Category: Prayers

“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.

Celebrating the gift of smell 

31st May 2025

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. Psalm 45:7b, 8a

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 the Song of Songs 4:13-14 

Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices— a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.

Praise be to God for the gift of smell:

Summer sweet smells,

the spiced scent of roses, 

the honey sweetness of lime blossom, 

the calming fragrance of lavender. 

The morning’s scents of dew damp grass, 

of hay in the noon day’s heat, 

the evening’s languid aroma of honeysuckle 

draws in the smells of night.

The burnt earth smell of bracken, 

the pungent smell of the first rains.

The slip-sliding smell of fresh water, 

the salty tang of the sea.


The simple – overlooked? – nose 

plays host to an olfactory banquet, 

attuning us to the time of day, 

the seasons and the weather.

Picking up signals 

that suggest delight or warn of danger,

that pique our appetite, 

and speak of attraction, reward and love.

Praise be to God for the gift of smell.


Ever present God, 

bless our mindfulness, 

our ability to sense your presence,  

to find you in the smells of the everyday, 

to relish the delights than come less often. 

Ever present God, 

be with those surrounded by the smell of war and fear, 

of destruction and decay.

Breathe compassion 

into the hearts of those who wage war, 

and those who make peace. 

Ever present God, be with those 

surrounded with pollution and those who breath acrid air.

Bless the work of all who create green spaces, 

whose living organisms purify the air.

Lend strength to those who protect the environment 

and those who seek a cleaner way of life.

Ever present God, be with those 

in need of healing in body, mind and spirit.

May they breathe out all that causes harm 

and breathe in all that is wholesome. 

Inspire and renew us one and all 

with the sweet fragrance of your Spirit. 

Amen.

Weave a web of care

24th May 2025

“Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last 200 years. We are not God. The Earth was here before us and was given to us. The exploitation of the planet has already exceeded acceptable limits and we still have not solved the problem of poverty. We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.” Pope Francis, Laudate Si

When I am tempted to meanness,

Show me your ways, O God,

and teach me your paths.

When I fail to care for your creation,

Show me your ways, O God,

and teach me your paths.

When I am too busy to stand and stare,

Show me your ways, O God,

and teach me your paths.

Rhythms of Remembering, Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild, with permission 


Pause for reflection. 

A reading Job 12:7-11

“But ask the animals what they think—let them teach you;
    let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics.
    Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
    that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
    every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
    as common as the sense of taste?

Response:

To know you in all things

Weave a web of your presence around us today.

Be with our hands as they work.

Be with our eyes as they see.

Be with our ears as they hear.

Be with our  tongue as it speaks.

Be with our feelings and our thoughts.

Be with the people we meet.

Be with the trees we pass by and the grass we walk upon.

Be with the birds we hear and the creatures we see.

Be with the things we fashion and the things we take.

Be with the decisions we make.

Be in and through, over and under all,

that doing and hearing and seeing, speaking and making and being,

may we glimpse your glory, hear your voice

and joyfully work with you

to create a new heaven and a new earth.

 May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit 

be with us all, 

amen.

For all our brothers and sisters – in thanksgiving for the life and teachings of Pope Francis

26th April 2025

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40 

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 58:6-11

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.

Prayer of Pope Francis

All-powerful God,

you are present in the whole universe

and in the smallest of your creatures.

You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love,

that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live

as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,

help us to rescue the abandoned

and forgotten of this earth,

so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives,

that we may protect the world and not prey on it,

that we may sow beauty,

not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts

of those who look only for gain

at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,

to be filled with awe and contemplation,

to recognise that we are profoundly united

with every creature

as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.

Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle

for justice, love and peace.

Amen.

Lament for the sorrows of the world

7th July 2023

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

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: Exodus 3:1-7 

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings…’

Response
Great and awesome God, 

keeper of promises

and steadfast in love, 

We lay before you the sorrows of the world:

Soldiers and civilians killed in war, 

police and rioters caught in the crossfire of inequality 

refugees risking death to seek a safer life, 

lives lost in floods and heatwaves.

Lord have mercy: 

and hear our prayer.

Great and awesome God, 

keeper of promises

and steadfast in love, 

We lay before you the sorrows of the world:

Rivers drained by drought, 

glaciers and ice caps carved away by heat, 

burning tundra and wild fires,  

coral reefs bleached by heat stress.

Lord have mercy: 

and hear our prayer.

Great and awesome God, 

keeper of promises

and steadfast in love, 

We lay before you the sorrows of the world:

Livelihoods gone because of rising fuel prices, 

harvests lost as rainfall diminishes, 

futures destroyed by armed conflict,  

lives lost through lack of medical attention.

Lord have mercy: 

and hear our prayer.

Great and awesome God, 

keeper of promises

and steadfast in love, 

We lay before you the sorrows of the world:

Wildlife made homeless by forest clearance, 

migrating birds dying from heat exhaustion, 

bees and butterflies poisoned by pesticides, 

marine ecosystems decimated by over fishing.  

Lord have mercy: 

and hear our prayer.

Great and awesome God, 

keeper of promises

and steadfast in love, 

We lay before you the sorrows of the world:

Political intransigence that leaves people powerless, 

broken promises that relegate the needs of biodiversity,

half-baked measures that ignore the vulnerable,

taxes that reward the rich and take from the poor. 

Lord have mercy: 

and hear our prayer.

Holy and loving God, 

comfort us when we are overwhelmed, 

reassure us when we feel helpless, 

inspire us when we lack hope 

and empower us when we can make a difference.

Amen. 

The Grace