Daily Prayers Thursday, 6 October 2022

A reading from Psalm 66

¹ Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
² Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
³ Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.’

⁵ Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot –
come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷ He rules for ever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations –
let not the rebellious rise up against him.

⁸ Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ For you, God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
¹¹ You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
¹² You let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Psalm 66: 1–12 NIV®

Dear God, we do indeed shout for joy, for all the wonderful things you have done for us and for all your people. We thank you for all the many ways in which you have cared for us, and stopped us from making mistakes and bad decisions. We pray that we may learn from our past mistakes and remember that all we have to do is trust in you, and all will be well. We recognise that you have tested us, putting our faith to the test, but always you offer us all the resources we need to come through these challenges, so long as we can recognise what it is you are wanting us to do.

We know that there are challenges ahead of us, and that we are not going to be able to carry on just as always have done, but will need to make difficult choices in our daily life. Safeguarding our fragile earth is something in which we all have to play our part, and decisions we make when shopping and using appliances will, when added to the actions of others, have an impact on our environment. Grant us the wisdom to make careful and prayerful decisions about how we use the resources at our disposal.

We ask your forgiveness for past misdeeds. We have not always treated other with the respect that we should, especially when we regard people as ‘different’ from ourselves. Through careless words, expressions and gestures, whether intentional or unintentional, we may have caused offence and hurt, and stirred up dissent in others. Help us to rejoice and relish the rich diversity of the people we encounter, so that we may join with all peoples in singing your praises, for all the deeds you have done for us all. We ask your forgiveness for all the times we have discriminated against others, on grounds of race, gender, culture, or other perceived difference. Grant us true humility, and may we learn from the lives and cultures of others.

You try us and test us, but you always bring us to a place of safety and security, and for all these things we give you heartfelt thanks. With the whole world, we praise your holy name.

We gather these and all our prayers in the prayer that Jesus taught us:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen