Evening Prayer Thursday, 3 December 2020
A reading from the Book of Job
Where Wisdom is Found
1 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
…
12 But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;Vit cannot be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
…
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.
22 Destruction and Death say,
‘Only a rumour of it has reached our ears.’
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
28 And he said to the human race,
‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.’
Job 28: 1, 2, 12–15 & 20–28
Dear God, we pray for your wisdom;
grant that we will always shun anything that is at all evil,
and fear and honour only you.
Make us mindful always of your teaching,
handed down to us through your scriptures: the books of the law and the prophets,
the chronicles of your people, the Gospels and the epistles.
We pray that we shall always keep your words closest to out hearts,
and that all our actions be directed to your will and for the growth of your Kingdom.
Grant us the humility to recognise that true wisdom is not the product of human thought,
but lies only in following you and being guided by you.
We do not know what the future holds in store for us.
Although we fear that we are living though dark times at the moment,
we pray that we will always hold faith with you,
knowing that you are ever with us, and will bring us through these troubled times.
We thank you for the wonders of your creation:
the beauty of the natural world about us, the turning of the seasons,
each with its own wonders and marvels;
the daily kaleidoscope of dawn and sunrise, clouds and rain, sunset, dusk and darkness,
revealing the beauty of the moon and stars.
Created in your image, we all have a spark of your creativity in us;
help us to discover, to cherish and nurture that tiny spark of creativity,
and help us to put it to work enhancing the lives and experiences of those around us.
May we always place our talents at your disposal and use them constantly to advance your kingdom.
As we prepare to put aside the cares and distractions of the day just passed,
and look ahead to a restful night in readiness for whatever the morrow may bring,
we pray for all those for who cannot rest this night:
all those who will be working through the night, in hospitals, tending the sick,
out on the road delivering essential goods, or maintaining the services that we all rely upon.
We pray also for those whose rest is not assured,
who are anxious for themselves, or their families and loved ones,
those worried about the future of their jobs and income, their homes and their health.
We beg that you will be with them always, and that they may feel your loving presence,
in whatever surprising ways you may present it.
We close our prayers this evening by saying the grace together:
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
