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JAEI NOVEMBER 2014 ENVIRONEMTNAL PRAYER DIARY Saturday Sunday Monday 1 Lord, I pray that you would give me the strength to help restore the world to what it should be. And grant that you would provide me with all the necessary tools, ideas and enlightenment that I need to do your work As just as I am - I come 2 Father of creation, we thank you for all that you have made; For the joy and glimpses of you we find in nature’s beauty, For the variety of all you have provided through its resources. Help us to tread lightly and use wisely, Valuing the needs of others, and of creation, above our own desires. Challenge us where we need to change our lifestyles, Convict us when we need to speak out on behalf of a voiceless people, or world And soften us where we have stood in judgement of others. Father in your mercy, change us and use us For the restoration of your world, and the protection of all your children. Amen. 3 Oh Lord, I am sorry for not being considerate and contributing to the ruining of our beautiful world. I am sorry for not sharing widely enough about the wonders of our environment and its care 1|Page Tuesday 4 Holy God, earth and air and water are your creation, and every living thing belongs to you: have mercy on us as climate change confronts us. Give us the will and the courage to simplify the way we live, to reduce the energy we use, to share the resources you provide, and to bear the cost of change. Forgive our past mistakes and send us your Spirit, with wisdom in present controversies and vision for the future to which you call us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Wednesday 5 Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful gift of Creation and our lives. Thank you for entrusting us with these wonderful gifts. I am sorry, Lord, for being so negligent with what you have entrusted to me and for being so selfish and greedy. I am sorry, Lord, for the times when my focus is not fully on you, the Provider and Creator of all Please stir more and more the desire to love and nurture your Creation in all its beauty Thursday Generous, loving God we ask you to give us today our daily bread. Creator of the world we share - give us today our daily bread. As we reap the harvest and store the crops and fill the barns, stack the shelves, pile high the tins and wander the aisles of supermarket choice show us how to see the world through the eyes of the hungry teach us how to share will all our daily bread. Amen. 6 Be still and feel the presence of God 1. Be still and feel the presence of God, The presence pulsing, pulsing through Earth, Be still and feel the pulse of God. Friday 7 2. Be still and hear the Spirit of God, The Spirit breathing, breathing through Earth, Be still and hear the breath of God. 3. Be still, behold the glory of God, The glory, filing, filling this Earth Be still, behold the face of God. Words: Norman Habel 2004 Melody: Be Still and Know that I am God 2|Page Saturday Sunday 8 Prayer for Social Justice By: Pope Pius XII Almighty and eternal God, may your grace enkindle in all persons a love of the many unfortunate people whom poverty and misery reduce to a condition of life unworthy of human beings. Arouse in the hearts of those who call you God a hunger and thirst for social justice and for fraternal charity in deeds and in truth. Grant, O Lord, peace in our days, peace to souls, peace to our community and peace among nations. Amen. 9 The problem of climate change is huge and already devastating the lives of millions of people. It can sometimes be hard to know how best to respond. But as Christians we're part of a global movement that can bring about real change as we pray and act. Pray for: more ambition from leaders so the door to keeping global warming below the danger-thresh old remains open. agreement soon on ways to deliver finance to help poor countries – who are hit hardest Monday 10 Thank you, Lord for the opportunity to see the beauty of your great gift of nature Thank you for granting me the responsibility to look after such a special gift Thank you, Lord God, for life and love that you provide in such abundance Please Lord, forgive me for all the faults and hurts I have caused you when you love me so 3|Page Tuesday 11 Love for the World Gracious God, Share with us your heart for creation, That we may cherish all life, Working together to heal the damage we have done Knowing that in all our struggles You are beside us, to inspire Strengthen and transform us Through Christ, our Lord and Saviour Amen Wednesday 12 Today, pray for those marginalized by environmental degradation in your Community Thursday Almighty God - creator, shaper and sustainer of all life, And loving Father. Thank you for the forgiveness won for us by your Son – the redeemer of all creation. We receive your grace to us, and your love for us as we are. Change us now into what you would have us be – Move us to love and care for your world And make us ready to work for the good of all creation Through the love and power of your son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. Friday Saturday 13 14 15 “The fruit of Silence is Prayer, The fruit of Prayer is Faith, The fruit of Faith is Love, The fruit of Love is Service, The fruit of Service is Peace.” Mother Theresa We pray for scientists and engineers: Creator God – creator of our world, of science, and of creativity itself, You hold all knowledge. We praise you and thank you for the insights you have given people into engineering, science and systems in the past. In your mercy, grant revelation to scientists and engineers that they might discover solutions and systems to aid adaptation. Not that we might continue to take the earth and its resources for granted, or grow arrogant, but that your precious children might be spared. Lord, in your mercy, lead our scientists and engineers to truth, and transformation. 4|Page Sunday Monday Tuesday 16 As we breathe the very air which sustains us, We remember your love, God, which gives us life. Fill us with your compassion for Creation. Empty us of apathy, selfishness and fear, of all pessimism and hesitation. Breathe into us solidarity with all who suffer now and the future generations who will suffer because of our environmental irresponsibility. Move us into action to save our earth and to build your sustainable Kingdom. Amen. 17 Lord Jesus, you have called us to be your witnesses on earth. Help us to proclaim, by word and deed, the message of your love to all humankind, and to declare your lordship over creation and our responsibility as your stewards 18 Loving Father, please teach us how to live more simply, to be more sensitive to your creation and to care for all living creatures. Help us to turn from our arrogant ways. Redeem us, redeem your world, heal its wounds and dry its tears, for the sake of your dear Son, who died for us all Wednesday 19 Thursday 20 The problem of climate change is huge and already devastating the lives of millions of people. It can sometimes be hard to know how best to respond. But as Christians we're part of a global movement that can bring about real change as we pray and act. Pray for creation and our global neighbours who depend on it: For protection, strength and perseverance for poor communities who are being pushed further into poverty by the changing climate. For the global church to be bold as it speaks out for governments to respond. For governments across the world to take the urgent and ambitious action needed. For God to slow down climate change and prevent catastrophe God our creator, you have made us one with this earth, to tend it and to bring forth fruit: may we so respect and cherish all that has life from you, that we may share in the labour of all creation to give birth to your hidden glory, Through Jesus Christ our Lord 5|Page Friday Saturday Sunday 21 Dear Lord and Father, you alone are the source of all truth and understanding. Guide by your Holy Spirit all those engaged in scientific research, that as they uncover more of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, they may further the deep purposes of your love. Amen. 22 Creator God – maker and shaper of all that is, seen and unseen; You are in the expanse and depth of Creation, and in the processes that make life possible. Yet we are distracted by the gods we make ourselves and our lives become fractured and fragmented. In our brokenness we disturb the Earth’s capacity to hold us. Instead we find climate uncertainty and global injustice. Call us back from the brink. Help us to choose love not fear, to change ourselves and not the planet; to act justly for the sake of the vulnerable; and to make a difference today for life tomorrow. In your name – Father, Son and Spirit. Amen 23 Prayer for Climate Change Your creative love, O God, brought forth our world, Once a garden where humans could taste and see the goodness of the earth. But our eyes have been blinded to the beauty of Creation, to the knowledge that it is Gift,none given so that all humans may live and flourish. Our indifference changes the world; Even mighty glaciers weep now. Our disregard for our sisters and brothers threatens the very skies above us. Our passivity begins to choke us, and the excess of our lifestyles blot out the sun. Call us to renewal, to stewardship; Call us to solidarity to the earth and all its creatures. Give us new vision to see the fragile beauty that remains to us; Give us new spiritual energy to become active In loving the world through our daily life; Give us new voices to speak out for environmental solidarity. Bless us again with the gift Of being a joyful community; Bless us with a love of your Creation And we will glimpse your Eden once again 6|Page Monday 24 We pray for development agencies and local communities striving to adapt to and campaign on climate change: Compassionate defender, we thank you for all those you have inspired and equipped to help communities suffering the effects of climate change now. Spirit of God, fill their minds with wisdom, their spirits with energy and their hands with skill. Precious counsellor, we thank you for all who are speaking out on behalf of the voiceless. Spirit of God, open the ears of the powerful to hear them. Limitless comforter, we thank you for all who are serving and giving so that those in need can adapt to a changing climate. Spirit of God, fill their hands with more resources to give to those in need. Spirit of truth, speak to our hearts and tell us what you would have us do. Spirit of God, we surrender to you. We pray for people living with the affects of climate change now: Tuesday 25 Wednesday 26 For the sake of those facing rising temperatures, drought and water shortages, Creator God, in your mercy, renew this damaged world. For the sake of those facing unpredictable weather, disrupted seasons and failed crops, Creator God, in your mercy, renew this damaged world. For the sake of those facing flooding, land loss and salination of vital water supplies, Creator God, in your mercy, renew this damaged world. For the sake of all those who fear the changing climate, Creator God, in your mercy, renew this damaged world. For the sake of the poor, the vulnerable, and the refugee Creator God, in your mercy, renew this damaged world. For the sake of us all, Creator God, in your mercy, recreate our hearts that we might partner with you to renew this damaged world. Too long have I worried about so many things and yet, my Lord, so few are needed. May I today live more simply that others may simply live. Amen. 7|Page Thursday Friday 27 28 Father, we pray for you to raise up a generation of leaders with the courage to take responsibility for our changing climate, and the part we have played in it. Father, we intercede for our politicians and leaders – cause them to act in the best interests of all nations today, and all peoples’ in the future, in order to avoid catastrophic changes. Father, we ask for a generation of leaders who will be willing to act justly so that those who have contributed so little to the problems we are facing, and have fewer resources with which to face it, are not left to shoulder our burden. Father, we ask for you to fill the hearts of all who lead rich nations – give them your mercy and compassion on poor countries already suffering the effects of a changing climate. Just as they have been moved to cancel debt in the past, encourage them also to release funds so that poor communities can adapt to the effects of climate change, and develop cleanly. All: Lord, in your mercy, lead our leaders to truth, and transformation Christ our Lord, Many of us have taken action, campaigned, and called on our leaders to negotiate a fair deal for the world’s poor at the COP20 meeting in Peru We have petitioned and prayed that you would grant wisdom and courage to the world’s leaders. The news coming out of the summit is disappointing to those of us who long to see justice. It is hard not to feel that they, and we, have failed to deliver for the world’s poor. Be with us in our disappointment, and help us not to become despondent or to give up fighting for what is right. Instead help us to focus on what lies ahead, and to seek your wisdom as we look for new ways of speaking out about global inequality. Remind us that our calling to care for the world and its people Reflects your own heart for the poor And that you are with us as we seek to serve them In your name. Motivate us afresh to take action, Remind us of the hope that is to be found in you Inspire us to keep on following your example And working with you to restore a broken world Amen 8|Page Saturday 29 While awareness of climate change is growing, governments everywhere tend to prioritise other pressing concerns such as education, health, housing and providing enough food for their peoples. Until people realise that global warming is intimately linked with all these concerns, and will vastly exacerbate the challenges if not tackled now, this is unlikely to change. Development groups believe that adaptation to climate change is about strengthening communities from the bottom up, building on their own coping strategies to live with climate change and helping them to participate in climate change policies. Giving a voice to people can help to develop their confidence, to use their local knowledge and to engage with science-based solutions. Pray for positive outcomes for the COP 20 meeting in Lima Peru from 1 -12 December 2014 To you, O Lord, we lift up our souls; In you we trust, O God. Faithful, merciful, trusting God, You have let us loose on your world with enough fossilised carbon to destroy it, and with enough intelligence to know that we do so. Forgive us, Lord, for we know what we do. Sunday 30 We pray for the COP20 UN climate change negotiations happening in Lima, Peru from the 1 to 12 Dec. Let short term business interests bow to science. Let politics give way to justice. Let economics step back and allow righteousness to prevail. Speak to the hearts of every negotiator that they may feel your love for your earth, and your desire for every child of God to do their part in liberating creation from its bondage to decay. Show us your ways, O Lord, teach us your paths; guide us in your truth and teach us, for you are God our Saviour, and our hope is in you all day long. Amen 9|Page www.jaei.org.za 10 | P a g e