Prayer for our time

Prayer for the Middle East

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God of love,

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We bring you our deep sorrow at what is happening in the Holy Land. Comfort those whose loved ones have been killed, or injured, or taken hostage, particularly the children, and shine the light of your love into the dark hearts of all those bent on violence and destruction. Dispel the darkness of fear and hate of all those who seek solutions through violence, and fill them with the light your compassion, and a desire for all to live in peace, justice and dignity.

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God of love, hear our prayer.

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Prayer for reconciliation with Indigenous Australians

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God of love,

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Following the failed referendum on 14 October, we pray that a way can be found that will lead to reconciliation with our first nations people. We ask you to give our Indigenous brothers and sisters peace in their hearts, despite the sadness, grief and hurt many will be feeling. And we pray that there will be a real, heartfelt desire in the government and among all Australians to seek and support ways of ending the injustices that many Indigenous Australians continue to endure, and move towards healing the wrongs of the past. 

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God of love, hear our prayer.

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A Prayer for Ukraine

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God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion
to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.

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Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby
and Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell

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A Prayer for Peace

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Let us together cry out
from our hearts: Never again war,
never again the clash of arms,
never again so much suffering!
We must never stop praying.
Indeed, let us pray to God
more intensely.
Come, Lord, Prince of Peace,
make us instruments and reflections of your peace!

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Pope Francis

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Climate Change Prayer

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God of creation, beauty and diversity, so fill us with your love that we will turn away from a selfish and reckless consumerism that pollutes, exploits and destroys; and commit to significantly reducing our carbon footprints.

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Inspire us to strive for a society which cares for our precious and fragile planet and its air, forests, soils and waters; preserves its wonder and beauty; and cherishes its myriad life forms, recognising the deep interconnectedness and mutual dependence of all life.

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Open the hearts and minds of all political leaders to the reality of global warming and give them the desire and will to act urgently to combat its causes; and bless and uphold all those individuals and organisations striving to care for your creation. Amen.

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Prayer and Action for Justice and Healing

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Hear the cries of the poor; hear the cries of the earth - Pope Francis.

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God of love,

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So flood us with your love that we will be beacons of love, peace, understanding, forgiveness and hope in an often dark,
divided and violent world.

Make us channels of your love,
agents of transformation in a troubled world.

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God of compassion, justice, truth and goodness, 

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So flood us with your compassion that our hearts and minds will be opened to those who suffer and need our help; and that we will seek to serve those we can with a selfless love.

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Empower us to fearlessly speak truth to power; pursue justice for the poor and disadvantaged, the homeless, Indigenous peoples and refugees; and strive for the common good in a society which cares for all and nurtures the wellbeing and potential of all.

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God of generosity and hospitality,

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Give us warm and generous hearts to welcome and embrace all, regardless of socioeconomic status, ability or disability, age, ethnicity, faith beliefs or non-belief, gender and sexual orientation.

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God of creation, beauty and diversity

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So flood us with your love that we will turn away from a selfish and reckless consumerism that pollutes, exploits and destroys; and commit to significantly reducing our carbon footprints.

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Inspire us to strive for a society which cares for our precious and fragile planet and its air, forests, soils and waters; preserves its wonder and beauty; and cherishes its myriad life forms, recognising the deep interconnectedness and mutual dependence of all life.

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Open the hearts and minds of all political leaders to the reality of global warming and give them the desire and will to act urgently to combat its causes; and bless and uphold all those individuals and organisations striving to care for your creation. Amen.

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Take Action Now

If you are not already doing so, please consider:

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• Praying daily for all those involved in combating poverty, injustice and climate change.

• Financially supporting organisations involved in combating poverty, injustice and climate change.

• Getting involved in one or more of these organisations as a volunteer.

• Installing solar panels and battery, using public transport or buying an electric or hybrid electric vehicle, eating less red meat, taking fewer plane trips (when plane travel becomes possible again!), and ensuring your savings and superannuation funds are not being invested in fossil fuels.
  See https://www.marketforces.org.au/; https://www.arrcc.org.au/; https://www.acf.org.au/

• Adding your voice to calls for all tiers of government to declare climate emergency action.