Hey Family...
I hope you have all had a wonderful summer.
For those with children who have been off school, I hope you have enjoyed quality time together and created memories that will last. Perhaps you were able to travel and enjoy a refreshing break. Others may have enjoyed, or simply endured, the heatwave here in the UK!
However you spent the summer, September marks something of a reset for us as a church. It is an opportunity to quiet the noise, hear more clearly from God, seek His presence and realign ourselves with His will.
What a year 2026 has already been. We have passed the halfway mark, and somehow Christmas already feels as though it is just around the corner. So much has happened, especially as I reflect on the planting of our second congregation in March. It has been amazing to see people come to Christ and find community through the church plant. My mantra has always been: if we planted for the one, then it was worth it.
However you spent the summer, September marks something of a reset for us as a church. It is an opportunity to quiet the noise, hear more clearly from God, seek His presence and realign ourselves with His will.
What a year 2026 has already been. We have passed the halfway mark, and somehow Christmas already feels as though it is just around the corner. So much has happened, especially as I reflect on the planting of our second congregation in March. It has been amazing to see people come to Christ and find community through the church plant. My mantra has always been: if we planted for the one, then it was worth it.
As we begin this fast on 7 September, we are already 250 days into 2026. I can still remember crossing over into this year and sharing a prophetic word with the church at our Crossover Service entitled “You Are Covered,” inspired by Psalm 91.
In many ways, it feels as though we have had to contend for that word. Challenges and troubles have arisen in my own life and in the lives of many people I have walked alongside pastorally. Yet, in the midst of every challenge and test, we have also heard wonderful testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Being covered by God does not mean that we will never experience trouble. It means that, even in trouble, we can trust that God is with us and that our lives remain in His hands.
In many ways, it feels as though we have had to contend for that word. Challenges and troubles have arisen in my own life and in the lives of many people I have walked alongside pastorally. Yet, in the midst of every challenge and test, we have also heard wonderful testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Being covered by God does not mean that we will never experience trouble. It means that, even in trouble, we can trust that God is with us and that our lives remain in His hands.
We began January with 21 days of prayer and fasting. Our devotional focus, SENT, called us to live as a missional church. Now, as we enter September, we are embarking on seven days of prayer and fasting, journeying together through selected passages from the book of Job.
I believe Job is particularly fitting for us in light of the word with which we entered this year and the challenges many have faced. Over these seven days, we will reflect on God’s protection, spiritual opposition, suffering, worship, trust, friendship and despair. We will also consider what it means to remain honest before God when life becomes difficult.
Alongside these daily devotions, I want to encourage you to read through the whole book of Job during September. Do not rush it. Allow Job’s questions, struggles and encounters with God to deepen your prayer life and your understanding of Him. My prayer is that these seven days will help us seek God afresh and enter the remainder of 2026 with our hearts aligned with His.
With every blessing,
Ashley Gabriel
I believe Job is particularly fitting for us in light of the word with which we entered this year and the challenges many have faced. Over these seven days, we will reflect on God’s protection, spiritual opposition, suffering, worship, trust, friendship and despair. We will also consider what it means to remain honest before God when life becomes difficult.
Alongside these daily devotions, I want to encourage you to read through the whole book of Job during September. Do not rush it. Allow Job’s questions, struggles and encounters with God to deepen your prayer life and your understanding of Him. My prayer is that these seven days will help us seek God afresh and enter the remainder of 2026 with our hearts aligned with His.
With every blessing,
Ashley Gabriel
How to use this devotional
Read the day’s passage slowly. Allow the devotional to lead you into honest reflection, then use the prayer as a starting point for your own conversation with God.
Scripture quotations are marked NIV (New International Version).
Read the day’s passage slowly. Allow the devotional to lead you into honest reflection, then use the prayer as a starting point for your own conversation with God.
Scripture quotations are marked NIV (New International Version).