God our creator who goes before us
You draw us forward in faith
Like a pillar of fire across desert wastes
A rock of assurance
As we journey
Speak to us with your words of comfort and wisdom.
Prayer of confession
God of love and forgiveness
Save us by your tenderness
From each deed that is destructive
From each act that grieves you
From each thought that is careless
From each idea that is unloving
From each word that hurts.
Help us to face up to your call on our lives, by creating love and
goodness, community, society where it has been broken. In Jesus Name, Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer in our own language
Luke 18v1-7
Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person. 3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them?
Our prayers for our Covid world, and for Yemen, Myanmar, China, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Belarus, Russia, US, UK, UAE, Ethiopia, Syria, Iran, Australia, our own country, climate change, doctors and nurses, carers, teachers, those confronting injustice, our families and friends and ourselves…
May God’s hand be upon us, your angels protect us and the Holy Spirit work in and around us. Amen
Song “He shall feed his flock”
Blessing
Loving God help us to follow you
Into a place of quietness,
Where we may face beasts and wilderness
But we will know the presence of angels
Even in the desert times. Amen.