Evening Prayer Thursday, 3 June 2021

A reading from Peter’s first letter

⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4: 8–11 NIV®

Dear Lord, help us to love everyone deeply, striving to follow the example
of the love you have shown to us by sending your own Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ,
to die for our sins so that we might have salvation.
And you continue to love us, protect us and comfort us every day of our lives.
May we show something of your love to all those whom we meet in our daily life.

Teach us to praise you through service to others, that through us they may learn of your love for them.
We thank you for all the gifts you have showered on us, and may we always use them in your service.
In all our conversations, whether with family and friends, with colleagues at work,
or with those we have dealings with in shops, on the bus or in the street,
may we say only what you would have us say, building up those with whom we talk,
showing gratitude for the smallest things and never putting anyone down.

We praise you and thank you for the beauty of the world about us.
We are grateful for the warmer weather so that we may get out and about more,
and that children have good weather to enjoy their half-term holiday with friends and family.
In our beautiful, green city of Milton Keynes we enjoy the burgeoning growth around us
at this time of the year.

We are grateful, when it comes to evening at this time of year, that we are able to enjoy
the long mild evenings and the beautiful sunsets that set the sky and clouds ablaze with colour,
ever changing and offering new delights as we watch. We thank you, too, for the beauty of bird song.

We pray for migrants and refugees throughout the world.
May we, in this prosperous and beautiful country, always be willing to welcome those
who have been forced to leave their own home country, whether for their own safety,
for economic reasons, to escape persecution, or as a result of natural disaster.
May we show our gratitude to you by sharing your gifts with the most needy,
and welcoming them into our community.

As Milton Keynes continues to grow and develop, may we welcome the newcomers
and relish the diversity that makes this city such a vibrant, exciting place to live.
We pray that all in our community may have the opportunities to achieve their full potential.

Finally, we pray for ourselves. Before we ask, you know our real needs and how they can best be met.
Bless us so that we may continue to follow you and serve you all the days of our life.

We ask all these prayers in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen