A Prayer

Tuesday 28 April 2020

Praying for God’s presence and sustaining power to keep us in these changing times:

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres and wants to own
All I once thought gain, I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this;

Knowing You Jesus, knowing You,

There is no greater thing…                                

(Graham Kendrick’s ‘Best of Album’)

O God who is eternal and unchanging

In these times of change we come to you,

Seeking assurance of your peace and care

for our hurting world.

From the unseemly nature of illness,

For the uncertainty and job retention concerns,

For the loss of earnings and economic downturn,

For the lives embroiled with grief & pain and

For the changing norm of being and doing;

Cleanse us from our lack of faith,

Renew us from the fatigue felt for lockdown

Rejuvenate our connection with Christ

As we seek to live out these days in your grace;

May you give us your eyes, to see in your ways;

May you enable our hearing, to hear your given word,

May we stand in the gap for the world, through your grace,

And in the name of Christ who reigns eternally,                    

 - By Revd Dr Jongi Zihle

{Quietly recite/hum verses 4&5 of Timothy Dudley-Smith hymn StF. 470 Lord for the years}

Lord, for our world when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us -
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

Lord Hear our prayer, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.