God of compassion, as we gather on the Sunday next before Lent ,we bring before you the needs of our world and the hopes we carry within us.
We pray for peace in our world, in our communities, our homes and our hearts. May fear and hostility give way to patience, understanding and the courage to choose love over hatred, peace over violence.
As the first signs of spring start to show around us, we give thanks for the natural world and for wildlife. We pray for better understanding of the impact of our actions in the environment, and we commit to playing our part in protecting our shared home.
In our prayers we remember all victims of abuse and trafficking. May those who have been harmed be heard and supported, and may justice and safeguarding be prioritised and strengthened.
On this Day for the Unemployed we hold in our prayers all those who lack stability, security and purpose in life. May they find meaning and fulfilment in following their God-given vocation.
We pray for those who are suffering or sick, whether in body, mind or spirit. Let us pray for Bishop Andrew, who advises that he has been identified as having a substantial tumour in his pancreas, which is interacting with the nervous system that runs down his spinal cord. ACT scan also found smaller lesions in his liver. The results of further investigations – a biopsy and MRI scan – came through last Thursday, revealing both the primary tumour and the secondaries to be cancerous and inoperable.
And we also remember those who have gone before us, giving thanks for their lives.
Finally, we take a moment for personal prayer…
God of hope, we place these prayers before you, trusting in your care for every living thing. Stay with us and direct us as we try to live out our prayer to your glory, today and in the coming week. Amen.