Evening Prayer Thursday, 6 May 2021
Psalm 98
1 Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvellous things;
his right hand and his holy arm<
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn –
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
NIV®
Dear Lord, we praise you for the salvation you have offered us
through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.
With the whole universe we make music to you, O Lord,
joyful in the knowledge that you will judge the whole world with righteousness.
We also recognise that all is not well in your world.
We and our forebears have not been careful stewards of your creation;
too often we have exploited the bounty of the earth and the seas,
without considering whether our activities are sustainable.
We ask your forgiveness and pray that we and all your people
will better husband the riches that you have placed in our care.
We pray that the world leaders gathered in summit this week
will make wise decisions, particularly the immediate need for coronavirus vaccines
to be urgently distributed and delivered to the world’s poorest people.
We pray that our leaders will not just set goals for reducing carbon emissions,
but will force through the changes that are needed to fulfil these commitments on time.
We pray, too, that our governments, both local and national,
will work to make the changes required to close the gap between the rich and poor,
and to ensure that adequate housing, food, care and a good environment are accessible to all.
As we come to the end of this election day, we pray that those who have been chosen
to serve on our councils and assemblies, and as elected mayors and PCCs,
will do all in their power to deliver on their election promises.
As we prepare ourselves for the night ahead, and when we lay down to rest,
may we listen, in the darkness, to the silent music of the spheres,
as they sing your praises, and may our hearts sing our own hymns of thanksgiving.
We ask all these prayers in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
