A Prayer from the Croydon Circuit

The Croydon Circuit offers these prayer requests:

We give thanks for the creativity, gifts and skills being highlighted in Croydon’s year as the London Borough of Culture. We pray for the nurturing of the gifts of artists, poets, musicians, spoken word, dance, theatre, writers and designers as we celebrate the gifts of those who have shaped the culture of Croydon and whose influence has spread throughout London, the UK and beyond. We rejoice in the valuable role of faith communities in the rich tapestry of this town and give thanks for Croydon Churches’ Forum and Faiths Together in Croydon which bring together faith communities and enable them to worship and serve the people of Croydon together.

We remember the family and friends of Elianne Andam who was tragically murdered on her way to school recently, but we lament that she has not been the only young person murdered in London this year. We pray for families and communities scarred by the reality of knife violence and long for the creation of environments in which all young people can discover, learn, grow and fulfil their potential. We pray for God’s blessing upon the work of local organisations, such as My Ends in Croydon, which seek to reduce crime among young people through mentoring, pastoral support and help in dealing with trauma and mental health issues.

We pray for God’s wisdom and grace in responding to the needs of local people as winter approaches. We pray for food banks as they cope with the demands of supporting increasing numbers of people as food supplies become harder to source. We give thanks for community spaces which enable people to gather to share conversation, games, food and drinks while also keeping warm and safe.