But is that hum an illusion? Is the constant go, go, go a way for you to shelter and hide from the truth. That you are longing for something more. A sense of belonging, a purpose, a home?

We see the vibrancy of God’s creation in you.

London, we are thankful for the diversity our city contains and the ability to see so much more of God’s image through this; you are colourful and you are bright.

London, we hold you dear in our prayers. We pray for those longing for connection to find community in a place of hope.

Dear God. May your Kingdom come in London as it is in heaven. Revival in London. Kindness in London. Joy in London. Peace in London. Love in London. Patience in London. Generosity in London. Faithfulness in London.

The truth is, it is easy to become consumed by our own problems, our own desires and what we see immediately in front of us. But what do we really value? Who do we really value?

It was as though God had literally plucked me from the place I was, the direction I was heading in and placed me on a new path. A path with rich joy, freedom and holy, holy peace.

London, you are loved. God has great plans for you! Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.

And as you find this hope and find your place in this family - London, would you begin to look beside you, around you and share that hope with someone new.

Dear London, lift up your eyes. The King of Glory is waiting for you.

I think self-control is very much linked to obedience. It requires self-awareness, it requires intentional action, it requires patience (another fruit), and it requires us to look beyond the present moment.

The greatest rebellion is "this world" trying to sabotage your peace. While the modern understanding of peace is looking for a break from life’s turmoil, a biblical peace addresses our hearts.

The world calls this a ‘random act of kindness’ but as Christians, we feel this should be part of our DNA as we mature and become more like Jesus.

The biggest difference the Holy Spirit has made is in how I feel when praying, worshiping or reading the Bible. Before everything seemed to be grey and monotone, now it’s as though the colour has been added.

I knew a lot about God, but I was becoming aware that the knowledge in my head was not the same as the relationship with God I sensed I was supposed to have.

Easter is a celebration of resurrection hope and new, eternal life, let’s all take some moments to indulge our ‘inner melancholic’ to remind ourselves of the harsh reality of what we’ve been rescued from and let that sink in, so that we can begin to fully experience gratitude for Jesus’ great demonstration of love for us and the resurrection hope that comes with it.

The real challenge for every believer however, is to continue their relationship with Jesus beyond the first experience of His love. Some discover the rhythm of His grace, whereas others never do. So how do we discover the rhythm of His grace, I hear you say?

Turns out you can only get so far on your own merit and effort but unless you stay connected to THE ultimate source of power, grafted into the vine and taking strength from being rooted and grounded in Him, we can become overwhelmed, drained of energy and our joy can get depleted.

For me, this is the reality of true faith. A faith that is founded not in circumstances, or even on what we think is possible, but on the very nature of God. Mary did not fear the world’s consequences of what God was asking her to do, because she knew God and trusted in His nature.

Sometimes, when I’ve found myself getting impatient and upset, I remind myself that God is the one who put me here. My life is not my own. There is actually something happening while nothing is happening. God is using my waiting to change me and my understanding of faith.

This is a catchphrase I began saying a long time ago. I love to make plans, and probably like most people, I’m glad when they actually go to plan. I’m sure a lot of us have experienced the opposite of this for the past 18 months, and have had to learn how to deal with plan B, C or even Z.