FOLLOWING TAIZE MUSIC? THE SHEET MUSIC INSTRUCTS IT TO BE
SUNG ‘HAUNTINGLY’.
‘O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER. O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER
WHEN I CALL, ANSWER ME.
O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER. O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER
COME AND LISTEN TO ME.’
26th June – Morning all… Have you ever tried to talk to someone who’s distracted? Maybe their eyes are
on a screen, or their mind’s clearly somewhere else, and suddenly you feel small, unheard, unimportant.
There’s no doubt about it, we all long to be listened to – really listened to. Micah 7:7 gives us a powerful
promise: “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.”
That’s the voice of someone who’s been through some things – betrayal, injustice, disappointment, and
still says, I’m waiting on God. I believe He hears me. Sometimes the answers don’t come quickly.
Sometimes the night feels long. But Micah reminds us: hope isn’t found in how fast life fixes itself, it’s
found in the One who hears us even in the dark. He will hear me. That’s not wishful thinking. That’s faith
that’s been tested and proven. So maybe today, don’t rush to solve everything. Just let your prayer be
this: “Lord, I’m waiting. And I believe You hear me.” Because He does.
Revd Mark Spiers
FRIDAY
I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE HAVING 20 TABS OPEN AT THE SAME TIME. IT BLOCKS YOUR
PROGRESS IN ANY OF THEM. THIS DEVOTIONAL IS ONE TAB I CAN NOW CLOSE DOWN, UNTIL
NEXT WEEK. HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND.
27th June – Morning all… Ever feel like your mind’s a browser with twenty tabs open – half loading, some
crashing, and one auto-playing chaos in the background? The world demands attention in a hundred
directions, and peace can seem like a luxury, not a promise. But then there’s Nahum 1:3:
“The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in
the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.” It’s easy to read that and think only of
judgment. But there’s something deeper here, something fiercely comforting. His way is in the whirlwind.
That means when life feels chaotic, unmanageable, stormy – God’s not absent. He’s not surprised. He’s
there, walking in it. His footprints mark even the storm. You are not lost in the chaos. You are known
within it. And His slowness to anger? That’s not weakness. That’s mercy. It’s love that waits longer than
we deserve. Power that doesn’t lash out but leads with patience. If today the clouds feel heavy and
unclear. Remember they are still under His feet. You’re not being swept away. You’re being led through.
Revd Mark Spiers
DEAR ALL
WIMBLEDON FORTNIGHT IS A REMINDER OF THE YEARS I SPENT ON THE PAVEMENT
QUEUING FOR TICKETS FOR THE WHOLE OF THE SECOND WEEK. A FRIEND, STEVE,
WHO MOVED TO LONDON, WORKED IN THE ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT OF FORTNUM &
MASON’S AND SKIPPED A DAY’S WORK TO JOIN US IN THE QUEUE. THE FOLLOWING
DAY HE FOUND OUT THAT HIS BOSS HAD SEEN HIM ON THE STORES TELEVISIONS ON
CENTRE COURT.
2nd July – Morning all… Have you ever watched a demolition? A recall quite a few
years ago now, the two high rise flats opposite my church being torn down floor by
floor, it was dramatic, loud, final. There’s something startling about how quickly the
mighty can fall. And yet sometimes, when evil seems loud and justice feels delayed,
we wonder: Will God really deal with this? Does He see? There are some wonderful
words in the book of Nahum 1:13 which read: “Now I will break their yoke from your
neck and tear your shackles away.” That’s God’s voice – not in a whisper, but a
declaration. Spoken to a people crushed by oppression, worn down by injustice, this
isn’t just a comfort; it’s a promise. God doesn’t overlook pain. He sees what weighs
us down, and He acts. The world may glorify the strong, but God always moves on
behalf of the weary. The yoke – that burden you’ve been carrying, will not define you.
And the shackles, whether they be fear, addiction, shame, or the voice in your head
that tells you you’ll never change, He tears them off. This isn’t about pretending
everything is fine. It’s about knowing that even what binds you now is not forever.
Freedom is not a someday hope. It’s a God’s working on it now.
Revd Mark Spiers
Free Church of England