Category: Prayers

Forgive our oily sins

6th September 2025

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11:25-26

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 Deuteronomy 30: 15-29

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them,  I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.  I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live

 A response – 

When oil is pumped from the ground 

it leaves a sticky trail 

that reappears 

as polluted soil, polluted water and polluted air. 

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Forgive our sinful ways and restore life.

When seeds are sown in the ground, 

the energy of the sun is absorbed 

and reappears as waving heads of corn.

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Praise to you for the  generosity that gives life.

When oil becomes petrol it powers the car 

but then reappears 

as an exhaust that pollutes the air and pollutes our lungs.

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Forgive our sinful ways and restore life.

When the corn is cut the grain is milled

and the straw reappears as mulch, 

and the grain reappears as bread.

It never becomes nothing.

Living God, 

Praise to you for the  generosity that gives life.

When oil becomes plastic it can become anything –

but then reappears 

as pollution in the rivers and pollution in the seas,  

it reappears 

as micro particles in  the air we breath, the water we drink and the food we eat – 

it even reappears in our blood!

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Forgive our sinful ways and restore life.

When the bread is shared and the people fed, 

the energy reappears 

as hearts that love, 

as hands that heal and as minds that learn, 

as feet that walk alongside and as shoulders that share the load. 

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Praise to you for the  generosity that gives life.

The Grace.

In all creation God’s name is holy

31st  August  2025

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. Luke 12:27

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 Job 12:7-9

But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?

A response:

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!

Amen.

Living God, 

when we neglect to see the beauty around us, 

open our eyes.

When we neglect to hear the music around us, 

open our ears.

When we neglect to feel your presence, 

awaken our senses.

When we neglect to receive your love, 

open our hearts.

Living God, 

re-inspire us with your Spirit, 

so that in us too your name is holy.

Amen. 

Prayers for peace

9th August 2025

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You bless us with a world that is good 

and look to us to be peace makers and peace keepers:

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters: 

May we live together in peace.

Reading Micah 4: 2- 5

  And many nations shall come and say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
    and the word of the Lord from his dwelling place.

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.

For all the peoples walk,
    each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
    for ever and ever.

We cannot read words today and not weep with distress and anger at what we have seen and heard this week in Gaza and Israel.*

Lord  of mercy and healing, 

be a source of comfort to all who are suffering, 

all who are in pain, all who terrified and fearful, 

all who feel lost and without hope.

Lord in your loving mercy, restore peace on earth.

How can humans allow relationships to sink to this level of violence, hate  and revenge?

Open our hearts and minds to perceive all that eats away at peace.

Pause our snap judgments that cannot see the bigger picture.

Remove our blinkers of prejudice and hate.

Lord in your loving mercy, restore peace on earth.

How can humans created in the image of God, cause such pain and suffering on those equally created in the image of God?

Open our hearts and minds to empathise with those who suffer

Pause our urge to look away and forget

Remove our hardness of heart.

Lord in your loving mercy, restore peace on earth.

How can communities and tribes believe that they can create a better future through warfare and violence?

Open our hearts and minds – and our purses – to rebuild peace: 

To build a world where all have food and homes, 

Where all can work and all can rest,

Where all are loved and all are valued.

Lord in your loving mercy, restore peace on earth.

Devastated by our ignorance and impotence, we realise that we are not the wise and clever people we though we were. 

Transform our urge to disparage and find fault,

Transform our urge to put focus on our interests,

Transform our lack of will.

Lord in your loving mercy, restore peace on earth.

Peace is not just the absence the war. 

Peace provides clean water and sanitation.

Peace provides an ample sufficiency of healthy food.

Peace provides a loving home.

Peace provides protection from the elements.

Peace provides security from danger and freedom from fear.

Peace provides energy and resources to sustain daily occupations.

Peace provides health care.

Peace provides education.

Peace provides the freedom to worship.

Peace provides the means to listen to others and to tell your own story.

Peace encourages respect.

Peace provides the means to discuss and plan shared futures.

Peace enables fresh food to be grown and harvested.

Peace shares resources equitably.

Peace provides space to rest and time to enjoy friendship.

Peace it is a way of living that provides for the wellbeing of everyone.

Amen.

  • first written in October 2023

The Lord’s Prayer rephrased

2nd August 2025

Behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst. Luke 17:21b

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 13:18-21

Jesus said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’ And again he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’

A response: 

Heavenly Mother & Father of us all,

Holy is your name.

Holy is your creation, 

from the heights above to the deepest depths, 

from the farthest horizon to the ground beneath our feet.


May your Kingdom come, 

may your reign prevail  and never end.

For the rule of God is to act 

with loving kindness and justice, 

with mercy and humility. 


Give us today our daily bread, 

feed us with your love, 

nourish us in our insecurities –

and give not just to us your people 

but to all our kindred in creation.


And in receiving, 

may we too become givers,  

giving bread, 

giving love, 

giving respect.


Forgive us our sins, 

forgive us  where we have fallen short 

and heal us, 

that we too may forgive 

and heal the wounds we have caused.


Enable us to look upon each other with love, 

knowing each and everyone 

to be a child created in your image 


Protect us from pride and apathy, 

direct us away from greed, 

vanity and temptation. 

Deliver us from evil, 

from the ills we have created.


In your Kingdom we will find glory, 

in your reign we will find harmony, 

and under your rule we will find peace.

Amen. Amen.

Amen.

“Thy will be done”

26th July 2025

Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their sibling are liars; for those who do not love a sibling whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

May your name be hallowed.

You call us to love every neighbour as ourself: 

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 25: 35-40

for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”  And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,[a] you did it to me.”

Love the Lord your God with heart and soul and mind and strength.

The migrant is a figure of hate, 

the asylum seeker despised; 

the Jew is stereotyped, 

the Muslim is vilified.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Love your neighbour as yourself.

The homeless lie destitute on the pavement, 

the lonely sit isolated in their homes, 

the poor queue in food banks, 

the rich are spoilt for choice.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Do not opposes the orphan, the widowed, nor the foreigner.

The children are reduced to bones by malnutrition, 

the widowed go hungry;

the stateless have no rights 

and the alien is deported.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty.

Food aid sits in compounds as Palestinians die on their feet; 

whilst those collecting water become targets for snipers.

In the West, food banks and food waste co-exist, 

whilst health service tackle obesity and malnutrition.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Seek justice, love mercy.

Warfare grinds on in Ukraine and the Congo, 

in Myanmar and Thailand, in Gaza and Yemen.

Justice falters where drug wars and gang violence, 

land grabs and forced migration take precedence. 

The rich and powerful have no mercy.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Speak out for the voiceless and rescue the oppressed.

Refugees languish unreported in North Sudan and Yemen;

Afghan women wait at borders with no hope of rescue, 

and trafficked workers remain hidden out of sight.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Release the prisoner, heal the sick.

Activists are imprisoned, 

political opponents jailed, 

the disabled are trapped by lack of support, 

the mentally ill are left in limbo for lack of care.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Tend and protect the Earth; declare the year of the Lord’s favour.

Soils are degraded through overuse, 

waters are polluted with sewage and chemical spills;

temperatures rise and glaciers melt; 

industrial farming displaces forests; 

wildlife diminishes.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Lord whenever we pray as Jesus taught us, 

inspire us with the vision of how things could be on Earth just as jn Heaven. 

Challenge us to live according to your will. 

Embolden us with strength to make the  changes that are needed. 

Empower us with wisdom to speak the truth to power where your will is ignored. 

And enfold us in your loving compassion.

Amen. 

remind us that how things are is not ‘Thy will’ help us understand that we are called to 

Magnificat reimagined 

19th July 2025

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.
Psalm 37:3-4

You Lord are the bread of life;

feed us with your wisdom.

Our nourishment is to do God’s will;

guide us in all we do

Whenever we eat or drink

Let it be to the glory of the kingdom of God.

A reading from Matthew 25: 34-36 (The Message)

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’” 


A canticle reimagining the Magnificat:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

Praise to you O God, for the rich creation of this world 

for which you have created humans to be under-gardeners.

From this day all generations will call me blessed;
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.

You have blessed Earth with fruit bearing trees and plants, 

ensuring food throughout the seasons.

God has mercy on those who fear him,
from generation to generation.

Your wisdom guides those who, in each generation, 

have the honesty and humility  to seek it.

God  has shown strength with her arm
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

May  each generation see the damage 

they cause when they  disdain your will. 

Casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.

Raise the spirits of those who work at the grassroots, 

give them strength to overcome the deceits of big business.

God  has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.

Bless the work of food banks and charities that feed the hunger, 

and teach those with wealth to be sacrificial in their giving.

God came to the aid of his servant Jacob
to remember his promise of mercy,

Help nations and communities to work together

for justice and for peace. 

God’s promise is made to our ancestors,
from Abraham and his children and for all generations to come.

May every generation to come, reap the harvest,

not of our greed, but of God’s grace .

Amen.

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.
Psalm 37:3-4

Protest! Speak truth to power! Thanks be to God!

12th July 2025

Let there be no hate in your heart for your neighbour; but make protest to your neighbours, so that they may be stopped from doing evil. Leviticus 19:17

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to love every neighbour as ourself: 

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 3: 7 – 14, 18 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptised by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy  of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

 And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’  Even tax-collectors came to be baptised, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’

 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

A response that we too may proclaim the good news, speaking truth to power:

Heavenly God, mother and father of all,

Hear our prayers of grief and puzzlement 

as we see a world filled with hate and suffering,  

a world where speaking truth is condemned, 

a world where money and profit hold sway.

In your mercy hear our prayer 

and let those in positions of power hear our cry

Heavenly God, mother and father of all,

Soften the hearts of those who inflict evil on their neighbours, 

those who withhold food from the hungry, 

who withhold water from the thirsty, 

who withhold shelter from the homeless, 

who withhold medical aid from the injured.

In your mercy hear our prayer 

and let those in positions of power hear our cry

Heavenly God, mother and father of all,

Soften the hearts of those who support wrong doing, 

those who license armaments that kill and maim, 

those who finance military operations that target civilians, 

those who facilitate operations that terrorise and displace local populations.

In your mercy hear our prayer 

and let those in positions of power hear our cry

Heavenly God, mother and father of us all,

Break down the walls that divide 

the world of commerce from the world of life, 

that separate the pursuit of profit from the pursuit of wellbeing, 

that separate the experiences of those who have from those who do not, 

that separate expediency from moral imperatives.

In your mercy hear our prayer 

and let those in positions of power hear our cry

Heavenly God, mother and father of all, 

Enflame the hearts of those who turn away, 

who choose not to see the horror, 

who ignore the suffering of their fellow human and creaturely beings, 

who disregard the cries for help.

In your mercy hear our prayer 

and let those in positions of comfort to hear our cry

Heavenly God, mother and father of all,

Empower our hearts and minds 

so that we may always pronounce the good news, 

that we may always speak truth to power, 

that we may always protest for the rights of the poor and forgotten, 

that we may always act out of love and compassion.

Amen.

A lament in times of drought

5th July 2025

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. Proverbs 3:5

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 lament:-

Dried up grass, withered leaves, parched earth:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

Wilting stems, shrivelled fruit, sun-bleached petals:

 My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

Desiccated trees, with premature leaf fall:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

Harden mud in the ditch, ponds reduced to a smudge:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

The smell of ash and dust – no scent of roses now:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for frogs and toads? Will newts survive?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for caterpillars? 

If no caterpillars, what future for birds and butterflies?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for worm-eating birds?  

What future for grass-grazing rabbits?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for arable farms when the rain doesn’t fall? 

What future for livestock farms when fields are bare?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for humanity when reservoirs and taps run dry? 

What future for humanity when food is unaffordable?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

A reading from Isaiah 55:1-5 (The Message)

 “Hey there! All who are thirsty come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything’s free! Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest.  Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.

To you O Lord, we turn for help! Make your ways known to us: 

Embed them in our hearts.

Give and do not count the cost, be generous in every way.

Exercise leadership with diligence, show care with cheerfulness. 

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Share one another’s burdens, remove the burden of debt.

Care for the widow, the orphan and the stranger.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Do  good; seek justice, correct oppression; 

bring justice to the abandoned, plead the widow’s cause.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Love your neighbour.

Establish governance with righteousness. 

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Do not be greedy, foreswear dishonest gain.

Do not bear false witness.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Tend and care for the soil, give the land due rest.

Tend and prune the plants; give them due respite.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Care for the animals of the fields, and the wild creatures.

Have respect for every living thing. 

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

The Grace

For a better tomorrow 

28th June 2025

I will pour out My Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your elders will dream dreams,  your youth will see visions. Joel 2:28

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.

Acts 4: 42-47 – See! Together we can create a better world.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need.

With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

I pray that tomorrow the seas will be full of fish 

and whales, seahorses and turtles, 

whilst the skies above throng with a whole gamut of sea birds. 

I pray that tomorrow the fields will be full of flowers, 

and the air buzzing with insects, whilst the hedgerows 

 thrill with the dancing of butterflies.

I pray that tomorrow’s streets will be full of children at play 

and old people chatting, passing the time of day,

whilst cyclists weave carefully through the mix.

I pray that tomorrow houses will twinkle with solar panels,

and hum with heat pumps, whilst insulation 

mitigates the ‘way too hot’ and the ‘way too cold’.

I pray that tomorrow, our futures look bright, 

and our children secure, whilst we relish 

the satisfaction that we can live in harmony with all. 

Amen. 

The Lord is my shepherd – a retelling of psalm 23

21st July 2025

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.