Gracious God, we come to You in prayer this morning remembering the needs of all our young people. As the debate continues over A level exam results, we ask that you will be with all those experiencing disappointment and heartache at this time, as they reassess future plans. We know Lord that many youngsters will be waiting anxiously for GCSE results this coming Thursday. Please give them a sense of calm and assurance amidst the stress of waiting. We pray that authorities adopt systems that ensure fair and just results for all our children. And so too Lord, we pray for the many young people seeking employment in this increasingly difficult work environment. Lord God, we acknowledge the impact the health crisis is having on the mental well-being of everyone in society, but today we particularly lift before You the emotional concerns of our younger generation, as they seek to make sense of the instability of the world around them. As we place them under the shadow of Your wings, give them courage, give them assurance and give them peace. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Gracious God, we thank you for creating a world of ethnic diversity and yet too often we do not honour that diversity. We thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to preach a message of justice and equality for all people, and yet too often we fail to heed that message. Loving and forgiving God, we ask for forgiveness for the times when we have not allowed the voices of our brothers and sisters to be heard, for the times when we have failed to speak out and allowed prejudice to hurt and destroy the lives of others. God of Grace, we pray for all those whose lives are disadvantaged simply because of the colour of their skin. We come before you in the name of Jesus Christ who taught us to love, honour and respect all people equally, regardless of ethnicity, gender or social status.  May we as a Church, seek to bring restoration, justice, equality and healing into our communities, and may we commit to a vision of a world where ‘your kingdom come’, the coming of a Kingdom where the voices of all your people are heard. Amen.

For the next 11 days our prayers have been written by Thelma Commey, Methodist Youth President 2019/2020, for the global prayer initiative ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.

Reflection:
John 3.16 is one of the best-known verses in the Bible because it emphasises God’s love for everyone. Jesus didn’t just love those who are easy to love, he loved the people who hated him, who despised him; he loved the people that others looked down on. He didn’t just love some people – he loved the whole world.
This speaks about the action that God took to show us love – it shows us how love is an active word. God loved us so much that God sent Jesus for us. Not because of anything that we did, not because we deserved it; but because God is a loving God. God’s love is selfless and sacrificial and shows us what we are worth. If God can love anyone, the least we can do is to do the same.
Prayer:
Loving God, thank you that you gave your Son, Jesus, for me and for all people. Help me accept the love that you showed me in sending your Son. I pray for my  friends. Please open their hearts to your love. And teach me to love more truly. Amen