Ruach Breath Of Life

Jesus, this is a day to steady ourselves and to commit ourselves afresh to You who care for us so much. Come into every part of it we pray. We give You especially . . . and . . . and . . .

We were actually having a few minutes off at one of our recording events at the House of the Open Door when this prayer and reading from Psalm 45 'happened,' and the microphones were still running! It's powerful.

I love how deeply pairing is woven into the natural world. Not just the supposed ‘pairing’ of dock leaves and nettles, but the way in which so many things come in twos, whether for balance, survival, or fundamental physics – from the pairs of eyes, ears, and nostrils the Lord has given us, and which provide stereoscopic vision and directional hearing, to the two kidneys and lungs that provide vital backup should one fail. There is a God-inbuilt symbiotic mutualism that bonds pairs of distinct species so that they rely on each other for survival—like flowering plants and their specific pollinators, or fungi and algae as they form lichens. Chromosomes likewise exist in pairs (one set from each parent), just as DNA itself forms a double helix using complementary base pairs. In our own lives, too, we experience the God who not only opens doors for us, but who in His mercy closes others in His love and wisdom. He grants us seasons of intense wrestling – but also times of rich ‘nestling.’ Rest and work, night a

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (Rev. 22:1-2) Enjoy the lapping waters of the River Vltava, (‘Wild Water,’ in Czech but which is widely known by its German name, the Moldau). This music by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana is iridiscent with love for his homeland, and beautifully captures the sound of the river as it gathers strength and momentum from its source in the Bohemian mountains, and wends its way through a landscape of forests and meadows before tumbling through the St John’s Rapids, and then before widening out again to pass through Prague on its way to the mighty River Elbe. This joyous piece reminds us of how the Holy Spirit illumines our lives with the prospect of our eternal hom

Joysprings for piano - Ozoned by Ruach Breath of Life

..... it was a deep heartfelt yearning for God - for He whom my soul loves..... a longing for Him as vital as the air that I breathe.....

In Your hands You hold all things And You hold me fast. You are my Shield and my Defender You are my Lord over all You are the One Who knows the end from the beginning And You hold me fast.

Beyond the noise: Poignant moments of prayer and reflection for the nation with Mozart Beyond the hype and excitement of the Makerfield by election yesterday, which featured a win by a man who studiously avoided referencing the name of the party he was representing, and who began his acceptance speech by claiming that ‘politics is broken in this country,’ it will be good to specifically dedicate Andy Burnham’s time as an MP (and very probably as PM) to the Lord. With so much being up in the air for the nations at this troubled time, it is lovely to share this extract from one of Mozart’s most beautiful pieces: the slow movement from his 27th piano concerto, which Jo Foote and Christiane von Albrecht recorded for us in a special arrangement for two pianos. The music embraces both gravity and hope, and takes us to poignant emotional depths, so that, at both a political and a spiritual level, it cuts through the constant noise of the news cycle, offering us instead an opportunity to still our souls and giv

Concerning the times and the seasons . . . you know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman. (1 Thess, 5:1-3) This intensely powerful piece by David Booth permits us for just a very few minutes to share in something of the intense alarm and shock that war brings. Central to this remarkable piece is time, as beaten out by minutes and seconds in an emphasised way. Suddenly the warning sirens sounds, and all becomes confusion and cacophony as destruction is visited on the nation, Bells continue to sound throughout the piece, while the drumbeat of war continues relentlessly on every hand. It would be natural and appropriate to apply this piece to Ukraine. Quite apart from the immense physical damage the unrelenting air raids on its cities have caused the degree of psychological distress they have unleashed exceeds anything one can imagine. The trauma will ta

My Heart Isn't Proud by Ruach Breath of Life

May the Lord bless the land of Armenia. I improvised this piece a few weeks ago, and after Justin had transcribed it for me, and we have worked on it a bit, I felt it would be good to dedicate it to Armenia, a country with a long Christian tradition, which is taking the risky step of moving away from its heavy dependency on Russia and towards the West. May the Lord move in power to protect Armenia and to draw many more in that land to a living relationship with the Lord Jesus.

The trumpet is the most distinctive sound in the book of Revelation, more even than the harp. It has a long historical association with the divine, and has often been used to represent the voice of God and His angelic hosts. In the Baroque period, when this piece was written, the distinction between secular and sacred music was becoming more fluid, and pieces like this glorious sonata were soon adapted and played by the trumpet and organ during church services and religious processions. Let’s use this brilliant Sonata for Trumpet and Strings by Henry Purcell, beautifully played by Anthony Thompson, to declare afresh the victory of the coming Kingdom of God.

Grace Nadin brought us this profoundly beautiful song at the Symphony of Worship Conference in Malvern in 1996. May the words and the music combine to draw us deeper into a flow of Spirit-led prayer.

Lord Hear Us by Ruach Breath of Life

Grace Nadin brought us this exquisitely beautiful song at the Symphony of Prayer Conference in Malvern in 1996. More recently we recorded it with Megan Topper. May it become the prayer of our heart too.

What a special piece this is! You will love the dramatic fanfares and the lyrical dialogue with the solo instrument. It is very moving! Enjoy it for what it is, but as you listen, and almost certainly will want to listen again, see where the Lord might wish to direct you in prayer. It is a perfect music to accompany prayer to strengthen many people and situations, and to release the power of God far and wide. How special it is to combine music worship and prayer in this way! Thank you again Anthony Thompson, and all who played this piece so beautifully.

Torelli Sinfonia (Finale) by Ruach Breath of Life

Torelli by Ruach Breath of Life

Canzon by Gabrieli The end of the 16th century found Giovanni Gabrieli combining the roles of organist and principal composer at St Mark’s Cathedral, where he was able to take full advantage of the superb acoustics in that majestic building. One commentator described his dialogues between different instruments as being the 16th-century equivalent to ‘surround sound.’ May this piece, which is part of his Sacrae Symphoniae, bring a sense of the surrounding presence of Heaven. For there is joy and hope and a lovely sense here of being led by the Spirit. May God’s people everywhere press in to love and follow the Lord Jesus in the freedom of His Spirit.

David Booth has recently recorded a really special piece for Flamenco guitar. We called it 'Tender Flamenco!' I recorded this lament to accompany his beautiful guitar piece. It is inspired in part by the Lord's moving words in Jeremiah 2 and 3, where He looks back to the intimacy He used to enjoy with His people, and mourns how far they have backslidden. Let's use this moving piece to pray for people who once walked closely with the Lord, but who no longer do. Heart of my heart, I planted you as noble vine, a seed of the highest quality. I remember how you were, radiant in first love. and I was with you as Friend and Lover, a Mighty Warrior who saves, taking great delight in you, and rejoicing over you with singing;” but now you have turned your back and forgotten Me. (Jer. 2:21; 2-3, Zeph. 3:17) What fault did you find in Me, and what harm have I done that would cause you to stray so far from Me, turning to systems that cannot fail to fail, and building cisterns that contain no trace of My liv