Prayer for the Week
Take us Lord, from busyness to a place of quietness
From the storms of our lives to Your great unending peace
From the fears that grip us to the faith that liberates and empowers us
Help us, Lord, to see who we are and who we ought to be.
We offer our prayers now for family, friends and community, for people in need or distress and for situations throughout the world which bring hardship, sorrow and the need for compassion.
Thank you God, creator of the universe, for the fruits of the earth that give us the means of life:
Thank you for plants, animals and birds that we use for food and medicines
Thank you for the natural world, in which we find the means to be clothed and housed
Thank you for the ability to use the gifts and resources of the natural world for so many purposes
But help us, God, not to squander your creation
May we respect the life of all you have made
May our spirits be strengthened by using only what we need
May we use our strength to help those who are in need
Lord, where your creation is hurting – through environmental disaster and man-made abuse
May there be healing and renewal.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer
Lord, we confess our day to day failure to share your peace and justice
We may know the word, but not say it….
We may know the truth, but not face it….
We may love the fruit, but not taste it….
We may know the time, but waste it….
Lord, help us to be bold and to pour hope into Your world.
Show us how to walk in way that leads to justice
Make us honest enough to tell you our fears and failings
Treat us with devotion, hold us in your arms,
Give us the confidence to risk ourselves and reassure us when we have doubts
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer
Lord, our newspapers, radios, televisions and computers show us that your creation and world has been abused, neglected or fragmented and that the gifts that you have given us have not been used wisely or for the common good.
We see the faces of uncertainty and fear, we hear the sounds of anger and bitter weeping
Lord, bring your strength and encouragement to all faced with disaster at this time:
For the people of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya – as the cocktail of civil war, drought, famine and poverty threatens life itself and the ability to live each day
For the people of Syria as protests and violence escalate in towns and cities – leading to increasing loss of lives
For the people of Norway as they reflect on the brutal events of the past week, mourn the loss of so many young lives and strive to heal as a nation
For the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya where the actions of rival factions continue to decimate communities and entrench hatred
Lord, bring your best to their worst
Bring your peace to their pain
That none who cry aloud may cry in vain
That those who fear may never walk alone
That those near death may see the light of day
That guilty folk may see the pain caused, change their ways and seek forgiveness
That those who doubt may find a deeper faith
That broken folk may know that they will be whole
God of love, heal your world and its people.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer
Lord, we thank you for those closest to us who share our daily lives and concerns
For our families and friends who know instinctively when we are troubled or sad or anxious.
We pray for the coming summer holiday season when many seek rest and refreshment and renewal in our lives.
We pray for all those we love and those names known to who have a burden to carry at this time, praying that you will be beside them in whatever they face.
We wait for you, Lord, with longing.
Give us faith and show us your power.
Lord, help us all to be sensitive to one another, that through the Holy Spirit, we may bring your comfort and healing touch to those in need.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer
Lift us Lord from darkness to light
From sickness to health
From distress to calm
Lift us Lord, from sadness to joy
From fear to faith
From loneliness to love
Lift us Lord in mind and in spirit
In word and in deed
In body and in soul.
Amen