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Joshua 1:9 ESV

“Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Gracious God, at the start of a new week, and as the issue of loneliness is highlighted in our national press, we lift before You all those who begin the week feeling a sense of solitude and isolation. We know that the pandemic has increased feelings of loneliness with the restrictions that have been placed upon us. And yet we acknowledge too that loneliness is not just a lack of the physical presence of others, but that we can feel lonely in a crowded room, when our minds are troubled with something we do not feel able to share, maybe an illness, financial concern, relationship issue or any situation that makes us feel vulnerable. Lord God, help us as communities to be aware of those feeling isolation or alone at this time. Help us to create opportunities for contact and for conversation, so that all people may feel that there is someone who cares for them. Help us to spread the message of the living presence of Your son, Jesus Christ. May we know the comfort and assurance of journeying with Him, wherever we are and in any situation, through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Psalm 91:1-16

‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Gracious God, as international Seafarers Day is marked today, we lift before you all those who navigate the seas to sustain this industry. We recognise the sacrifice of being away from home for long passages of time, separated from family and friends. We pray for the safety of all crews when they are faced with the dangers of heavy seas and storms. May they feel the assurance and security of Your presence with them and may they be brought safely home to shore. So too, we pray for all families and loved ones who wait for their return. May they too experience the strength and support that comes from being loved and sustained by You. Finally, Lord God, we pray for the work of Mission to Seafarers who seek to support Seafarers and their families. We ask that you bless the work of all chaplains and all staff and volunteers. In times of economic uncertainty, we lift the future of this industry into Your hands and pray for the wellbeing of all those whose lives engage with our seas and oceans. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Ephesians 3:20-21
‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen’.

Gracious God, we lift before You the Methodist Church Conference which begins today. We pray that the business of Conference is able to be conducted effectively and efficiently within Covid restrictions. Please be with all Church leaders and representatives in the week ahead. Lord God, as part of the Universal Church, we have faced tremendous challenges and been forced to rethink what it means to be Church, as buildings have closed and restrictions put into place. And yet You have continued to support and sustain and guide us. You have given us the strength and encouragement to be radical, to do things differently, and to reach out to a wider community in ways we had not envisaged before the pandemic. As we move out of lockdown, the challenges continue as we witness the pain and anxiety of many people in our communities, who’s lives have been affected in so many different ways over the past 18 months. And so Lord God, we pray that Conference will be inspired and encouraged to be bold and brave, to wrestle with the difficult decisions, to seek wisdom and integrity to be relevant as the Church of today, and to equip ourselves as fit for purpose to be the Church of the future. May we be Your Church, adhering to Your will, witnessing to Your healing reconciling power and Your love in our world. We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Cornerstone and our Saviour. Amen.

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Colossians 1:16 ESV

‘For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him’.

Gracious God, as NASA celebrate 100 days of photos taken on the planet Mars, we reflect upon the awesomeness of Your creative power as our Creator God. We marvel at how You flung planets and stars into space to create a universe of beauty and mystery beyond our comprehension. And into that universe You created planet Earth and we give thanks that you crafted the potential for life and growth, that You provided the energy for a flower to bud, a butterfly to flap its wings and oceans to rumble with the tides. For the gift of life, we give You thanks. Lord God, we thank You that Your creative power extended beyond the gift of life, for so too, You gave the potential for love and compassion, for hope and joy to exist within our world. And You gave us the gift of Your grace, Your unending love for us. And so, as we look up to the skies and see the vastness of all You have created, we gaze in awe and wonder and give thanks. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Deuteronomy 31:6     ESV

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Gracious God, as the school holidays continue we pray for the children and young people in our communities today. As our year 11’s have ended their formal schooling, we pray that You will be with them as they await results in the summer, after what has been a very difficult and disrupted educational journey for them.  Creator God, we are grateful for the sunshine and pray that families will enjoy a time of recuperation and relaxation before the new term begins. Lord God, we know that there are mental health issues amongst our children and young people as a result of their experiences of the pandemic, and so we pray for healing and support for all those troubled at this time. May we as communities continue to find ways to protect the mental health of our younger generation, and may we support families so that they may move into the next stage of the pandemic with a sense of opportunity and hope for the future. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Psalm 18:28    New Living Translation
‘You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.’

Gracious God of Creation, on this Bank Holiday Monday we give thanks for the gift of the Sun which rises and sets as each new day dawns. We praise You for this fireball that radiates heat and light into our world, gives warmth to our oceans and seas, provides energy for the growth of plants, and oxygen to maintain life on Earth. Lord God, as human beings we know that we each need to feel ‘sunshine’ in our lives, the sunshine that comes from being loved, from being valued, from being accepted for who we are. Help us to be assured of Your love for us and help us to radiate warmth and light into the dark places of people lives, so that all may feel the presence of Your hope and Your compassion surrounding them this day, and in the days to come. In the name of Jesus, the Light of our World, we pray, Amen.

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Psalm 139: 9-10        (NRSV)

‘If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast’.

As the weekend approaches, I share with you a beautiful poem to reflect upon in your quiet time with God, written by Margaret Langdon. Thank you Margaret.

FROM DEEP WITHIN
Out of the depths I cried to Thee
And wondered what the reply would be
” You are my child and I love you so
Did you think I would ever let you go?”

From deep within my spirit soared
What a wonderful, loving, caring Lord
But again the world pressed down on me
And I couldn’t rise to fly with Thee

Within the depths He filled the space
And wrapped me in His arms embrace
He carried me up into the light
It was a glorious radiant sight

Now I know that wherever I go
He’ll always be there and I’ll always know
That whatever happens deep within
He’ll raise me up to be with Him

by Margaret Langdon June 1st 2016

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Psalm 89:11        (ESV)

‘The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them’.

Gracious God, as the Great British Spring Clean campaign begins tomorrow, we give You thanks for the community spaces that bring us pleasure; for parks and public gardens, canal pathways and riverside walks, beaches and coastal pathways. For all the places at which we glimpse the beauty of the natural world, we give You thanks. Lord God, we appreciate that these are shared spaces, spaces for which we all have responsibility for their protection and preservation. Sadly we see the scarring upon these places caused by abandoned litter and waste. Help us to do what we can to support schemes that seek to rid the environment of pollution in order to keep our communities green and litter free. Help us to be good stewards of the Earth that You have entrusted us to care for. For the beauty of the Earth, we give thanks. Amen.

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Psalm 145:1
‘I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King and I’ll bless your name into eternity’.

Gracious God, we come to You this morning with praise and thanks. When we take a moment to stop and look at the natural world You have created, we are overwhelmed by the wonder of your creation and amazed by the beauty of Your world. And so, we come before You, in awe and wonder at Your greatness.
Gracious God, we give thanks and praise for the gift of Your Son Jesus, who lived amongst us and continues to journey with us so that we can experience the embrace of your love, who accepts and forgives us simply for being who we are, and who invites us to share in a deep and meaningful relationship with You.
Gracious God, we give praise and thanks that through the power of Your Holy Spirit, You assure us of Your presence, You heal us with Your love and enable and equip us to be the people You would have us to be. In Your name we pray, God our Mother and Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Today on the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd, Churches Together in England invite us to take a moment to light a candle, pray for racial justice and commit to taking personal and institutional action to tackle racial injustice in our society and our churches.

John 13:34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”.

O Lord, you are a God of justice – may we share your passion for justice, which can be seen throughout the Bible.
By the power of your Holy Spirit enable us to stand up for justice and stand against intolerance.
Thank you that you love each person, made in the image of God.
Change our hearts to see others as you do.
Allow our hearts to break over the sin of racism, and our lament to turn into righteous action.
Amen.

This prayer was written by CTBI’s Director of Inclusion Richard Reddie, and CTE’s Principal Officer for Pentecostal, Charismatic and Multi-cultural Relations Shermara Fletcher.