Category: Prayers

Midday Prayers for the Care of Creation

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and all that is within me bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits;

Bless the Lord, all you works of his,

in all places of his dominion; 

bless the Lord, O my soul.

Ps 103: 1-2, 22

Blessings come from and are returned to God. We ask blessings for  people  and animals, things, places, occasions, and meals. 

Blessing can be a means of bringing together heaven and earth. 

Reading: And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!” Revelation 5:13

Everliving God, the heavens declare your praise and yet cannot contain your glory. 

We join with all creation in honouring you.

for frosty mornings and blue skies, 

and the fresh air we breathe:

We bless you, creator God;

for robins, sparrows and starlings, 

and all who visit our gardens:

We bless you, creator God;

For strong limbed trees and supple saplings, 

and all the strength they embody:

We bless you, creator God;

For fruits and roots, and leaves and shoots, 

and all the nourishment they provide:

We bless you, creator God;

For cats and dogs, our companionable friends, 

and foxes  and deer, our wilder friends:

We bless you, creator God;

For winter flowers and bumble bees, 

for winter’s work and rest: 

We bless you, creator God!

Let’s  before offer intercessions for the well being of our local environment 

We pray for the work of the Wetlands Trust protecting birds and their habitats, and we give thanks for our local Wetlands reserve.

We pray for the work of Kew Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank, for their work in protecting and nurturing plants and we give thanks for beauty of the gardens.

We pray for the work of the park rangers maintaining the wildness of Richmond Park with its great diversity of plant and animal life. We pray too for the work of Holly Lodge enabling the Park to be accessible to all.

We pray for those who work to protect the biodiversity of the Thames, and we give thanks for the wildlife returning to its waters.

We pray for the Friends of Sheen Common and of Palewell Common and for their safeguarding of these local green oases. We give thanks for joy that comes from playing and running, from playing sports and walking dogs.

We pray too for local gardeners and keepers of allotments, and for all who put out food and water for birds. We give thanks for the beauty of the front gardens we walk past.

As we notice the wonders of creation that surround us, 

 we pray that what we see we will love,

 and that what we love, we will protect, 

and that what we protect, will be blessed by God. 

Amen. 

Skip and Skitter

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.

Amen. 

This prayer or psalm gives a seasonal update to one written in the summer

Midday Prayers during COP26

Friday 12th November 2021

Let’s seek God with all our heart

Amen. God be our centre.

Let’s seek God with all our soul

Amen. God be our vision.

Let’s seek God with all our mind

Amen. God be our wisdom.

Let’s seek God with all our strength

Amen. God be our souls’ shelter.

(From https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/08/30/mondays-in-climate-emergency/)

Reading: Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. Deuteronomy 11: 19-22

On this the eleventh day of COP26 the focus is on our governments as negotiations come to a close, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

for producers and consumers.

May the agreements and the pledges that are made this week

bring justice and confidence 

safety and security for all.

May they be honoured and enacted 

for the wellbeing our world and our futures.

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.


Now is the sky blue!

Now is the verge blowsy 

with lady’s lace and buttercups,

and tousle headed  grasses.

The dog rose in the hedge 

the sheep beyond.

The burbling refrain of the curlew, 

the acrobatic swerve of the swift.

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.

Amen. 

Midday Prayers during COP26

Thursday 11th November 2021

Forgiving God, we recognise that we have avoided your call, 

shirked responsibilities and mis-stewarded your gifts to us.

God forgive us; 

Let your grace live within us

Sharing God; we have resisted expressing your life 

and bringing to birth your kin-dom.

God forgive us; 

Let your grace live within us

God who first loved us, 

help us to love others by forgiving. 

God forgive us; 

Let your grace live within us.

Amen.

(Adapted from https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/09/07/wednesdays-in-climate-emergency/?relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=1824&relatedposts_position=0&relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=1824&relatedposts_position=0)

Reading: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.  Even the sparrow finds a home,   and the swallow a nest for herself,   where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

On this the tenth day of COP26 the focus is on  cities and the built environment, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

for producers and consumers.

May we build better towns and cities,

with green spaces and earth-friendly structures,

with accessible infrastructure and good housing for all

with local decision-making

and communities at their heart.

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.


Stop the world!  

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with climate anxiety, 

with the knowledge that we are still 

polluting the atmosphere with CO2.

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with the politics

that we continue to ignore –

that let the rich grow richer & the poor poorer.

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with the cycle of hate and war,

with our conviction that being tough 

will bring peace and reconciliation. 

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with the pursuit of profit 

that says ‘I’m worth it’

 whilst resolutely destroying our world.

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with myopia 

that can’t see the spread of global suffering 

because we are safe in our wealth.

Eternal God,

Give me some hope to aim for, 

courage to continue,

and peace to regain strength.

Amen.

Midday Prayer During COP26

Wednesday 10th November 2021

We come with faith: 

and we seek understanding.

We come with doubts: 

and we seek understanding.

We come with griefs: 

and we seek understanding.

Of our own hearts and misdesirings: 

we seek understanding.

Of your ways and will: 

we seek understanding.

For pre-empting the dangers of this present darkness: 

we seek understanding.

(From https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/05/06/climate-emergency/)

Reading: The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. 

Jonah 1:1-3, 11, 12, 17; 2:1,10; 3:1-3

On this the ninth day of COP26 the focus is on transport, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

for producers and consumers, 

that they may recognise the importance of transport

for linking people and nations,

 and for the sharing of resources.

May they recognise the importance of enabling 

equitable access to carbon free transport

and of rapidly removing transport modes 

that pollute and destroy life

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.


How long O Lord? 

How  many heat waves?

How many droughts?

How many floods?

How many lost coast lines?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis?

How many lost penguins?

How many missing polar bears?

How many extinct butterflies?

How many disappearing swifts?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis?

How many car journeys?

How many air miles? 

How many beef steaks?

How many tonnes of cement?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis.

Creator God, we admit our error

and recognise the crises we have caused. 

Grant us the wisdom and determination to make amends:

To change the way we live,

To change the way we see things,

To have care for the future.

Amen.

Midday Prayers during COP26

Tuesday 9th November 2021

Let’s seek God with all our heart

Amen. God be our centre.

Let’s seek God with all our soul

Amen. God be our vision.

Let’s seek God with all our mind

Amen. God be our wisdom.

Let’s seek God with all our strength

Amen. God be our souls’ shelter.

(From https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/08/30/mondays-in-climate-emergency/)

Readings: There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18: 2,3


On this the eighth day of COP26 the focus is on gender equality with a special concern for the inclusion of girls women, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

for producers and consumers, 

for girls and women, boys and men, 

transgender and non binary, gay and lesbian,

and those who would rather be free of labels.

May we care for and cherish each other,

supporting, enabling and encouraging all 

to cope with the challenges 

and opportunities of climate change.

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.

Love and cherish not some of the earth but all; 

Not just your back yard, but mine too;

Not just your local wood but the rainforests too;

Not just your home town but the favelas too.

Love and cherish not some creatures but all;

Not just pandas and tigers, but the vulture and bat too;

Not just bees but wasps and spiders too;

Not just elephants but slugs and snails too.

Love and cherish not some landscapes but all;

Not just meadows but peat bogs too;

Not just ancient woodlands but hedgerows too

Not just national parks but grass verges too.

Love and cherish not some people but all;

Not just city bankers but street cleaners too;

Not just business leaders but refugees too;

Not just home owners but travellers too.

For if we do not, we are all diminished.

If we do not we shall all suffer

from droughts and floods,

rising sea levels and declining water supplies,

from infectious diseases and resistant bacteria. 

We are one world, one family,

one eco system, one interdependent 

and interwoven creation. 

God, our creator, redeemer and sustainer,

Bring us to our senses! 

Now!

Midday Prayers During COP26

Saturday 6th November 2021

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.

All: Amen

Andii Bowsher, Green Christians 

https://greenchristian.org.uk/resources/show-the-love-prayer-2021/

Reading: O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. Psalm 104:24-25

On this the sixth day of COP26 the focus is on nature, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

shareholders and investors,

for producers and consumers.

May they recognise and be inspired

by the beauty and the necessity 

of the natural world, its seas and land,

its plants and creatures,

birds and insects

and micro-organisms.

May they value all that nature is, 

all that nature has been and can be,

and see within the ability of humankind 

to be destructive or constructive. 

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.

Hallowed be your name! (NB hallow is an older word that means holy)

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

Midday Prayers during COP26

Friday 5th November 2021

Let’s seek God with all our heart

Amen. God be our centre.

Let’s seek God with all our soul

Amen. God be our vision.

Let’s seek God with all our mind

Amen. God be our wisdom.

Let’s seek God with all our strength

Amen. God be our souls’ shelter.

(From https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/08/30/mondays-in-climate-emergency/)

Reading: And afterward, 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

On this the fourth day of COP26 the focus will be on youth and public empowerment, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

shareholders and investors,

for producers and consumers.

May they recognise and be inspired

by the passion and maturity

of our young people from across the globe.

May they prioritise the needs of future generations

over short term convenience.

May they embrace youth’s vision of a better future.

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.

When advertisers exhort us to drive ever larger fast cars –

We shall not comply.

When fashion houses entreat us to buy clothes for the beach and more for barbecue, clothes for lounging and more for reclining – 

We shall not comply.

When top chefs urge us to buy tropical fruits and exotic grains, to eat strawberries in January and avocados in September –

We shall not comply.

When tour companies tout trips to the Tropics, all flights included,  

or city breaks by air –

We shall not comply.

When weekend magazines promote this season’s new colour schemes wall paper and furnishing, out with the old and in with the new –

We shall not comply.

When tech industries unveil this year’s new phone, the upgraded tablet and irreparable head sets –

We shall not comply.

When governments tell us  that coal mines are good and ask for our vote –

We shall not comply.

When trend setters define the next must-have accessory and deride what was last season’s in thing – 

We shall not comply.

When politicians tell us national needs are all important and foreigners must wait – 

We shall not comply.

Holy God, 

keep awake in us a true love for the earth, 

its flora and fauna, our brothers and sisters.

Strengthen our resolve to live within our means, 

to act with compassion, and following your will –

We shall COMPLY!

Midday Prayer during COP26

Thursday 4th November 2021

We come with faith: 

and we seek understanding.

We come with doubts: 

and we seek understanding.

We come with griefs: 

and we seek understanding.

Of our own hearts and misdesirings: 

we seek understanding.

Of your ways and will: 

we seek understanding.

For pre-empting the dangers of this present darkness: 

we seek understanding.

(From https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/05/06/climate-emergency/)

Reading: Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” But remember the Lord your God, for the same it is who gives you power to get wealth, so that the Lord God may confirm the covenant that sworn to your ancestors, as he is doing today. Deuteronomy 8:17-18

On this the fourth day of COP26 the focus will be on energy – its use and it sources – so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

shareholders and investors,

for producers and consumers.

May they recognise and understand 

the need to produce only clean energy,

to ensure fair and equal access for all,

and to use energy wisely and in moderation.

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.

If we are called us to beat swords into plough shares,  

we are also called to turn military jobs into green ones.

If we seek to establish peace,

we must generously offer both love and practical gifts. 

If we shift from passive to active travel, from cars to cycles,

we shall need cycle paths and secure shelters.

If we replace petrol engines with electric motors, 

we must also turn petrol stations into recharging points.

If we swop meats for a vegan diet, 

we must also turn beef farms into arable farms,

sheep fells into woodlands,

dairies into nut fromageries.

If we switch to green electricity,

our pension funds must invest in renewable energy.

If we green our pensions, 

surely we will green our banks too.

Creator God, help us to see the changes we must make,

Give us the wisdom to support them, 

the energy to achieve them 

and the joy to celebrate them.

Amen.

Midday Prayers during COP26

Wednesday 3rd November

Forgiving God, we recognise that we have avoided your call, shirked responsibilities and mis-stewarded your gifts to us.

God forgive us; Let your grace live within us

Sharing God; we have resisted expressing your life and bringing to birth your kin-dom.

God forgive us; Let your grace live within us

God who first loved us, help us to love others by forgiving. 

God forgive us; Let your grace live within us.

(Adapted from https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/09/07/wednesdays-in-climate-emergency/?relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=1824&relatedposts_position=0&relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=1824&relatedposts_position=0)

Reading: God’s mercy is for those who revere him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their seats of power, and lifted up the vulnerable; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. Luke 1:50-53

On this the third day of COP26 the focus will be on finance, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

shareholders and investors.

May they recognise and understand 

the need to finance what is good for the environment,

to assist those who are vulnerable,

to shift from carbon production to green industries,

to plan for long term not short term gain.

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.

We stand at a tipping point, O God,

teetering between life and death:

Shall we fall or rise?

“Chose life!” 

Shall we retreat into our shells, bury our heads in the sand:

Or shall we step forth into a new age of sustainability?

“Chose life!”

Shall we ignore the science, hide ourselves in the trappings of consumerism:

Or shall we openly embrace renewable lifestyles?

“Chose life!”

Shall we pointlessly mourn the loss of polar bears and elephants, bees and butterflies:

Or shall we live our lives so that all may live?

“Chose life!”

Shall we fly to the ends of the earth while ice sheets melt:

Or value the future by enjoying what is local?

“Chose life!”

Shall we disregard floods and droughts, storms and heat waves, as seasonal blips:

Or acknowledge them as already-present signs of climate change?

“Chose life!”

Shall we close our ears to cries of help from farmers and islanders as their lands disappear:

Or shall we join voices in calling for justice?

“Chose life!”

Holy God,

Prompt us and urge us, encourage and propel us,

to now change our life styles so that all may have life and live!

Amen.