This week we are asked to pray:
Prayers for the week Thank you to Ann for this week’s prayers. Prayers for the Church Dear Lord, we pray for your Church today gathered all around the world in tiny churches and great cathedrals, to praise you, to hear your Holy Word, and to meet you in bread and wine. Give us a sense of expectation as we come, and inspiration as we go. Dear Lord this Sunday is Holy Cross day, and we remember that Jesus the Good Shepherd is the Lamb of God, who gave his life for love of the world. May your love flow through your church, and bless the whole Earth today and every day. Dear Lord thank you for Steve and Lindsey and Elizabeth who are here with us today showing us how to find your Kingdom through the lives of children especially those in Talanga. Help us to share in their life-giving work through our prayers and our giving. Prayers for Creation Dear God we praise you in this Creationtide for placing us in this beautiful World which we share with all mankind and every creature. We thank you for the sun and the rain which bless us with the fruits of the earth and the herbs of the fields to feed us. We thank you for the moon and stars which light up the night, and for the rainbow which reminds us of our kinship with all Creation with whom you have made your Covenant of Love. Prayers for the World Dear God, in a news report it was possible to hear, amid the gunfire and explosions, the songs of the birds, these tiny creatures blessing the air with music in the midst of terrible conflict. Thank you for all the people who bring light into dark places with deeds of courage and compassion. Thank you for aid workers, medical teams, journalists, and peacemakers who in the agony of war call for healing and reconciliation. May their voices, the cries of the children, the groans of creation, and the prayers of so many people be heard by those who have the authority to silence the guns, that they too may hear and obey the voice of the Prince of Peace. Prayers for the Community Dear Lord, thank you for our community villages set alongside the river where field and forest meet at the water’s edge. Thank you for the children who inspire us, and keep us on our toes, and all who care for them at home and school. Thank you for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and vets. Thank you for care workers and councillors. Thank you for librarians. Thank you for farmers and farmworkers who raise the crops. Thank you for the people who serve in pubs, clubs, hotels and cafes. Thank you for all who maintain essential services providing us with water, heating, lighting, and sanitation, and all who maintain our highways and railways. Thank you for the emergency services who keep us safe, and for the lock keepers who monitor the river. Thank you for your churches whose constant prayers bring blessings to us through you, the community of Triune Love. Prayers for the Sick Dear Lord who heals the sick please bless all those who suffer. Thanksgiving for the communion of saints Dear Lord we remember with love all those whose lives have blessed ours, but have now gone before us to be with Christ. We hold them in our hearts knowing that you hold them in yours. Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.