Evening Prayer Friday, 25 June 2021

Good evening, everyone.  Welcome to Friday evening’s prayers.

During the last eighteen months many people have been through all sorts of ups and downs in their experiences. Earlier this week, Don used again a prayer from Sunday morning’s service which referred to this and which reminds us that God is with us wherever along this continuum we may be. Continuing this theme, I am going to read a passage from Psalm 71:

¹ In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
² In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
³ Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
⁴ Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

⁵ For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
⁶ From my birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
⁷ I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
⁸ My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendour all day long.

…

¹⁹ Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
²¹ You will increase my honour
and comfort me once more.

²² I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 71: 1–8 & 19–22 NIV®

Let us pray:

Loving God, we thank you that you are always there by our side whether we are alone or surrounded by other people.
Even when we forget you, you watch over us and keep us safe. We thank you for the comfort and strength this knowledge gives to us day by day.

We thank you that you give us hope, which keeps as going through difficult times.
We pray that this hope may be brought to all people, whoever they are and wherever they may be.

We thank you for those whose work brings hope to others – carers who spend time with those who would otherwise be lonely and isolated:
nurses, doctors who care for the sick, bringing hope to those who suffer illness and to family and friends who are anxious about them.

We pray for people across the world who do not have the same access to health services and medication that we do.
We remember particularly those people who work for and are supported by Jane and Andrew Betts of Advantage Africa,
one of a number of charities trying to offer support in countries which urgently need supplies of vaccine and oxygen
to try to stem the third wave of Coronavirus which is spreading throughout the continent.
When we hear directly from people we know, it comes home to us how unfairly people in the poorer countries of the world are treated.
We pray that our voices may be heard encouraging our government to do their part in sharing available vaccines with those who need them most,
rather than stockpiling them for the future.

We pray for people here and throughout the world who have other health concerns.
Those who been waiting for some time for treatment, those who are anxiously waiting for a diagnosis,
those who know that they may have to live with constant pain.
Surround them with your love and give them an awareness of your presence with them.

We pray for people who feel lonely and isolated. May they feel the comfort of your presence.
We pray for those who are concerned about their health, or the health of others close to them. Give them strength in the face of difficult times.
We pray for people whose insecure jobs make them stressed and anxious about the future.
Help them to know they are valued and encourage them as they seek new opportunities in the future.
We pray for ourselves, reflecting on our own immediate needs.

Loving God draw us close to you, so that we may reflect your love to others through our words and actions,
and the love and care we show to them.

Now let us close our prayer time together by listening to the Lord’s Prayer, sung by Andrea Bocelli. Please click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50dLkv7v2TQ.

Rosemary Kearsey