A Prayer for this year.
Praying for 2017
Still not sure how to pray for the coming year? Nearly 6 weeks in, our member and volunteer Hannah wasn't sure either. Next Wednesday 15th February, we will unite across the country to pray for our communities. We also want to lift up to God our MPs, our government, our nation and our world.
But where to start? The Bible is always a good place, so turning to Jesus' example of how to pray, she wrote this for us:
"Our Father in heaven, you are as unfailing and unwaveringly good today as you have always been.
Holy is your name, however unholy the world appears, however misused and abused your name seems.
Your kingdom come, in every heart, every nation and every corner of this aching world.
Your will be done, however hard we strive to see our own imperfect will unfold.
On earth as it is heaven, may we see glimmers of your goodness even as the news breaks hearts as well as headlines.
Give us today our daily bread, the grace we need to make it through each hour.
Forgive us our sins, for our unwillingness to listen and our quickness to dismiss.
As we forgive those who sin against us, those who challenge the limits of our love and the boundaries of our understanding.
Lead us not into the temptation to lose all hope.
But deliver us from evil, from fear, violence, prejudice and injustice. Deliver us from ourselves.
For yours is the kingdom, in the uncomfortableness of the now but yet not quite now.
Yours is the power, though your executive orders come as loving whispers not violent shouts.
Yours is the glory, not small vainglory which will fade but the vast eternal glory of all glories.
