Give thanks to the Lord
it is right to give our thanks and praise
with grateful hearts
and with joy
we offer our thanks this day
for the church, in this place,
in every parish in this land
and throughout the world
called to love neighbour as ourselves
and to share the good news of Jesus Christ
thank you for trusting us with this task, Jesus
may our actions and words,
our presence
be a beacon of light
radiating your love into the dark places
where people are lonely and depressed
where people are struggling, hidden behind their public face
where there are those who may go days without seeing someone even pass their window
where the pressure of caring for others is overbearing
where being in a care home feels like a prison
where grief is a cloak of grey, mourning all they have lost over the past months
where loved ones far away cannot attend funerals, feeling the sadness at not being there for those they love
Lord, in your great mercy
hear our prayer
Loving Christ Jesus
we give thanks for your love
which we long to know more and more
which we long to show in the world
we bring before you the many small, unseen, acts of kindness and care which happen every day
even where we don’t see or know of them
we know you do
and see into the heart of each person,
knowing their love
and their pain
Blessed Christ Jesus
we thank you for leaders
in community organisations
in the church
in local, Scottish and UK governments
assist us to pray for their well being
and we ask you would guide their words, actions and decisions
to bring light into the dark places
to bring hope into the hopeless places
to bring healing into the broken places
Holy Lord God
we thank you that you hear our prayers
that you know our suffering and our joy
that you look into our hearts and see our true intentions
may all we do show all we have
all we are
all we do
is yours
as we give what belongs to God to God
[pause]
And we continue our prayers, in a few moments of quiet
bringing before God the places, people and situations which are on our hearts and in our minds this day
[pause]
Lord God
Heavenly Father
Accept these prayers
offered through Christ Jesus
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
One God, now and always
Amen