Category: Prayers

Prayers for Creation

31st March 2023 

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Matthew 3:3

 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 Matthew 21: 8-11

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosannah to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosannah in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Response – A Day of Action

Willow branches burst at the tips 

into the delicate green of spring.

The aroma of new life 

gently rises on the air.

Footsteps, hoof beats, 

small feet, big feet – 

that walk at a measured pace, 

that take a calculated risk.

Not flags, nor banners 

but branches torn from trees. 

No red carpet, no paparazzi 

but coats laid thick upon the road.

Hold your palms high, 

lift them not in surrender 

but in defiance. 

We will not bow to public pressure.

Cast down your coat, 

your mask, your many disguises. 

Cast down your self-conscious pride. 

Uncover the real you. 

Raise your hands, raise your voices!

Shout out loud! 

This is your King, your humble King!

The one at home with the poor and needy.

The slow moving crowd 

that swells and surges, 

now pauses, and then gathers momentum – 

nothing can hold back our passion now.

Onward! Upward! Into the city –

we the outsiders, the outcast, 

the forgotten and the marginalised,

 are taking our place in the story of salvation.

Take courage, take heart! 

Turn the world upside down. 

This is our King! 

This is the Saviour of the world!

Hosannah! Lord save us!

Lord, our loving Saviour,

We give thanks for all who stand up 

for the wellbeing of creation. 

Guide their actions with your wisdom.

Fill their hearts with your love.

Give strength for their bodies 

and compassion for their spirits.

Comfort those who are overcome with sadness.

Reassure those who are loosing hope. 

Heal those who have been injured.

Encompass those who have died.

The road to salvation seems long and uncertain.

May your redeeming power restore creation 

to new life in the Kingdom of God.

Amen. 

Prayers for Creation

24th March 2023 

O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own ground; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord. Ezekiel 37:14

 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 Ezekiel 11:19-21 

I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,  so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

Response:-

Time and again, Lord God, 

we have failed and let you down.

And time and again, Lord God, 

you have raised us up and renewed the life within us.

We lay before you our short comings, 

our greed for an ever richer lifestyle, 

our selflessness in not sharing your gifts equitably, 

our blinkered existence that does not see the suffering we cause.

Lord God, have mercy. 

We lay before you our misdeeds, 

our over consumption of the earth’s resources, 

our polluting of the air 

and our polluting of the water.

Lord God, have mercy.

We lay before you our sins, 

our failure to love our neighbours, 

our adulterous love of self interest, 

our disregard of the Sabbath rest.

Lord God, have mercy.

Life dealing God,

Restore our hope:

inspire our governments to act decisively and fairly, 

and with generosity to all in need.

Rebuild our broken bodies and broken relationships, 

inspire investors to fund climate tackling projects, 

inspire lawmakers to establish justice for all.


Replace our hearts of stone.  

Inspire us to love whole heartedly our neighbours

 – human and creaturely.

Breathe new life into our souls, 

that we may have the strength and confidence

to follow your ways, your desires.

Amen. 

Prayers for Creation

17th March 2023 

He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes. Isaiah 40: 11

 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 reflection on Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

In your gift is daily bread, sustenance for each day

From you comes wisdom and understanding –

the gift of peace.


The Lord desires green pasture and clear waters,

wooded hills that clap their hands, 

streams that overflow with joy –

a  world where all may rest in peace.


The Lord restores my soul, 

forgives my sins and heals my pain.
He renews my confidence so I too 

may renew broken relationships.


The Lord leads me in right paths.

He goes before us, leading by example 

and marking the way – 

on earth as in heaven.


Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 

even though the news is of  floods and drought, 

fires and tempest, I am comforted 

for the Lord is my steadfast companion.

 
I hear of evil  – of warfare and greed, 

of persecution and oppression; 

of self-interest and self-delusion 

 – yet I  fear not evil, for the Lord is our righteousness.


You prepare a table before me 

where bread and wine will satisfy my wants. 

In the face of adversity, 

You anoint me with the Holy Spirit.
    

The goodness and mercy of the Lord 

 shall stay with me all the days of my life,
for the Lord is my shepherd 

and I shall not want. 

Prayers: 

Holy God, Shepherd of your people, 

forgive us for all the times we have strayed – 

and repeatedly strayed – 

from your ways.

Set us once again on the right path, 

the path of righteousness. 


Show us how to love our neighbour as ourself. 

Show us how to lead simple lives 

that do not steal food and resources 

from the mouths of the poor.


Show us how to tend and care for the earth 

that the  fertility of the soils and the vitality 

of pollinating insects will be restored.


Show us how to curb our greed 

that there may be an equal sharing of the earth’s gifts 

and equitable pay for all who labour. 


Show us how to unite all our brethren 

in eschewing the use of fossil fuels 

that global temperatures can be contained. 


Show us how to make space for others 

that migrants both human and creaturely 

may have space to call their own.

Amen.

Prayers for Creation

10th  March 2023

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my spirit upon your descendants,
    and my blessing on your offspring. Isaiah 44:3

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 Jeremiah 2:4-5, 12-13

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 

Thus says the Lord: 

What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?

Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate,
says the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: 

they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns  that can hold no water.

Canticle

The glaciers are melting, their reach is receding – 

Lord, where did we go wrong?

Where did we fail to see the better way?

The rivers are drying up, their source is dwindling – 

Lord, where did we go wrong?

Where did we fail to see the better way?

The fields are dry, the plants shrivelled – 

Lord, where did we go wrong?

Where did we fail to see the better way?

The leaves are tinder dry, the forests burning – 

Lord, where did we go wrong?

Where did we fail to see the better way?

The reservoirs are empty, the taps no longer drip –

Lord, where did we go wrong?

Where did we fail to see the better way?

The  birds die of thirst, the animals are failing fast –

Lord, where did we go wrong?

Where did we fail to see the better way?

The children no longer cry, 

their helpless parents look away:

There is no water to drink!

Lord, where did we go wrong?

Where did we fail to see the better way?


Prayer:

Lord in your mercy, 

grant us wisdom before it is too late!

Lord in your mercy 

remove the blinkers from our eyes, 

the self conceit from our hearts.

Lord in your mercy,

show us a better way to live 

where we store water with care, 

where we cherish every drop, 

where we follow practices of conservation, 

where we share what we have according to need.

May we once again embrace your gifts of the Spirit, 

knowing that they well up inside us 

like living waters that can nourish all life 

unto eternity. 

Amen.

Yet those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ John 4:14

Prayers for Creation

3rd March 2023

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Jib 38:1-2 

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8 

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Ephesians 5:17

Listen; attune your ears – what do you hear? 

The excited chatter of children,

and the chatter of jackdaws,

wind rustling the leaves,

and feet tapping the road.

Or the drone of cars – too much!

Or the whine of planes – too many!

Look; focus your vision – what do you see?

a lacework of branches against the sky,

and curvaceous clouds,

tawny shades of fallen leaves,

and the tight curl of a snail shell.

Or traffic crawling bumper to bumper – too much

Or discarded tatters of plastic – too many!

Stretch; bare your skin – what do you feel?

The warm caress of the sun, 

the chilly nip of the breeze,

the prickle of grass,

the textured bark of a tree

Or the rasp of exhaust in your throat – too much!

Or the scratch of particulates in your eyes – too many!

Sniff; breathe deeply – what do you smell?

The aroma of fresh coffee,

and the zest of orange juice,

the fragrance of the last rose,

and the warmth of ground spices.

Or the reek of petrol – too much!

Or the sting of pesticides – too many!

Savour; let it linger on your tongue – what do you taste?

The fresh acidity of an apple, 

and the earthy satisfaction of bread,

the squashy sweetness of banana,

and the melting delight of chocolate.

Or the fake sweetness of green wash – too much!

Or the gall of climate injustice- too many !

Merciful God, 

bring us to  our senses.

Help us rebuild a world 

of right experiences.

Amen. 

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17

Holy God, 

in the hour of our stupidity, 

guide us with your wisdom. 

Help us to,understand afresh 

the intricacies and interconnectedness 

of the world you have given us.

Holy God, 

in the hour of our need, 

repair the damage we have caused 

to your world 

so that we will might all be saved.

Amen.

Prayers for Creation

24th February 2023

The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all 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: Leviticus 25:2-7, 23-24

When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. You may eat what the land yields during its sabbath—you, your male and female slaves, your hired and your bound labourers who live with you; for your livestock also, and for the wild animals in your land all its yield shall be for food…The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants. Throughout the land that you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land.

Like carbon to the atmosphere:

We have added to the world’s woes.

Like nutrients from the soil;

We have taken without restoring.

Like heat to the ocean:

We have sown destruction.

All: Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

In our forgiving and being forgiven:

Bring in your reign, O God: Let Godly hopes prevail.

https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/09/06/tuesdays-in-climate-emergency/

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen?”: 

Merciful God, open our ears to hear your word and our hearts that we may respond with action.

Intercessions with words from Isaiah 58

“Loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke.”

May we be not blind to the hardships and inequalities faced by plantation workers and farmers when big businesses hold the balance of power. Rather may we support fair trade both with our lips and our purses. 

“Set the oppressed free and break every yoke.”

May we not be ignorant of the oppression of government loans and trade deals. Rather may we campaign for justice and use our voices to challenge those in power. 

 “Share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter.”

May we be generous in giving aid for those facing starvation and homelessness – those in the UK who are reliant on food banks, those in Ethiopia struggling with drought, those in Madagascar made homeless by storms, and those who sleep on our streets because rents are too high.

“When you see the naked, clothe them; do not to turn away from your own kin.”

May we comprehend that it is not just people, but the land too that can be stripped of protection. May we safeguard all living things that are made vulnerable through our greed. 

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear”.

Restoring God, may we, in our lifetime, 

see the healing of the environment, 

the restoration of justice 

and the renewal of creation’s natural abundance.

Then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” 

May we learn in our hearts and put to effect in our lives the wisdom you teach us. 

Amen.

Prayers for creation

17th  February 2023

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[a] 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.

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 creation: Show the Love

9th  February 2023

May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works. Psalm 104:31

Lord you created the world in love:

Thank you .

Lord you sustain the world through love:

Thank you.

Lord you invite us to share that love: 

Thank you .

A reading from Psalm 104: 24, 27-31

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom you have made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.

These all look to you
    to give them their food in due season;

when you give to them, they gather it up;
    when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
    when you take away their breath, they die
    and return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit,[g] they are created;
    and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works!

So beautiful is the world You created

So beautiful is the world You created – from soil to sea, plants and trees of every sort.

How wonderful the waters teeming with living creatures, birds flying across the skies, all creatures and beasts on the land

Oh, how we have taken for granted and so greedily from the earth – destroyed habitats, hunted to extinction, desecrated environments and species.

We are sorry for our ignorance, our selfishness, our behaviour

Turn us into agents of action –

Help us to change our ways –

Encourage us to bring others with us; families, friends, politicians and world leaders to….

Learn new fairer, greener ways to live with each other

On this beautiful blue planet, till every…

Valley and mountain top, field and forest, river and sea is restored, and we find a new balance to live as You intended, for….

EVERMORE.

Amen

Sue Charlton

Compassionate God

Compassionate God, you know our hearts and share our sorrows.
We are hurt by the despoiling of the living Earth, which we love.
We are angry at the loss we contemplate. We long for words of comfort, yet find them hard to hear.
Turn our grief to active love
Turn our anger to energy for repair of the world
Turn our guilt to solidarity
and by your forgiveness make us whole with all creation

Andii Bowsher

Both these prayers come from the Green Christian website – https://greenchristian.org.uk/resources/show-the-love-prayer-2021/

Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14 

Prayers for creation: 

2nd February, Candlemas

“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations. Isaiah 42:6

You Lord are the light of the world:help us to see.

Your word is a light for our path:guide us in all we do.

Whatever we say or do:let it be to the glory of God.

A reading from Luke 2: 29- 35

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,

as you have promised.

I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.

He is a light to reveal God to the nations,

and he is the glory of your people Israel.” 

Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”


Where will that light shine?

Will it reach the tops of the  mountains where the glaciers are fast disappearing?

Will it follow the rivers that flow down from the mountains? 

Will it light upon the people who rely on the river for their livelihoods?

Will it herald a bright future for them or pierce their soul as with a sword?

Where will that light shine?

Will it reach the depths of the earth where conglomerates mine for minerals and riches?

Will it reach the depth of the oceans where conglomerates drill for oil and gas?

Will it follow the flow of money that skips lightly past those who labour,  

and fills the ever deepening pockets of the wealthy?

Will it herald a bright future for them or pierce their soul as with a sword?

Where will the light shine?

Will it reach the verdant understory deep within the rainforests? 

Or will it find that space already punctured by sugar and soy plantations?

Will it be embraced by a rich biodiverse ecosystem – 

or will it search desperately for indigenous lives that are no more?

Will it herald a bright future for them or pierce their soul as with a sword?

Where will the light shine?

Will it glitter on the vast whiteness of the poles? 

Or will it sink into the void that melting ice has left behind?

Will it bring life to the Arctic tern and the walrus? 

Will it be a ray of light for the penguin chick and the polar bear cub?

Will it herald a bright future for them or pierce their soul as with a sword?

Where will the light shine?

Will reach inside  apartment blocks  split open by bombs?

Will it reach inside the ‘temporary’ abodes of the refugee camp?

Will it reach inside those precarious homes where the need for heat 

faces a constant battle with the need to eat?

Will it spotlight communities in need of levelling up?

Will it herald a bright future for them or pierce their soul as with a sword?


For the times we have masked your light so that its message is obscured:

Lord have mercy.

For the times we have refocused your light away from those in need:

Lord have mercy.

For the times we have directed your light away from our own shortcomings:

Lord have mercy.

For the times we have refused to see where your light is pointing:

Lord have mercy.

Renew in us your spark that we may be visible agents of your Kingdom and active agents of your purpose.

Amen.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

Prayers for Creation: 27th January 2023

Trust in the Lord and be doing good; 

dwell in the land and be nourished with truth. 

Let your delight be in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desire. Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, and he will bring it to pass.  (Psalm 37:3-5)

You Lord are the bread of life;

feed us with your wisdom.

Our meat is to do the Father’s  will.

guide us in all we do.

Whenever we eat or drink

Let it be to the glory of God.

A reading from Micah 4:3-4

He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
    and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
    and no one shall make them afraid;
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. 

A canticle based on Psalm 23


The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;

Year by year, the earth produces fresh food,  

enough to feed  10 billion people. 

He leads me beside still waters;
   he restores my soul.

River waters flow through all the earth’s  continents –  

volumes of fresh water but unequally apportioned.


He leads me in right paths
   for his name’s sake. 

Your word shows us where truth lies, 

your wisdom guides us.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
   I fear no evil;

Rather amongst business leaders and politicians, 

autocrats and diktats do I tremble. 

but you are with me;
   your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 

As you comfort and protect us, so may we 

comfort and protect all who live in fear.


You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;

May we be peace makers, 

generously sharing the abundance we have.


you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows. 

May we bring health and well being

 to all our brother and sisters in creation.


Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,

May we all dwell in the house of the Lord 

all the days of our lives.

The Grace .