Gracious God, as we move towards the end of another week, we take some time aside of the cares and worries of the last week and reflect upon You. We reflect upon Your majesty, Your greatness and Your unconditional love for us. We reflect upon the wisdom of Your Word as found in Scripture. We reflect upon the gift and witness of Your Son Jesus Christ and the wonder of the resurrection. We reflect upon the power of Your Holy Spirit as it continues to empower,  guide and sustain us. And as we pause, and as we reflect . . . we give thanks. Amen.

Gracious God, as the temperatures fall and we see signs of Autumn drawing in, we pray for all those harvesting the land to ensure we have food to eat. We give thanks for all those who cultivate the good land You have given us. We give thanks for all those involved with food production from the fields to the supermarket shelves, but today especially we remember the labours of those gathering in the crops. May we never take their efforts for granted. God of Creation, we thank You for Your gifts to us, help us always to share what we have so that all may benefit from the fruits of Your creation. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Gracious God, this morning we think of all the people who find themselves without employment at this time, compounded by the effects of the virus. We realise this is an issue of great concern and sadness across our nation. Give to those of us struggling financially this day, an assurance of Your presence and Your guiding hand to support and sustain us.We pray that those in positions of authority will use wisdom to do whatever they can to find ways to boost the economy and support businesses in this time of recession. We pray for agencies working to support those most in need and we remember especially all our Foodbanks. As communities Lord, help us to find ways to reach out to the neighbour in need, in our midst. Help us to think outside the box and work out how we can best work together to deal with this situation as the challenges of Covid 19 continue. Give to us wisdom, vision, courage and compassion. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Gracious God, at the start of a new week, renew in us a sense of Your love and peace. May we live each day of the week ahead guided by Your hand. May we have the courage to respond to Your word and to speak out in Your name. May we feel  the assurance of Your presence and Your strength in everything we do. In the times when we may feel anxious, calm our fears. In the the times when we may feel weak, give us Your strength. In the times when we may feel uncertain of the way forward, give us Your clarity and wisdom.  In the times when we don’t respond as we should, we ask that you forgive us. And finally Lord, at the end of each day, may we rest in Your presence, with that continued assurance of Your love and peace, Amen.

Gracious God, as the weekend arrives we give thanks for blessings received this week. With so many uncertainties and concerns in our lives at this present time, we are reminded of Your continuing love and presence in our lives and so we give thanks. We give thanks that most of our children were able to return to school and we continue to pray for the well-being of all our young people, staff and families. We give thanks for the continuing service of our amazing NHS, no longer in the news and yet still serving our nation behind the scenes, 24/7. We give thanks that the death rate from Covid 19 remains very low and just pray that infection rates will fall in the days ahead. We give thanks that we have been able to open the doors of our Church buildings once more. And we give thanks for any personal blessings we have received this week. Lord God, these are challenging and difficult times but we know that You are a God who understands our anxieties and reaches out to us in love, and so we give thanks. Amen.

Gracious God, You lead us from darkness to light, from despair to hope. You lead us beside still waters where we can rest awhile in your presence. You lead us along safe paths where we might grow in faith and learn from You. And so, with everything going on around us, we take a moment out of the concerns of the day to focus upon You and Your love for us. Lord God, if we have wandered from the fold and failed to be the people You would have us be, draw us back into Your arms, embrace us in Your love and forgive us, we pray. Amen

Loving God, thank you that You know us better than we know ourselves, You know the concerns of our hearts and are just waiting for us to come to You in prayer. May Your love guide us through any challenges today, shaping our hearts, thoughts and actions. May your Love bring comfort to anyone in need of release or support today. For those who seek to bring comfort to others, may Your strength and wisdom be with them. And may we be ready to see, to love and to respond in Your name, Amen.

Gracious God, at the start of a new week, we place our lives and the lives of those we love, into Your care. We know that we are loved by You immeasurably, and so whatever the challenges we may face in the week ahead, we journey with You. Help us to care for others at this time, in very practical ways. And amidst all this Lord, help us to witness to You, to remember our calling to declare the Good News of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Lord God, in the days to come we walk with You, and for you. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Gracious God, this morning we come to You with praise and thanksgiving for the wonderful world You have created. You have given us all that we need to sustain life, and yet sadly, as issues over single use plastics enters our news forums again, we acknowledge that there are many ways in which we fail to be good stewards of your Earth. Please help each of us to continue to learn how to reduce our carbon footprint. In a world of disposable goods, help us to use resources wisely and prudently as we focus on the sustainability of resources for all people.You have gifted humankind a truly beautiful and awesome home. And so help us to take seriously our guardianship of the gifts You have bestowed upon us. May our call to be stewards govern and guide our daily living. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Gracious God, as we continue to explore how to be Church at the start of the new Methodist Year, we offer before You the words of John Wesley. May they be our prayer. May we do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can. May our Churches continue to be beacons of hope, love, compassion and assurance for all people in these times. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.