Category: Prayers

The Glory of Creation and our Failings

24th January 2026

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A Reading Ephesians 2:8-10 (The Living Bible)

Because of God’s  kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago God prepared that we should spend these lives in helping others.

Glory to God,

Creator of rivers and streams, lakes and mountains. 

We praise you for the majesty of the Alps, their glittering snowy peaks 

and the frozen waters stored in their glaciers. 

Glory to God, 

Creator of forests and plains:

We thank you for the vast lands where we can grow crops, for hillsides where we grow vines, and for meadows where sheep and cattle may graze.

Glory to God

Creator of rocks and minerals:

We thank you for the wealth of raw materials with which we can make so much; 

we thank you for fast flowing waters that provide us with energy.

Glory to God, 

Creator of  curiosity and ingenuity:

We thank you for the wisdom we have learnt from the study of your world; 

thank you for the skills we have learnt in harnessing the resources you have given us.

Forgive us when we have misused that wisdom; 

forgive us when we have used those skills for ill. 

Merciful God,

Creator of human kind, 

Forgive our greed that has mined land and sea for fossil fuels, jeopardising our future.

Forgive our greed that industrialises farming, destroying soils and draining lakes. 

Forgive our greed that turns animals into commodities and disregards their sentient nature. 

Forgive our greed for consumer goods that strips the earth’s reserves.

Merciful God,

Creator of our brothers and sisters:

Forgive the casualness with which we let the rich grow richer 

and the poor poorer.

Forgive the casualness with which we let the rich break the laws 

and yet still penalise the poor.

Forgive the carelessness with which we discard what we buy 

ignoring the meagre pay of those who labour. 

Guiding God,

Source  of all wisdom, 

Transform our hearts and minds, turn the direction of our hands and feet 

so that with alacrity and commitment we will reform our lives 

and live only in harmony with your creation. 

Amen.

The Grace

The water of eternal life

 17th January 2026

(Part of the underlying stress in Iran is a lack of water. Tehran and other cities are on the verge of ‘Day Zero’ – when there will literally be no water in the pipes. This is a result of climate change, over consumption and a failure to maintain traditional means of collecting and storing water).

Jesus said … “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14b

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading Ezekiel 47:1-12 

Now he brought me back to the entrance to the Temple. I saw water pouring out from under the Temple porch to the east (the Temple faced east). The water poured from the south side of the Temple, south of the altar. He then took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the gate complex on the east. The water was gushing from under the south front of the Temple. He walked to the east with a measuring tape and measured off fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water waist-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through. He said, “Son of man, have you had a good look?”

Then he took me back to the riverbank. While sitting on the bank, I noticed a lot of trees on both sides of the river. He told me, “This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds. Fishermen will stand shoulder to shoulder along the shore from En Gedi all the way north to En-eglaim, casting their nets. The sea will teem with fish of all kinds, like the fish of the Great Mediterranean.

“The swamps and marshes won’t become fresh. They’ll stay salty. But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won’t wither, the fruit won’t fail. Every month they’ll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

In the beginning

it was a mere drop of water, 

a slight dampness on the ground:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

The wetness gathers, 

soaks into the ground, 

bubbles up and becomes a spring:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Overflowing, 

the spring gives birth to a stream, 

slipping and sliding and a journey begins:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Meeting with others, 

joining forces, growing in magnitude,

the stream becomes a river:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

From youth to maturity 

the river grows in girth and presence, 

bearing an ever growing load:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Spilling over, spreading out, 

the river branches out into a delta 

disbursing its fertility across the land:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Returning, homing in on the tideline, 

the river pours out unhesitatingly 

into the greater depth of the sea:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

From cradle to grave, may our lives be channeled by God’s wisdom.

From beginning to end, may our lives serve God’s kingdom.

From source to sea, may our lives overflow with God’s love.

Amen. 

The Lord’s Prayer 

Psalm 19 – where we fall short

19th January 2026

And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 61:1b

Lord you created the world in love:

Glory to you.

Lord you sustain the world through love:

Glory to you.

Lord you invite us to share that love: 

Glory to you .

A reading from Psalm 19:1-5

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;

yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Response 

Is  it in the coal pits and oil fields 

that we see God’s glory?

Or is  it in the wind, the sun and the sea?

Is it in the soya plantation and the chicken factory 

that we see God’s glory?

Or is it in in the vegetable plot and the meadow?

Is it  in the fumes of the combustion engine 

or in the exhaust from the coal-fired power station 

that we see God’s glory?

Or is it in the uphill slog and the down hill rush of the cycle wheel?

Is it in the land cleared of people to make way for luxury flats and runways 

that we see God’s glory?

Or is it in the primeval forest and the indigenous village.

Is it in the spoil heap and stagnant stream 

that we see God’s glory?

Or is it in the free running caribou and the eager beaver?

Is it in the slave to the workplace and the gig economy conscript 

that we see God’s glory? 

Or is it in the community of friends and neighbours? 

Heavenly God, 

Help us strip away the blinkers and disguises 

that prevent us and others from seeing your glory.

Help us clear away the rules and expectations 

that separate us from your glory.

Help us break down the indebtedness and inequalities 

that so weigh us down that we cannot look up. 

In simplicity let us know you.

In freedom let us follow you.

In joy let us celebrate your glory.

Amen.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Prayers for the New Year

3rd January 2026

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading – Ecclesiastes 3:1-4,8

For everything there is a season, 

and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Creator God,

As one year follows another, 

open our hearts and minds 

to hear your word and know your will.

There is a time wait and a time to act:

Give us patience when we must wait 

and courage when we must act.

There is a time to buy and a time to make do:

Help us buy wisely thinking of the welfare of others, 

and not be snared by the wiles of advertising.

There is a time to mend and a time to recycle:

Enable our hands to mend with dexterity 

and to recycle with equal care.

There is a time to invest and a time to divest:

May our money support renewable resourcing, 

and not damage the environment. 

There is a time to grow and time to leave fallow:

 May our use of the land follow the seasons, 

enabling regeneration and new growth.

There is a time renew and a time to replace:

Give us the humility to dismantle systems that are harmful,

and the wisdom to create anew those that are beneficial. 

There is a time to restore and a time to rewild:

Help us to be generous in sharing both land and water, 

making space for the natural world with whom we are as one.

There is a time for fighting and a time for making peace:

Strengthen us to be fight for justice 

and equip us to be peace makers.

Creator God,

As one year follows another, 

open our hearts and minds 

to hear your word and know your will.

Amen.

And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. Genesis 1:14-15

Prayers for New Year’s Eve

31st December 2025

The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory. Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:6,11

Let’s seek God with all our heart
Amen. Christ be our still-point.
Let’s seek God with all our soul
Amen. Christ be our vision.
Let’s seek God with all our mind
Amen. Christ be our wisdom.
Let’s seek God with all our strength
Amen. Christ be our souls’ companion.

(Adapted from Our Common Prayer)

A reading from Daniel 7:9-10

While I was looking, thrones were put in place. One who had been living forever sat down on one of the thrones. His clothes were white as snow, and his hair was like pure wool. His throne, mounted on fiery wheels, was blazing with fire, and a stream of fire was pouring out from it. There were many thousands of people there to serve him, and millions of people stood before him. The court began its session, and the books were opened. 

Year’s End

As the old year turns to the new, 

as days past give way to days to come 

there is time for remembering and for hoping, 

for forgiving and for planning.

It is a time of reckoning, 

a time to open the books 

and review the record.

Has the year past profited the poor?

Have the rich relinquished their wealth?

Have the young been uplifted 

– and the old respected?

Have strangers been welcomes

– and outsiders embraced?

Have resources been equitably garnered

– and shared?

Have soils been replenished 

– and water supplies restored?

Has the number of endangered species reduced 

– and the number of wild habitats increased?

How will future generations judge us?

How will the earth reward us 

  • or punish us?

Is there time for amendment? 

Is there yet time 

to rebalance the accounts?

God of all time and space, God of eternity and mercy, 

draw a line under what has happened – 

and yet show us, again, how to start over, 

to make good what we have destroyed,

 to replenish the world with love, 

 to live wisely, in harmony, in unity 

with one another and with you.


Pause to reflect


As one year ends, let us give thanks for all that has been good:

For the establishing of a Just Transition Work Programme at COP30, 

For the coming together of the National Emergency Briefing,

For the activists who have made the well-being of the planet a world priority;

For conservation and re-wilding projects that restore life to the earth;

For the individuals who have switched to more sustainable lifestyles; 

For businesses who have focus on ethics above profits;

For churches and faith communities who celebrated creation-tide.

As a new year begins, we pray for renewed commitment by

Leaders and peoples,

Activists and individuals 

Conservationists and farmers

Businesses and investors 

Churches and faith communities.

As we make new year resolutions, 

we ask for vision and strength that we may determined

to live and work together, 

to cherish the earth, 

to protect its flora and fauna, 

and ensure an equal sharing of opportunities and resources.

The Grace

The Word – God in creation

 23rd December 2025

Let’s seek God with all our heart
Amen. Christ be our still-point.
Let’s seek God with all our soul
Amen. Christ be our vision.
Let’s seek God with all our mind
Amen. Christ be our wisdom.
Let’s seek God with all our strength
Amen. Christ be our souls’ companion.

Adapted from Our Common Prayer

A reading John 1:1-5, 14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Response:

God is nowhere 

if not in creation. 

God’s breath over the void 

drew forth light and dark, land and sea.

God’s will caused water to flow 

and plants to sprout.

God’s breath inspired life a human form  

and God’s imagining inspired creatures, 

companions all in an ecological union.

God’s vision of a perfect world 

displayed in a garden.

God is nowhere

if not with creation.

But human tenacity is short lived, 

promises forgotten and undertakings overlooked.

Never quite getting a grip 

on the need for teamwork, 

side-lining others in the interests of self.

Wilfully ignorant 

of the inter connected relationships 

of plant and animal life, 

failing to see the human role is in – 

not over- creation.


God is nowhere 

if not in human form –

conceived in flesh and blood,

born in time and space, 

occupying our human limitations, 

sharing our divine inspiration. 

True to his calling, 

working in union, 

disciplined to God’s will,

humbling self to love the other, 

following God’s vision of a world 

displayed in perfect humanity. 


Let us pray:

Rejoicing in the miracle of God’s Word present in creation from the beginning,

may we honour all that has life,

cherishing trees and plants, birds and animals, insect life and sea life so that their life is not extinguished by our thoughtless actions.

Rejoicing in the miracle of the Word that brings light to the world,

may we learn from the light. 

Help us overcome our pride, to acknowledge our ignorance, and to live in harmony with all creation.

Rejoicing in the miracle of God born in human flesh, may we be inspired to follow Christ’s example,

humbling ourselves to better love one another,

humbling ourselves to better love the world around us,

humbling ourselves to know our place in and not above creation.

Amen

Advent – in the bleak mid winter

20th December 2025

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;  Christina Rossetti 

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.


A reading from Isaiah 55:10-11

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

And do not return there without watering the earth

And making it bear and sprout,

And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;

It will not return to Me empty,

Without accomplishing what I desire,

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.


Response

Winter, the fallow season, 

prepares the land for spring.

The small seed lies dormant 

lest the cold freeze its vulnerable growth.

But in due time what is small will swell, 

what is vulnerable will gain strength, 

and what is hidden will bloom forth.


Winter, the fallow season 

is when we prepare for spring. 

Waiting,

but gaining strength, 

patiently building networks of support. 

Confident that the Word in us 

will accomplish God’s desire.


In the bleak winter Lord,

We pray for those who feel they have no hope, 

for those who anticipate a Christmas without joy.

We give thanks for all who ease their pain and desolation.

We give thanks for those who offer time and money with generosity.

Open our hearts that we too may be givers. 


In the bleak winter Lord,  

We pray for birds and animals seeking food and warmth,  

for wildlife threatened by human greed and ignorance. 

We give thanks for all who stand up for the rights of creation.

We give thanks for  all who offer time and money with generosity.

Open our hearts that we too may be givers. 


In the bleak winter Lord,

We pray for all affected by systems that fail to deliver, 

systems corrupted by prejudice, selfishness and complacency.

We give thanks for all who stand up for the rights of others, 

who challenge the status quo and seek a better world.

Open our hearts that we too may act for change.

Lord God, unfreeze frozen hearts, 

bring new life to hearts of stone, 

and work in us and all your creation  

the transformative power of you Word.

May your will be done!

Amen. 

Advent – for those who work and give

13th December 2025

Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.

He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,

Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6 

In Scandinavia a sheaf of wheat or other grains is saved and put out at Christmas for the birds. If lots of birds come, it is said to presage a good harvest. Maybe it is a reminder that generosity is frequently reciprocal. 

A reading from Deuteronomy 24:10-21

When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. 

As we prepare for Christmas amidst a rush to buy all that we want and more, let us pray for those from whose labour we gain:

We pray for shop staff and shelf stackers, warehouse workers and delivery drivers:

May their work be rewarding and well rewarded.

We pray for factory hands and machinists, for assemblers and packers:

May their labour be rewarded, their safety ensured.

We pray for farmers and growers, labourers and pickers:

May the fruits of their work be savoured and not be wasted.

We pray for the soil and the water table:

May what is extracted be replenished, may their good health be sustained.

We pray for agricultural live stock – birds, animals and fish:

May they be raised with love and respect and, at their life’s end, with dignity and care.

May we as consumers, always show out thanks and respect for the work of others.

May we be measured in what we buy, 

may we be conscientious in caring for what we have, 

and may we be generous in passing forward all that we can share. 

Amen.


Go forth into the world in peace.

Be of good courage.

Hold fast that which is good.

Render to no one evil for evil.

Strengthen the fainthearted.

Support the weak.

Help the afflicted.

Show love to everyone.

Love and serve the Lord,

rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;

and may the blessing of almighty God,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be with us all. 

Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer 

Remembrance for Lost Species

This Sunday, 30th November, is Remembrance Day for Lost Species. For some species in the UK it is now too late, but for others there is perhaps still time to safeguard their existence for future generations – provided we take action now. 

The Greater mouse-eared bat; the Kentish plover; the large chequered skipper; the short-haired bumblebee; the blue bugle – these have all in recent years become extinct or near extinct in the UK

Amongst the woods and forests, 

between oaks and cedars, 

God’s name is holy.

In the seas and oceans, 

with whales and sea urchins, 

God’s name is holy.

Across the moors and meadows, 

with curlews and plovers, 

God’s name is holy.

By riverbanks and streams, 

following eels and kingfishers, 

God’s name is holy .

High up on mountain peaks and glaciers, 

sheltering in cwms and gullies, 

God’s name is holy .

Gathered in barns and hives, 

buzzing with bees and bats, 

God’s name is holy .

Hidden under stones and snuck into crevices, 

lying low with lizards and spiders, 

God’s name is holy .

In all corners of the world 

and where ever life exists, 

God’s name is holy!

Creator God, we come from, and we dwell in, your beautiful, magnificent world. We share it with the myriad of creatures and plants that praise you by being what you created them to be. By our lack of care, our lack of love, we are wiping out pieces of your handiwork, silencing their praise. 

We are sorry.

Forgive us. 

Give us now what we need to safeguard the beauty and diversity of your world. Let us not be thwarted by the immensity of the challenge, for your power working within us can do more than we can imagine. May the love, unearthed by the sadness we feel for that which is lost, burn in our hearts, and ignite in us the courage to stand up against all that threatens what remains.

Through Jesus Christ, in whom and for whom all things were created. 

Amen.

This prayer comes from the Green Christian website – where you can also find other resources and a  link to their workshop ‘Remembering Lost Species’ on 7th December. 

Remembrance Day for Lost Species

Now is the sky blue!

Now is it framed 

by a fretwork of branches 

where leaves still linger –

some as big as dinner plates 

some as small as butterflies. 

Jackdaws riddle the earth 

harvesting riches that lay below.

And squirrels skip and skitter 

their autumn dance.

All is now, and now, and now!

But tomorrow, next week, next year? 

Merciful God will they still be there?

Will our apathy, 

our slowness to act, 

our aversion to change 

allowed all this 

to be threatened, 

diminished, and 

evicted from life?

Have mercy.

But not just mercy –

rather prod us, prompt us, 

push us into action.

Renew our hearts and minds,

reverse our expectations

so that we change the future 

and once more 

be restorers of creation.

Grief and sorrow over our failure to care for creation

22nd November 2025

My eyes grow dim with weeping. Each day I beg your help; O Lord, I reach my pleading hands to you for mercy.  Soon it will be too late! Psalm 89:9, 10a

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Luke 18: 9-14 (The Message) Jesus told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: ‘Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.’ “Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ‘God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’” Jesus commented, “This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

Response

Suffering God, 

Full of grief, I pour out my sorrows;

Full of mourning, I bewail our loss:

Bluebells that cannot keep pace with climate change,

Ash, elm and chestnut trees felled by disease,

Frogspawn that succumbs to unseasonal cold,

Butterflies caught out by unseasonal rain.

Suffering God, 

Full of grief, I pour out my sorrows;

Full of mourning, I bewail our loss: 

Wetlands that are no longer wet,

Curlews that have nowhere to feed,

Streams overwhelmed by fertilisers, 

Rivers polluted by sewage.

Suffering God, 

Full of grief, I pour out my sorrows;

Full of mourning, I bewail our loss: 

Glaciers receding  up mountains,

Alpine plants pushed over the edge,

Mountain hares with nowhere to go,

Moorlands and tundra burnt to a cinder.

Suffering God, 

Full of grief, I pour out my sorrows;

Full of mourning, I bewail our loss: 

Oceans with no whales,

Savannahs with no elephants

Coral reefs with no coral,

Icecaps with no ice.

Merciful God,

Forgive us our greed and our complacency,

Our folly and selfishness.

Forgive us when we have failed to see our errors, 

and have chosen to overlook our faults.

Forgive us when we have not listened to the facts, 

preferring to believe our own stories.

Forgive us when we have ignored the plight of others, 

caring only for number one.

Restore in us a right mind and a right spirit.

Strengthen our hands and our hearts to care for your world.

Embolden our will to love our neighbours as ourselves. 

Free up our grasp on wealth and resources 

that all may benefit from your bounty.

Release us from our pride and self assurance 

that we can truly worship you, 

our creator, redeemer and sustainer.

Amen.

The Grace