Evening Prayer Thursday, 29 July 2021
A reading from Psalm 78
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged –
he had given them what they craved.
Psalm 78: 23–29 NIV®
Dear God, we thank you that you provide us with what we crave,
just as you provided the Israelites in the desert with quails and manna.
We thank you for meeting our spiritual needs by feeding us the bread of angels.
Grant us the faith to share your gifts with those about us.
As we have received the good news of our salvation
through the death and resurrection of your Son and our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ,
may we share this good news, and what it means to us, with the people we meet in our daily lives.
We pray that we, the Church of Christ the Cornerstone can be an Oasis of Hope
for all the people of central Milton Keynes: residents, workers, shoppers, visitors.
We pray that we all realise that you are calling us to a mission that is outward facing:
that through us you are reaching out to meet the needs of those in the world about us.
As we enjoy our summer holidays,
help us to remember those families who cannot enjoy the holidays as they would wish:
families who rely on free school meals to keep the children from going hungry;
those who for whatever reasons are unable to take a break from their work;
those who are still most reluctant to leave their home.
May we do all that we can to provide for people who do not have enough to eat,
by donating to the Food Bank and the community fridges in Milton Keynes.
Open our eyes to see and respond to our neighbours’ needs.
Bless the Friendship Café, meeting in the Cornerstone Café
to be a place where anyone who would like an opportunity for a friendly chat
may find a listening ear, a welcoming smile, and simply time to unwind.
As we come to the end of another day,
let us pause and reflect on all that we have experienced and encountered today.
We thank you for bringing us safely through another day,
and pray that when we lay down to rest tonight,
you will grant us a relaxing and refreshing sleep,
so that we are ready to tackle whatever tasks we need to do tomorrow to help your kingdom grow in Milton Keynes.
We ask all these prayers in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
