Evening Prayer Friday, 2 July 2021

Good evening, everyone.  Welcome to our prayer time this evening.

Tonight we begin by reading Psalm 19.

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
⁵ It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
¹¹ By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
¹² But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant also from wilful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Let us pray:

Thank you, loving God,
for the world we live in,
for its beauty and variety.
We thank you that you provide for us, protect us, and encourage us to take risks.  We know that you will be there if we stumble or fall.
Help us to appreciate too, those people who support us.  We ask your help to be courageous and imaginative in the way that we live and in the things which we do to help others.

God of love
Hear our prayer.

We thank you for the way you respond to us when we realise our mistakes and decide that we want to change. Knowing that you forgive us keeps us going when we feel ashamed and when we feel discouraged.
We know that we fall short of your expectations, not only in the thoughts and actions we notice, but also in attitudes and ways which have become second nature to us since childhood.
Teach us to be more alert to your prompting, to listen to those whose voices have sometimes been drowned out and teach us to change those habits which do not reflect the life and attitudes of Jesus.

God of love
Hear our prayer.

And now, we turn our thoughts to others.

We pray for all who are sick and those who care for them. We know how slowly time can pass during difficult times.  We ask you to place your healing hand on all who are in pain and all who suffer alongside them, because they can do so little to relieve their pain.  May they all be conscious of your presence with them, bringing them a sense of peace in their hearts.

God of love
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are lonely or isolated, bereaved or in pain, anxious or afraid.  We pray for all who live in stressful situations, those who are unemployed or whose jobs are insecure; those whose relationships are breaking down or who suffer abuse or domestic violence.  We pray too for those who work for all charities which support causes we care about but cannot engage with directly.  Help us to give thoughtfully and prayerfully.
When we see people in need, whatever their difficulties, we ask you to help us to recognise if there are ways in which we may bring comfort or support.

God of love
Hear our prayer.

We ask all our prayers in and through the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Amen

To close our time together this evening, remembering the words of the Psalm, we listen to, or join in singing, ‘All heaven declares the glory of the risen Lord’.

Rosemary Kearsey