‘In the Lord I take refuge.’ (Psalm 11:1)
God our Father,
In these days
When struggle is a shared experience;
When words of encouragement are hard to find;
When together we view the future with anxiety;
It’s good to be in touch with the ancient voices of faith who speak of a God in whose presence comfort is found, strength is renewed, hope is restored, the triumph of justice and goodness is assured.
We come to You, our Father, as our refuge
Whose Word connects to our inner being and brings light in the darkness;
Whose Son Jesus is our assurance that You are present in the midst of our worst of times;
Whose Spirit is constantly working to bring us closer to You and to form in us the image of Jesus.
Forgive us for everything that works against what you offer us as we find in you our refuge:
When we set aside Your Word and listen to the voice of the world;
When Jesus has nothing to say to us in our struggle and pain;
When we refuse the promptings of the Spirit to live and work according to Your ways.
Help us to find in this moment the grace once more to know Your love and goodness and from that to love You more deeply and serve You more fully.
God our Father,
We thank you for the identity we share as men and women in Christ.
A people who have surveyed the wondrous cross and found there the key to a renewed life:
Sins forgiven, a new pattern of living opened up, a new purpose in seeking to make the values of the coming Kingdom visible now.
We thank you that all of this is sustained by the encouragement of Your Word and the power of Your Spirit.
We thank you for all those in whom all of this came alive:
Brothers and sisters faithful in this life and who now in eternity know the completeness of life in Christ.
We remember the world-wide family of Christ especially in those places where Covid-19 has added to the challenges of hunger, homelessness and injustice.
We remember the nations where Christian witness is stifled by repression and pray for a change of heart within hostile governments.
We remember our own nation and pray that all those in positions of leadership will be kept strong in body and mind and aware of their accountability to You.
We remember our front-line workers: those who care for the sick and bereaved, those who work in the emergency services.
We remember our families, our friends, especially those who are particularly hard-pressed or vulnerable.
