Evening Prayer Thursday, 17 April 2021

A reading from Psalm 9

⁷ The Lord reigns for ever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
⁸ He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
⁹ The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹ Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
¹² For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

…

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
¹⁶ The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
¹⁷ The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
¹⁸ But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Psalm 9: 7–12 & 15–18 NIV®

Dear Lord, who reigns for ever, we praise you, and give thanks that your justice is eternal.
Help us to overcome our doubts and trust in you, always seeking to act as you would have us do,
striving to share your love for us with all those about us,
so that they may come to know your love for them, too.
In all our dealings, all our thoughts, plans and conversations we pray for your guidance.
We pray that we uphold your just laws so that we may live in harmony with all our neighbours.

We pray that you will comfort all those whose lives are still badly affected either directly or indirectly
by the coronavirus: those still suffering from the long-term effects of the virus,
those who are unsure of their employment prospects, as businesses struggle to keep going,
those who are already out of work and see little prospect ahead for them.
As uncertainty still remains over how we will be directed to ease the lockdown,
and what the consequences will be as more and more people struggle to lead a normal life.
we pray that we all consider carefully before we change our behaviour,
and that we show respect for the decisions that others make about what will be best for them.

In particular, we bring before you, dear Lord, all those people whose lives will continue to be restricted,
while a majority are able to enjoy more freedom.

We pray, too, that world leaders, and especially those of the richer countries,
will learn lessons from the pandemic, and take decisions and implement policies
that will be for the good of the whole world, leaving no countries behind,
and taking steps that will close the divides between rich and poor nations and peoples.

Throughout our prayers, help us to be mindful that we ourselves have a part to play
in making the world a safer place for everyone,
adjusting our own lifestyle to safeguard the future of our planet,
and doing all we can to share with others the benefits that we enjoy.

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

Amen

So now, before we lie down to sleep in peace, we say the Grace to one another,
whether we be together or far apart:

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all, evermore.

Amen