Past Prayers for Creation

For this month’s prayers, please see this page.

July 2019August 2019September 2019October 2019November 2019December 2019January 2020February 2020March 2020April 2020May 2020June 2020

Prayers for July 2019

30/06/2019 – A prayer for all suffering creation

Lord,

You have placed us in this beautiful creation and entrusted its care to us – to stand beside you in creation. Forgive us that we have not been worthy of the trust you placed in us. We acknowledge that only you can restore what has been destroyed. Bless the projects and activities which seek to safeguard your creation according to your will and make them prosper so that we can also be witnesses of your power.

Amen

01/07/2019 – A prayer for governments

Lord,

Bless the governments that guide the nations of this world. May they be open to your Spirit and follow the example of your son Jesus, the perfect servant. Guide their thinking and their discussions so that their decisions can be life-giving. Give them the courage to stand up to the powers of this world.

Amen

02/07/2019 – A prayer for awareness of climate change and acknowledgement of its human origins

Lord,

Forgive us that our actions disrupt the balance of your creation and many of us do not acknowledge this disruption or we deny our part in it. Come Holy Spirit and make us both individually and as a society alive to this change. We give thanks for all the young people who are taking action on this question and pray that their appeals may be heeded.

Amen

03/07/2019 – A prayer for the new A Rocha International centre

A Rocha USA is opening a new centre in Florida to carry out research in and awareness-raising about the lagoon and coastal marine habitats

Father,

We commit to you the opening of this new centre. Draw the right people together in the team and surround them with your peace. Guide them so that the activities undertaken and the management of the centre may be in line with your will.

Amen

https://arocha.org/en/news/protecting-the-oceans-in-the-us-and-beyond/

04/07/2019 – A prayer about the collapse in insect numbers

75% of insects in Europe could have disappeared in 30 years time. Insects play an essential role in maintaining biodiversity. In particular 80% of plants depend on them for reproduction and they are an important food source for birds, amphibians, dragonflies, etc. A major reason for their extinction is intensive agriculture, a heavy user of pesticides.

We pray for a new awareness of the importance of insects for our world and for agriculture, so bringing about a change in our agricultural practices.

05/07/2019 – A prayer for a personal change of heart – buying electrical/electronic items

In 2016, 685 million items of electrical and electronic equipment (IT items, washing machines, etc.) were sold in France. These items use many resources whose extraction and processing have a significant impact on the environment. They also create many waste products – some of which are dangerous.

Lord, help us to concentrate on what we really need.

Why not ..? Before I buy something, I wait 24 hours so I am sure that it is really a needful purchase.

06/07/2019 – A prayer of thanksgiving for the flowers of the field

Blessed are you, Father, for the diversity of the flowers of the field, their myriad colours, shapes and scents. Thank you that you have created us able to admire this diversity. May we continue to wonder at them and to see in them our Creator God.

Amen

07/07/2019 – A prayer for creation and the work of A Rocha

Lord,

We pray for your creation which suffers more each year, especially with the rapid changes to which it does not have time to adapt. May your Holy Spirit help us to hear the anguish of your creation. We bring before you all the national A Rocha organisations and their activities. Guide them so that all is done in accordance with your will.

Amen

08/07/2019 – A prayer for Europe

Father,

We bring before you the European political bodies. As the Member States have not agreed on the objective of carbon neutrality by 2050, we pray that this question may soon be reconsidered. May your Spirit go before these new discussions so that agreement can be reached.

Amen

09/07/2019 – A prayer for India

Lord,

Today we want to place in your hands India, which is suffering greatly from the effects of climate change. Only you can bring comfort. We pray that, despite the late monsoon and the extreme heat, the effects on the harvests will be minimal and that access to water will not be a source of conflict.

Amen

10/07/2019 – Pastoraloup – FERUS

FERUS works to conserve large predators in France (bear, wolf, lynx). It has established the Pastoraloup programme to help ensure more people are with the flocks to protect them from wolves.

Lord,

Bless the work of this association and in particular the Pastoraloup programme. Be with those involved and strengthen their willingness to cooperate and work together. As this problem causes considerable anger and is a source of great conflict, we pray that those who are working on these problems can set an example so as to move forward together.

Amen

11/07/2019 – A prayer for the fauna and flora of the Ile-de-France region

In the Île-de-France the fauna and flora populations have declined markedly because of greater urbanisation, fragmentation of natural habitats by the road network, intensive agriculture etc. For example the house sparrow population has fallen by 73%.

We pray that the regional representatives may wake up to this decline and the need for nature to be abundant and in good heart in their region. May this awareness be accompanied by practical actions and not compromised by pressures that stifle life.

Amen

12/07/2019 – A prayer of repentance and for personal change – food

Lord,

You are the bread of life. Forgive us that too often we rely on our own means to ensure that we eat our fill. This has led us to create a food system that destroys life. May your Holy Spirit teach us to trust in you and to transform our relationship with food. Help us to return to a simple way of eating.

Amen

Why not ..? Decide as from today to change something in my diet (stop buying ready meals, buy organic, only buy seasonal fruits and vegetables, etc.)

13/07/2019 – A prayer of gratitude

Between 2011 and 2017, the annual mortality rate of African elephants from poaching was halved.

Praise you Lord for this good news! Bless all those who have worked to reduce poaching and strengthen them in their work. Protect them. But, Lord, this encouraging news does not mean that African elephants are out of danger. We pray for an end to the trade in ivory and the financial lure behind it so that poaching disappears.

Amen

14/07/2019 – A prayer for creation and the work of A Rocha

Father,

You love your creation and we entrust it to you. Forgive us that we only see in it resources that we can exploit. Forgive us that we want to put a cash value on biodiversity and the services it gives to us. Send your Spirit on this world so that we can love your creation as you love it. Renew the way we look at creation and teach us to contemplate it and in so doing to contemplate you, the Creator of everything.

Amen

15/07/2019 – A prayer for the USA

Lord,

Today we commit to you the government of the United States. We give you thanks for all the initiatives and voices supporting a way of life that respect your creation. We pray that the government may listen to these voices and develop the initiatives. We pray for the Christians in the United States, that from today they can be the messengers for this mandate of caring for your creation.

Amen

16/07/2019 – A prayer about climate change

Heavenly Father,

Today the consequences of climate change are visible to everyone – we pray for the poorest in this world who are so badly affected. Help us to be conscious of this suffering and to act so that your justice can be done. Only you can relieve the effects of these changes – Lord have pity on us and come to our aid.

Amen

17/07/2019 – A prayer for the banks committing to responsible financing

Lord,

We commit to you the banks that undertake to stop financing destructive projects (pollutants, armed conflicts, etc.). Strengthen them in the choice they have made and be with them so that they can go even further in their commitment. May they be a source of inspiration for the banking sector. We pray that these choices may be made with discernment and in keeping with your justice.

Amen

18/07/2019 – A prayer for the Arctic

Creator God,

We give you thanks for the Arctic ecosystem and this wonder that you have created. Today that ecosystem is in danger and we commit it to you so that it can be safeguarded through those who are actively working for its conservation. We also commit to you the human cultures which have developed in this extreme environment, praying that they can resist that which is of the world.

Amen.

19/07/2019 – Water

Lord Jesus,

You who are the source of life, make us aware of the importance and scarceness of the water we are able to drink. We know that water is so scarce and the source of numerous conflicts, so help us to change our ways and use it mindfully and for our real needs. Help us to preserve the quality of this water which is so precious and to change how we choose to consume it.

Amen

Why not..? Take one small step every day (stop buying chemicals, turn off the water when applying soap/shampoo in the shower, purchase fewer products that are made using a lot of water, etc.)

20/07/2019 – Bless the Lord

Bless the Lord all you works of the Lord,
Bless the Lord you angels of the Lord,
Sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord you heavens,
Bless the Lord you waters above the heavens,
Bless the Lord all you his hosts.

Bless the Lord, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord sun and moon,
Bless the Lord you stars of heaven,
Bless the Lord all rain and dew.

Bless the Lord, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord all winds that blow,
Bless the Lord you fire and heat,
Bless the Lord scorching wind and bitter cold.

Bless the Lord, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord dews and falling hail,
Bless the Lord frost and cold,
Bless the Lord you ice and snow.
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord

Bless the Lord you nights and days,
Bless the Lord light and darkness,
Bless the Lord lightning and clouds.
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord

O let the earth bless the Lord,
Bless the Lord you mountains and hills,
Bless the Lord all that grows in the ground.
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord

Bless the Lord you springs,
Bless the Lord you seas and rivers,
Bless the Lord you lakes and oceans.

Bless the Lord, bless the Lord

Bless the Lord you whales and fish,
Bless the Lord all birds of the air,
Bless the Lord you beasts and cattle.
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord

Bless the Lord all people on earth,
O Israel bless the Lord,
Bless the Lord you spirits and souls of the just.
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord

Bless the Lord you priests of the Lord,
Bless the Lord you that are holy and humble in heart,
Bless the Lord you servants of the Lord.
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord

Praise to Christ for ever, bless the Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, bless the Lord
Amen, amen, bless the Lord, Bless the Lord.

21/07/2019 – A prayer for creation and A Rocha

Thrice-holy God,

Once again we commit your creation to you – we who are not capable of caring for it. Forgive us that we are witnesses of and instrumental in the destruction of your creation, that we do not call into question what we are doing, that we do not align ourselves with what you call upon us to live out – simplicity and joy. We pray that A Rocha may be instrumental in encouraging that questioning and in the new alignment. Walk alongside each national organisation in this mission.

Amen

22/07/2019 – A prayer for Brazil

Lord,

Thank you for your incredible natural world of Brazil. We pray that the Brazilian government may change how it views this natural world and see its beauty and not see it as just of economic value. May your Holy Spirit breathe on Brazil so that it will protect your creation. We pray for the people of Brazil so they can also convey and implement this message.

Amen

23/07/2019 –

Spirit of peace,
Descend on the world and give us peace at this time of increasing pain.

Spirit of love,
Descend on the world so that we stand in solidarity with each other.

Spirit of joy,
Descend on the world to spread your hope and the good news of your kingdom.

Amen

24/07/2019 – Beer Sheba

Beer Sheba is a project linking a sustainable agro-forestry programme with comprehensive training and an agricultural resources centre for young Senegalese farmers.

http://www.projet-beersheba.fr

Lord,

We bring before you the Beer Sheba project. Thank you for the vision you gave to this pastor and for this inspiring project which has developed. Bless the current trainees and those who have finished their training, that they may be able to develop viable agricultural systems which care for your creation and give you glory. Strengthen the resident team, bless them and help them to keep their eyes fixed on you throughout their mission.

Amen

25/07/2019 – Lynx

Lord,

We bring before you the lynx, at risk of extinction in Europe. May the conservation and the reintroduction projects bear fruit. These projects are the source of many conflicts and give rise to anger. May your spirit of reconciliation go ahead of the discussions between the different parties so that they can move forward together peacefully.

Amen

26/07/2019 – clothing

The fashion industry and clothes manufacturing has a major social and environmental impact. See https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/whats-wrong-with-the-fashion-industry

Lord,

You paid the price for us and you call us to follow you. Forgive us that all too often we make others pay the price of our consumer choices. We prefer to buy more cheaply, but the true price is that paid by the exploited worker and the villagers near to the factories whose water sources and environment are polluted. Help us to be aware of that and to change how we choose to dress. Help us to follow your example.

Amen

Why not..? Buy a second-hand garment or a classic garment that will still be fashionable next year.

27/07/2019

Blessed are you, Lord God, for the multiplicity of your works!

Blessed are you because we are still discovering new species today!

May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with wonder as we contemplate you and the diversity of your marvellous creation.

Amen

28/07/2019 – A prayer for creation

Psalm 74:16-17

The day is yours, and yours also the night;
You established the sun and moon.

It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
You made both summer and winter.

Eternal Father,

Forgive us that we have forgotten that creation belongs to you; we have forgotten that all the benefits of your creation come from you and not from our efforts or the technologies that we develop. This has caused us to exploit the earth without respecting it as you call on us to respect you. We want to place in your hands once again this marred creation and may your Spirit help us to see the creator in everything so that we respect your creation.

Amen

29/07/2019 – A prayer for France

Lord,

We pray for France and its government which has undertaken to give priority to the climate emergency over economic considerations. May this commitment become a reality, Lord. You, who call us not to lay up treasure on earth but in heaven, we pray that the government of France may follow this pathway.

Amen

30/07/2019

Lord,

Today we commit to you the people who must flee their region because of climate change. May they find a place of refuge, a place where they can build their lives again. Protect them and guide them on this terrible journey. We pray for this question to be debated in the international bodies and that a just solution is found. We pray that we may also show mercy to those who have the least.

Amen

31/07/2019 – Plateau Perspectives

Plateau Perspectives is an international Christian association which works for the local communities and the environment in the mountainous regions of the Tibetan plateau and Central Asia.

Lord,

We bring to you Plateau Perspectives. Bless all those involved in this association. Guide them in the direction they take and in the projects they want to develop. We pray for the local communities that they can also discover you through the commitment and work of Plateau Perspectives.

Amen

http://plateauperspectives.org

Prayers for August 2019

Prayer for 01/08/2019

Heavenly Father,

Today we commit to you the forests of Europe that have been weakened by repeated droughts in recent years. Guide forest managers as they decide best how to care for this ecosystem that gives us so much. Keep us from making choices that would cause even more damage. We bring before you the A Rocha centres in France and Ghana involved in forest conservation.

Amen

Prayer for 02/08/2019

Lord,

Thank you for the times of rest and relaxation that you have created for us. As many people prepare to go on holiday, we pray that these times may not be a source of destruction. Help us to be aware of the environmental and social impact of our holidays and to change our mindset so that we relax in a way that honours your creation.

Amen

Why not …? Have a year without taking a flight, offset any travel emissions, book through an eco-tourism agency.

Prayer for 03/08/2019

Loving Father,

We bless you for the beauty of the landscapes around us. Thank you for their diversity and for our individual responses to them so that we can all marvel at your Creation. Help us to look with fresh eyes so that we see your goodness and love for us in every landscape.

Amen

Prayer for 04/08/2019

Father and Creator God,

Even though we have destroyed so much, your creation is still incredibly beautiful and shows us how it is full of your marvellous works. We commit to you all those who are working to safeguard the jewels of your creation, especially the A Rocha centres. May your Holy Spirit walk alongside us so that every person working in these centres is filled with the hope that we have in you.

Amen

Prayer for 05/08/2019

Lord

We commit to you Finland, which now holds the Presidency of the European Union for six months. We pray that the Finnish Government may take firm actions towards safeguarding the environment and that these may be successful. Help the Finnish government to stand firm so that it does not give way to the voices of economic lobbies.

Amen

Prayer for 06/08/2019

Lord,

We bring before you for the consequences of climate change and in particular the huge fires that have been ravaging the Arctic since the beginning of the summer with consequences for the entire planet. We are helpless in the face of this disaster, but we commit this situation to you. We pray too that the extreme heat affecting Europe this summer will help to bring about a new awareness of the seriousness of the situation.

Amen

Prayer for 07/08/2019

“Or vert” (Green Gold) is a reforestation project in Togo run by ABEP (an association for the well-being of the population) which is seeking to counter land erosion and restore soil fertility so as to rebuild a sustainable agricultural economy.

Lord,

we bless you that you are still inspiring people and giving them the resources to carry out these projects. We commit the ‘Green Gold’ project to you. May the team always rely completely on you, may they always be well supported so that this project can expand according to your will. Protect them from any discouragements that could arise.

Amen

Prayer for 08/08/2019

Lord,

We commit the Alps to you, this very special environment that is so beautiful but also so threatened. While climate change is altering the Alps completely and many species cannot adapt any further, we commit to you the local projects trying to save what can be saved. You alone can save, Lord; we ask you to multiply the fruits of these labours so that this alpine beauty can be preserved.

Amen

Prayer for 09/08/2019

Lord,

Forgive us Lord that we have gained so much and have in the process lost touch with the real concepts of need and comfort. Forgive us that we have prioritised safeguarding our own future, stockpiling ‘just in case’, and that we have forgotten your promises. May your Spirit teach us to discern what really constitutes need so that our consumption is not excessive by comparison with our needs.

Amen

Prayer for 10/08/2019

Heavenly Father,

We give you thanks for the birds that praise you from the early morning. Thank you that this reminds us morning by morning that the first thing to do is to praise you. Help us to join with your creation in praise.

Amen.

Prayer for 11/08/2019

All-powerful Father,

We commit to you your creation, suffering because of our folly. Forgive us because we have driven you from it and, without your wisdom, we have destroyed it. Come and take your rightful place again! May your Spirit inhabit the world and open hearts that are closed to you.

Amen

Prayer for 12/08/2019

Lord,

This morning we commit to you the UN and its programmes. May national governments take heed of the warnings given by the UN on climate and social justice. May your Spirit of peace and unity guide them in their tasks.

Amen

Prayer for 13/08/2019

Lord,

You have placed us on a bountiful earth and we give you thanks for that. Forgive us that despite the abundance of your creation this year, in just seven months, we have consumed all the resources that you have given us. Nor have these resources been fairly distributed. Lord we bring before you all those who are in need and ask you to teach us to stand with them and to share with them.

Amen

Prayer for 14/08/2019

Lord,

We bring before you today all those who defend the environment. We know that more than 160 people died as they were safeguarding your creation in 2018 so we ask for your protection on all those working in this area today. We also commit to you their persecutors, and ask that your Spirit would open their eyes to what they are doing and transform their hearts by your grace.

Amen

Prayer for 15/08/2019

Lord,

You called us to tend and look after your garden. We bring before you all the cultivated land that is so badly affected by these times of brutal climate change. We commit farmers to you; may they also be the custodians of the land, with their agricultural practices reflecting their dual mandate.

Amen

Prayer for 16/08/2019

Lord,

You warn us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Today we are conscious of where that has led us and we ask your pardon. Open our eyes to how attached we are to our money. Give us your grace to make good decisions on the management of our wealth.

Amen

Why not …? Change to a more ethical bank; invest my savings in community projects.

Prayer for 17/08/2019

Psalm 65:9-13:

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with corn, for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with corn; they shout for joy and sing.

Loving Father,

We are thankful for all the good things with which you fill your creation. It is amazing! We are filled with wonder at the ingenuity of everything you have created! We want to shout for joy and sing with one voice with the whole of your creation.

We praise you.

Prayer for 18/08/2019

Father, Creator of heaven and earth,

We bring before you our deep sadness as we look at your suffering creation. We also bring before you our profound hope that comes from you. Your creation has suffered too much for us to be able to re-set the situation, but with you everything is possible. We want to bring to you the offering of our daily actions and our projects for your creation. We ask you to give the increase!

Amen

Prayer for 19/08/2019

King of Kings,

We pray for the G7 summit meeting at the end of this week, focussing on inequalities. You, who served mankind as the Servant King, prepare the hearts of each of the participants so that they follow your example. May self-interest disappear and give way to sharing, cooperation and justice.

Amen

Prayer for 20/08/2019

Our Father,

When human society cannot or will not manage the resources of your creation properly it is often those who live in poverty who suffer the worst consequences. Teach all of us to use and work the land that you have given to humans for the common good and may the poorest also benefit.

Amen

Prayer for 21/08/2019

Lord,

We bring before you the Citizens’ Conference on Ecological Transition that is in preparation in France. As the participants are soon to be chosen we ask that the right group of people is created and can discuss in harmony and propose actions that are in line with your justice.

Amen

Prayer for 22/08/2019

Lord,

We commit to you the marine turtles that are threatened with extinction by human activities. Give hope and perseverance to those working to protect them. We also bring before you the poachers; may they find another source of income which is appropriate for your creation; we bring before you the fishermen; may they be particularly aware of the turtles and be able to change their fishing techniques.

Amen

Prayer for 23/08/2019

Psalm 119:105

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”

Heavenly Father,

You the light of the world, forgive us that we replace you with the light of the towns, security and consumption. We acknowledge the severe impact on your creation, with the disruption of the life cycle of nocturnal species, impacts of energy consumption, health, etc. Reveal to this world the true light so that we can all return to your light, which leads to life.

Amen

Why not …? Join with others in my area to encourage participation in local environmental activities.

Prayer for 24/08/2019

Lord,

We give you thanks for the growing tiger population in India, despite its ‘endangered’ status. Thank you for the awareness shown by the Indian government and its commitment to establish conservation measures. Whilst poaching and human-animal conflicts may well increase, we pray that India finds just solutions for both tigers and humans.

Amen

Prayer for 25/08/2019

Psalm 104 v.5
‘He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.’

Almighty Father,

Today, once again we proclaim our confidence in You. With the psalmist we pray that your creation may never be moved, despite our wrongdoings. Forgive us our denial and our inertia in the face of the current situation. Come and renew your creation as You renew our hearts.

Amen

Prayer for 26/08/2019

Romans 13 v.1
‘Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.’

Lord,

Even though we sometimes find it difficult to trust the governing authorities in our nations, we put our confidence in You, the King of kings. We pray that those who are entrusted with authority may submit to You. May they choose to serve You alone and abandon the masters they serve at present.

Amen

Prayer for 27/08/2019

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) published a special report on 8 August on Climate Change and Land: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srccl/

Lord,

We bring before You this report which warns once again of the extremely disturbing situation in which we find ourselves. Lord, how can we ensure that these warnings are really heard and profoundly understood so that we change? Lord, open our ears and open our hearts to the cries of your creation so that we ourselves take action!

Amen

Prayer for 28/08/2019

Lord,

We bring before you the Taizé community during its reflection week on environmental issues. May your Holy Spirit be on the speakers so that it is You who speaks though them. Open the hearts of those attending, so that they grasp the urgency of the situation and, with the hope that they have in You, they can themselves be active in the coming of your kingdom here on earth.

Amen

Prayer for 29/08/2019

Lord,

We are dismayed by human greed. After abusing the planet’s resources people are now turning their attention to land that is becoming habitable and therefore exploitable – as is the case, for example in Greenland, because of the melting of the ice sheet associated with global warming. Put a stop to their folly.

Amen

Prayer for 30/08/2019

Loving Father,

Forgive us for that we stray so often. Today we come before You with childlike hearts and we ask that You come to our aid to teach us to walk in your ways of joy and simplicity.

Amen.

Prayer for 31/08/2019

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the beauty of the night sky that lights up our dark nights on this earth. What a source of hope for us when we turn our eyes to the sky and can start to perceive what your Kingdom will be like. We give you thanks.

Amen

September 2019

Prayer for 01/09/2019

Creator God,

As once again we move through the season of bird migration, we marvel at this process that You have instigated and we praise you for this provision for your creatures. We pray for the A Rocha teams monitoring bird movements and helping others to understand the wonders of migration as part of your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 02/09/2019

Lord God,

We bring before you those serving as our local councillors and mayors. Lord, they need your wisdom in the decisions they take about safeguarding your world in which we live. Give them that wisdom and grant them receptive minds and hearts to your promptings.

Amen

Prayer for 03/09/2019

Lord,

As we watch increasingly destructive forest fires burn around the Arctic circle we know that many of them occur naturally – but we are also conscious of rising temperatures playing their part in exacerbating the situation. We bring before you the people and eco-systems affected. Make us continually mindful of our own contribution to the situation.

Amen

Prayer for 04/09/2019

SEL supports agricultural development projects seeking to combat poverty whilst respecting creation: http://blog.selfrance.org/quand-leurs-terres-sont-pauvres-quelle-esperance

Our Father,

In some countries in Africa soil degradation, deforestation, lack of water or floods cause major problems. We pray for the populations concerned, asking that you come to their aid and we give you thanks for the work of local Christian organisations partnering with SEL with projects to encourage agricultural practices that are responsible and respect your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 05/09/2019

Lord,

We bring before you the challenges facing the eco-systems of the dry forests of the Gran Chaco region, with deforestation for industrial agriculture a major threat. Lord, we grieve as habitats and wildlife are destroyed and people groups displaced, we pray for those seeking to hold state and commercial actors to account. Give them your wisdom and courage in all their actions.

Amen

Prayer for 06/09/2019

‘Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say’ – Isaiah 28:23

Lord,

So often we do not take heed to what you are saying and showing us about our conduct in your world. Give us open ears and willing hearts to act on what you show us.

Amen

Prayer for 07/09/2019

‘The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.’ – Psalm 67:6

Heavenly Father,

As we move through the season of harvest we give you thanks for the enormous bounty you provide for us through what you have created – more than we could possibly need. We thank you for those who gather in that harvest and seek to work responsibly. We ask your blessing on them.

Amen

Prayer for 08/09/2019

Lord,

We bring before you the work of A Rocha Lebanon in the Bekaa Valley at Qab Elias and Mekse. Thank you for the projects seeking restoration of your creation in the midst of conflict and the benefits for the many refugees in the area. Give strength and courage to all those involved and bless them.

Amen

Prayer for 09/09/2019

Lord,

We acknowledge that it is not always easy to know how to safeguard your creation and at the same time people’s jobs and livelihoods. We pray for the fisheries authorities taking decisions relating to stocks of cod, once again in decline in the North Sea. Give them your wisdom as they deliberate.

Amen

Prayer for 10/09/2019

Lord God,

As climate change starts to impact us all, it is tempting to blame other people’s actions for what is happening. Give us the humility to take responsibility for own actions and change our way of life accordingly.

Amen

Prayer for 11/09/2019

Lord,

Society encourages us to think that it is acceptable to throw things away when they break, and not make the effort to repair them. Thank you for the initiative of the Repair Cafés in helping people to take a different approach and thus to make better use of the earth’s resources.

Amen

Why not…? Find out if there is a Repair Café near you and visit it: https://repaircafe.org/en/

Prayer for 12/09/2019

Creator God,

We bring before you the kelp forests along temperate coastlines and wonder at the rich ecosystem they represent. But we are also conscious of the threats they face, from warming oceans and human activity. Lord, protect them and guide all those seeking to safeguard these habitats now and in the future.

Amen

Prayer for 13/09/2019

‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ – Mark 12:31

Father God,

Forgive us when, in our selfishness, we ignore the effects of our treatment of your world on our neighbours – locally and globally – through the pollution we create, the resources we consume and in so many other ways. Make us mindful of our actions and open to your leading.

Amen

Prayer for 14/09/2019

Lord

‘You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.

The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.’ (Psalm 65:9-13)

Amen

Prayer for 15/09/2019

Creator God,

We thank you for the wonder, enjoyment and enthusiasm of children as they discover the intricacies of your creation. We give thanks for the many A Rocha teams this summer who have run camps for children to introduce them to different aspects of your world. We pray for the teams as they start planning for next year and ask for your joy in their work.

Amen

Prayer for 16/09/2019

Lord,

We commit to you the members of our national government as they take decisions. Lord as they carry out their responsibilities, we ask that you make them mindful of the impact of their decisions on your creation and keep us mindful of our need to pray for them.

Amen

Prayer for 17/09/2019

Lord God,

As we see the impacts of climate change all around us, we pray that our governments may be bold and courageous enough to take actions that are effective and not just take measures that are ‘window dressing’.

Amen

Prayer for 18/09/2019

Lord God,

There is so much plastic waste everywhere and I sometimes feel that I can’t really make an impact on the problem. But thank you for A Rocha’s Plastic Clean-up project initiative (https://arocha.org/en/projects/global-plastic-cleanup/). Lord, may many groups – young and old together – take part and demonstrate their care for your creation as they clean up plastic.

Amen

Prayer for 19/09/2019

Lord God,

We thank you for the unique forest habitat that is the Dakatcha Woodland in Kenya and all the wildlife it contains. We thank you for the A Rocha Kenya team working alongside other conservation partners and local communities to preserve it and seeking to share the message of how much you love and care about this woodland – a part of your amazing creation.

Amen

Prayer for 20/09/2019

‘He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.’ (Psalm 104 v.10)

Lord God,

As we turn on the taps in our kitchens and bathrooms we do not always appreciate that provision of water and we use it without thinking. Lord forgive us for our indifference and help us to recognise and use your gift of water thankfully and responsibly.

Amen

Prayer for 21/09/2019

‘In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.’ Job 12 v.10

Creator God,

We thank you that you hold your creation, every creature and every person, in your hand. Lord thank you for your gift of life. Give me open eyes today for every part of your creation and fill me with thanks and praise.

Amen

Prayer for 22/09/2019

Lord God,

Within the A Rocha family, we pray for local A Rocha members seeking to share the wonder of your creation with their local communities through community gardens, activities for children and in many other ways. Give them great joy and enthusiasm as they share with others and show You to those they are with.

Amen

Prayer for 23/09/2019

Lord God,

The Environment Committee is the largest specialist committee in the European Parliament. We pray for those MEPs as they scrutinise legislation affecting many aspects of the environment. Lord give them your wisdom in their discussions and decisions, that your creation may be protected from harm.

Amen

Prayer for 24/09/2019

Father God,

As storms become increasingly severe in many parts of the world, we bring before you the thousands of people whose lives and livelihoods are being devastated. May we not reach a stage where their plight is just another news item, but give us your compassion for them and show us what we can do to help.

Amen

Prayer for 25/09/2019

Lord,

Thank you for the initiative of transition towns (https://transitionnetwork.org/) seeking to influence so many different local communities. Lord, show me where I could get involved, joining with my neighbours in various ways to show your love for your world.

Amen

Prayer for 26/09/2019

Creator God,

Mangrove forests along coastlines and your creatures that live in them are an amazing part of your abundant creation. Lord, such forests are reduced in extent for all sorts of reasons, but thank you for those who are actively involved in helping to restore them, including A Rocha teams. We ask for your hand to be over these projects.

Amen

Prayer for 27/09/2019

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1 v.31)

Lord God,

You looked at what you had made, and saw it was good. Lord we often spend a lot of time looking at our screens, whether phone or computer. Lord, forgive us for how little we sometimes look at your creation and appreciate just how good it is. Help us to develop open and appreciative eyes!

Amen

Prayer for 28/09/2019

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19 v.1)

Father God,

Blue skies, skies with storm clouds, skies with white puffy clouds, skies with rainbows, night skies and all the other skies we see – thank you that they do indeed speak to us of your glory and all that you have made. We praise you.

Amen

Prayer for 29/09/2019

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104 v.24)

Creator God,

Thank you for your wisdom in creation and the multiplicity of your creatures! Lord, as A Rocha groups work in different places in the world, looking after your creation and sharing it with others, give them joy in their work even when it is not always easy, or when there are setbacks with their projects.

Amen

Why not …? Look at the A Rocha website and see where A Rocha groups are working – pray for one of the groups.

Prayer for 30/09/2019

Lord God,

We bring before you the people running major companies. Lord in the midst of their striving for a successful business, may they be mindful of their responsibilities to the environment around them – your world and how their projects may have an impact. Show us ways in which we could help to raise their awareness.

Amen

Prayers for October 2019

Prayer for 01/10/2019

Lord of the wind and waves, we marvel at your power in the storm. Yet we increasingly see the destructive power of great hurricanes as the world warms. As your Spirit moved over chaos in creation, may the same Spirit hover over governments, both local and national, of nations which lie in hurricane paths: may they plan and allocate resources wisely to help those at risk. May other nations be moved to come to their aid.

Amen

Prayer for 02/10/2019

Lord God,

Thank you for birds, ever-present in our lives even though there are declining numbers. Thank you that it is often birds that prompt people to become aware of your creation and the need to protect it. We pray for the work of society for the protection of birds (https://www.lpo.fr/ ; https://www.rspb.org.uk/) and for all the Christians who are members. Help them to witness to you and your beauty and intricacy that are reflected in birds.

Amen

Prayer for 03/10/2019

Lord Jesus,

By whom and for whom all things were created, we bring before you this morning an endangered species in Europe and in France, the Eurasian lynx. We pray for your redemptive work in creation for this animal too. Thank you for all the people and associations dedicated to preserving biodiversity and indeed each of your creatures.

Amen

Prayer for 04/10/2019

Lord,

Forgive us all the empty calories that we consume; too many sweets and ready meals that harm our bodies. Help us to choose calories which are rich in the vital nutrients for the proper functioning of our bodies. Help us to get better at respecting our bodies created lovingly by you and to take pleasure in food that is healthy.

Amen

Prayer for 05/10/2019

‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.’ Ezekiel 36:26

All praise to you Lord that you had the patience to transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh so that we can contemplate the beauty of your creation and care for it.

Amen

Prayer for 06/10/2019

Lord,

This Sunday we commit to you the work of A Rocha in the 20 countries where the organisation now has a presence. We pray for wisdom and discernment for the boards of trustees and management committees. Lord, through your grace and mighty power give strength and courage to all those working daily in the field.

Amen

Prayer for 07/10/2019

Today is designated World Habitat Day by the UN, focusing on the sustainable development of our towns and cities.

As you pray today:

Prayer for 08/10/2019

Lord Jesus Christ,

You are the living water, but many people do not even have enough water for their crops, their animals, for washing or for drinking. We think particularly today of the countries where rains have failed and heatwaves have made matters worse. We cry to you for the poor who suffer most of all because they have to rely on government water tankers. We pray that you will not only send rain but also people who can work for the good of all to help manage the situation. And may we who live in places where there is much water, learn to value it as a precious, God-given resource.

Amen

Prayer for 09/10/2019

In Romans-sur-Isère, an independent group is preparing an election list which is focussed on ecology.

Lord God,

We pray for them and for all those working in our towns and villages for respect for your creation. May they not only make good progress in protecting your creation but may they also start pondering the real source of our vital green spaces.

Amen

Prayer for 10/10/2019

Heavenly Father,

Who reigns on earth and in the heavens and to whom all things belong, forgive us our proprietorial attitude which makes us think we can use resources as we choose. We remember before you the endangered argali in Asia, at risk because it is hunted for meat and because its grazing lands are being given over to domestic sheep.

Amen

Prayer for 11/10/2019

Lord,

Forgive us for all the times when we do not see the display that you put on for us. Your creation is full of beauty. In the Bible we read that you saw that it was very good. Help us to take the time to stop and watch the butterfly, to look in detail at the little flower growing on the edge of the pavement or to close our eyes to listen to the song of a bird. Father, thank you for letting us savour the splendour of your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 12/10/2019

‘Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you: embrace her, and she will honour you.’ Proverbs 4:7-8

Lord, I praise you that you teach us each day to love you better and become springs of living water in this world that is thirsty for you.

Amen

Prayer for 13/10/2019

‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (…) And God saw that it was good.’ Genesis 1:1 and 25b

Take a moment today to stop and look at the natural world that God has created all around you.

Be touched by nature’s colours, caressed by its breeze and soothed by its song.

Experience its beauty from the very tiny to the immensely large. May your very looking be an act of praise to Creator God.

Prayer for 14/10/2019

Today has been designated international E-waste day

Lord,

Each of us relies on many electronic and electrical items as we live our lives – give us wisdom in our purchases. We pray for those who design products, for wise use of scarce resources and responsible manufacturing. We pray for those with responsibility for proper recycling and reuse of products at the end of their useful life – guide them to real and lasting solutions in this area.

Amen

Prayer for 15/10/2019

Father God,

We thank you for the balance that keeps the earth warm in the coldness of space. Yet we confess that we have disrupted this balance so that we see increasing heat on natural and human communities which have not been used to it. We mourn for the devastating impact of heat on crops and wildlife. We lift to you those whose responsibility it is to plan for and mitigate such changes. May we also be aware of our neighbours who might suffer in extreme heat.

Amen

Prayer for 16/10/2019

A Rocha International is developing its work on plastics in the oceans and has just opened a study centre in Florida on the east coast of the United States and the Indian River Lagoon.

Lord God,

We pray for A Rocha United States and for this project in particular. Help them in their research and in raising awareness among their fellow citizens about the issues with plastic, so damaging to your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 17/10/2019

Creator God,

Who acts perfectly, forgive us for our excessive consumption that endangers many species. As we pray today we think of salmon, fished to excess and also the salmon farms that have been developed and that do not respect your creation. May your Spirit renew our thinking!

Amen

Prayer for 18/10/2019

Lord,

Forgive us for all the times when we drive around alone in our cars. We recognise that it causes pollution that is not always justified. Awaken our consciences to the other choices we can make in how to travel while causing less damage to this earth that we share. Thank you for an initiative like GoMesse.

Amen

Prayer for 19/10/2019

‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.’ Psalm 150:6

I praise you, Lord; unite our praises with the songs of nature in a melody that is infinite, restorative and revitalising.

Amen

Prayer for 20/10/2019

‘Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’ Genesis 1:29

In his great care for us God has created what is needful for our food.

Today in particular, and perhaps tomorrow too, think of each of your meals as a ‘hallelujah’. With each mouthful you take be conscious of the care that God takes of you.

And as you eat, think of how you can care for all that God has made available to you.

Prayer for 21/10/2019

What is public transport like in your local area?

Lord,

It is not easy to manage public transport, either locally or nationally. As I think about my local area, I pray, Lord, for those people responsible for organising and managing the systems – however good or bad I think they are. Give them wisdom and skill in their work and show me ways in which I could encourage them to improve what is available.

Amen

Prayer for 22/10/2019

Forgive us, Lord, for thinking that we humans are supreme masters of our world. Forgive us for thinking we can cut trees, straighten water courses and build on floodplains without any consequences. As we see heavier or more intense rainstorms as a consequence of climate change, may we seek to create more responsible patterns for lessening the effects of flooding. As you rescued Noah and his family through the flood, may you continue to rescue many people today from angry waters.

Amen

Prayer for 23/10/2019

Lord God,

We pray for the work of A Rocha Kenya in Marafa, the Dakatcha forest reserve, on the east coast. Thank you for their long years of faithful presence in that place and the commitment to the local population that goes hand in hand with the protection of the forest. Thank you for the encouragement you gave them recently with the first ever photograph taken there of a tiny mammal that is at risk of extinction. Lord, may this make a great contribution to the effectiveness and influence of their work.

Amen

Prayer for 24/10/2019

Lord our God,

You who have made the earth so beautiful, we bring before you coral, threatened by climate change and the pollution that we cause; coral that shelters over 25% of marine life. You alone are our hope. Give us understanding and change our mindset!

Amen

Prayer for 25/10/2019

Lord,

Thank you for this period of harvest. The seasonal fruits and vegetables taste so good and the variety of their shapes and colours delight us. Help us to reconnect with the seasons and their special characteristics. Forgive us for all the times we buy fruit and vegetables out of season, when growing and transporting them causes so much pollution. Help us to cook creatively so that we can enjoy produce at its proper time. Thank you for caring for all aspects of our lives.

Amen

Prayer for 26/10/2019

‘For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’ 1 Corinthians 1:18

Lord, I praise you for your resurrection power which alone gives us hope in this fractured and unreconciled world.

Amen

Prayer for 27/10/2019

This Sunday, by way of a Sunday walk, you could take a pair of gloves and a bag with you and together with some of your friends and family go to one of the places near you that you have learned to avoid, one of those places that is polluted and sullied by the negligent or destructive hands of men. As an act of prayer pick up the waste you find along your walk to release nature which cannot deal with it by itself. Nature will thank you.

Prayer for 28/10/2019

Lord,

I pray for those in my local church council who take responsibility for all aspects of church life that have an impact on your creation. Help me to encourage them and to be willing to change how we do things within our church community so that we care better for your world.

Amen

Prayer for 29/10/2019

Father in heaven,

We thank you for stirring the hearts of many young people around the world to campaign for governments to take action on climate change. We pray that they would not be discouraged when things happen slowly. We pray that governments will listen to them, that they will see that emergency measures need to be put in place, and most of all, that they will act.

Amen

Prayer for 30/10/2019

In November the eight regional synods of the united protestant church of France will meet and will be working through ecological questions to prepare the national synod in the spring.

Lord God,

We pray for all these Christians, asking that you will help them to dig deeply into your word and to draw lessons inspired by your spirit of wisdom. Help them to put those lessons into practice in their local communities and in the places where they live.

Amen

Prayer for 31/10/2019

Father God,

You who have created such a beautiful world, forgive us our wrongdoings towards your creation. We think today of the Big-Leaf Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) which is over-exploited for its wood, endangering an entire ecosystem and destroying the habitat of many species, including the giant otter. Lord only you can quicken our consciences, transform our ideas and create in us the desire to change our behaviours. Help us.

Amen

November 2019

Prayer for 01/11/2019

Lord God,

For some time now we have been very concerned about the ‘environment’, a word we hear day in day out.

We are confused, Lord, because we didn’t grasp quickly enough that precisely this word puts us on the wrong track: it means what is around me, what surrounds me and that puts me in the centre.

Forgive us for having thought, perhaps unconsciously, that everything that surrounds us belongs to us. Help us to say ‘creation’, which points us to you and how you want us to live where you have placed us.

Amen

Prayer for 02/11/2019

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)

Thank you, Lord, for our bodies. The more we learn about how they function the more we understand that they are complex and perfectly created. I praise you for the great range of what we can achieve and experience thanks to this physical body.

Amen

Prayer for 03/11/2019

The men of the city said to Elisha, ‘Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive. ‘Bring me a new bowl,’ he said, ‘and put salt in it.’ So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ (2 Kings 2:19-22)

Lord, we praise you for the A Rocha project in Kampala, Uganda. This project enables local residents to treat the water, a cause of serious illnesses, using a system of bio-sand filters and thus to be able to drink clean water.

Amen

Prayer for 04/11/2019

Lord, today I bring before you the leaders in my town. Be their source of inspiration. Put in their hearts the burning desire to be instrumental in protecting your creation on a daily basis. May your Spirit inspire creativity and excellence in their management of the environment in our town!

Amen

Prayer for 05/11/2019

Father God,

We remember today the many low-lying islands at risk of being engulfed by rising sea levels. We pray for those who live on these islands and face that threat every day. May we listen to their voices and take seriously their concerns and not ignore them because they are a long way away from us.

Amen

Prayer for 06/11/2019

Les Alchimistes (http://alchimistes.co/) an urban composting initiative

Lord,

Thank you for the micro-organisms that help turn organic waste into compost that we can use to grow plants and vegetables. Thank you for the initiative of Les Alchimistes making it possible to create compost in urban areas in Paris and elsewhere in France that can be used to grow plants and vegetables and ‘green’ the city.

Amen

Why not…? See if this is something I could get involved with locally!

Prayer for 07/11/2019

Wolves!

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (2 Timothy 2:24)

The wolf is an animal that arouses our fears and appears in many children’s stories. It is also a beautiful and fascinating creature. A top predator, in particular of farmed animals, it often gives rise to open and fierce disputes.

May real wisdom be given to those with responsibility for decisions on protecting and regulating this species.

Prayer for 08/11/2019

Lord God, creator of earth and heavens when you considered your completed creation you said that it was ‘very good’. We know that each animal, insect, plant and bacteria has its place in you great plan.

Forgive us that we too often rank everything you have created by attributing values that are not your values. Give us the humility to keep learning more about the complexity and usefulness of everything that makes up this world.

Amen

Prayer for 09/11/2019

‘All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.’

Extract from the Canticle of Brother Sun by St Francis of Assisi

Thank you, Father, for the sun that rose yesterday and gives me light today. Thanks to your wonderful work I can count on it being there tomorrow and learn more of you as I observe it.

Amen

Prayer for 10/11/2019

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. (Psalm 96:11)

We praise you Lord for the beauty of the mangroves and for A Rocha’s work in southern Ghana at Winneba, the Munni-Pomadze Ramsar site, which enables women to care for these exceptional biotopes, to restore them and manage them appropriately.

Amen

Prayer for 11/11/2019

Lord, I bring before you the younger generation, the children of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow. Prepare the hearts of those who, in the decades ahead, will occupy key positions in our governments and institutions.

May your Spirit already fill them with a heart for creation and the keen desire to conserve it and care for it.

Amen

Prayer for 12/11/2019

Creator God

You who are Lord of the harvest, we remember before you all farmers who are trying to find new food crops that can survive in the changing climate conditions and uncertain growing seasons. Lord give them wisdom and skill in their choice of crops and in the care of their land that they can continue to feed their families and indeed all of us.

Amen

Prayer for 13/11/2019

Lord,

We thank you for the Farming God’s Way initiative (https://www.farming-gods-way.org/) that is helping so many in Africa to grow food in a way that respects your earth and treats it well. Thank you for the A Rocha teams in Kenya and elsewhere who are introducing their neighbours to these methods. May those they work with be receptive to the ideas and see the benefits for your creation and for themselves.

Amen

Prayer for 14/11/2019

The eel that has disappeared from our plates and our rivers.

The fish in the sea are swept away (Hosea 4:3)

The European eel is classified as a critically endangered species. There are numerous factors involved: over-fishing of glass eels, dams and pollution and the remedies are complex. Pray that over and above any of these remedies the creator will act in favour of this fascinating fish.

Prayer for 15/11/2019

Lord God, we talk a lot about what has to be done to protect your creation and we are always ready to accuse governments of not doing enough. At the same time, we don’t like changing our life styles; we resist any challenge to our comfort and habits. Forgive us.

Amen

Prayer for 16/11/2019

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2-3)

Lord, you have also created rest and specific times for that. Thank you, Father, because that is good!

Amen

Prayer for 17/11/2019

Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

We praise you Lord for the beauty of the Dakatcha Forest in Kenya and for the A Rocha ‘Farming God’s Way’ project which makes it possible to protect different species, teach local people to cultivate the land appropriately and thus reduce food insecurity and to preserve the forested area more effectively.

Amen

Prayer for 18/11/2019

My God, I bring before you the industries in my country, my region and my town; I pray for their managers and their boards so that on each day that you give us their eyes may be open to the need to take a stand and to take more action to protect the earth, our common home. Lord, may they take seriously their responsibilities in actively protecting the environment.

Amen

Prayer for 19/11/2019

Lord,

Thank you for the trees that we can enjoy in all their diversity; thank you too for their role in helping to store carbon. Lord, as tree-planting initiatives get underway in various areas, show us how we can maybe get involved and in so doing help to show how much we care for your creation,

Amen

Prayer for 20/11/2019

Urbanescence seeks to connect urban dwellers with nature (https://www.urbanescence.org/)

Lord,

Thank you for this initiative and its projects seeking to raise awareness of nature and environmental issues. Thank you for the interest they are creating among those living in urban areas and the benefits that can bring. May Urbanescence help people to become more conscious of the wonders of your creation and to learn to respect and care for it.

Amen

Prayer for 21/11/2019

Controversial wind turbines

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. (Proverbs 13:10)

In the context of the project to place off-shore wind turbines along the Normandy and Picardy coastline there is conflict between the Tréport fishermen, who fear considerable disruption and a fall in fish resources and those in favour of the programme because they are interested in renewable energies …. and also financial opportunities.

Pray that the tensions will subside in the light of truth and that the parties can unite around a project they all support.

Prayer for 22/11/2019

Lord God, creator and saviour, in your word we find all that we need to understand your relationship with what you have created and our place within it. Forgive us for our selective reading and that we have not listened to your witnesses who, through the ages have tried to alert us to the importance of ‘tending and keeping’ that which you have entrusted to us.

Amen

Prayer for 23/11/2019

Thank you, Father, for the bread I was able to eat this morning. It was made from the wheat that a farmer planted with care, watched over and then harvested. Other people transported it, milled it and then made and baked this bread. We thank you for the skill and commitment of these people which enables us to have access to this food. Your creation brims with good things; thank you for the wisdom and knowledge that has allowed us to develop and be able to turn these raw materials into good food.

Amen

Prayer for 24/11/2019

‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ (Mark 10:14)

Lord, we praise you for the vitality that radiates from the hearts of children and we praise you for the A Rocha projects throughout the world that work and walk alongside them in humility and in gentleness.

Amen

Prayer for 25/11/2019

We ask forgiveness Lord because the desire for money has taken control of our institutions, of our economy, of our governments, of our hearts and our lives. Forgive us that we have not known how to counter it with the justice and shalom that comes from you. And where wrong has already been done, by your immense grace sow in particular in the hearts of those who are our leaders a sense of good and of justice. Among the people with power here on earth may you place those in such positions who hold to your justice.

Amen

Prayer for 26/11/2019

Lord,

Thank you for the people who, over the years, have developed new clean forms of energy for us to use. Help us to make use of that energy with gratitude and also wisely so that we can help to protect your creation from harm.

Amen

Prayer for 27/11/2019

Lord,

We thank you for the Lausanne / WEA Creation Care Network ( http://lwccn.com/) and all that it does to help Christians engage with caring for your creation. We pray for its leaders as they direct the work and for all the churches and individuals seeking to put caring for your creation into action in their situation. Give them all courage and wisdom in their endeavours.

Amen

Prayer for 28/11/2019

So beautiful and so elusive, the turtle dove

In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. (Psalm 106:14)

This dove with marbled plumage is one we encounter less and less when we are out in the forest. And yet it is still ‘huntable’, despite the quotas. The hunting season has started again this year, but let us pray that it is the last season in which this dove is classified as a game bird.

Prayer for 29/11/2019

Lord God, Father, faced with the urgency of the task before us, we become discouraged. And when we want to act we are often confused, as there is sometimes conflicting advice about how to respond. Forgive us that we have forgotten that you never promised your children an easy life. Help us to look constantly to you and to draw joy and confidence in the presence of your Son and in the strength of your Spirit.

Amen

Prayer for 30/11/2019

Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100)

Amen

Prayers for December 2019

Prayer for 01/12/2019

Creator God, we thank you for the place of trees in your creation – for their beauty and benefits for each one of us. We thank you for the work of the A Rocha associated project in the Philippines, helping to restore forests and create forest parks. We pray for all the churches becoming involved. Give them joy and perseverance as they move the project forward.

Amen

Prayer for 02/12/2019

Lord God,

We bring before you all the government representatives gathered for the COP25 conference in Madrid as they continue to look at climate change issues that affect us all. Give them your wisdom in their discussions. Give governments the courage to implement decisions that will protect your world, even when they are unpopular.

Amen

Prayer for 03/12/2019

Loving God, help us to sustain a healthy response to the climate crisis.

As we rightly lament, give us peace beyond understanding.

As we faithfully protest, give us resilience and hope.

As we understandably feel climate anxiety, sustain and inspire us to enjoy and protect your good earth. Amen.

Prayer for 04/12/2019

Ramsar Convention on the protection of Wetlands

Look at the (behemoth) hippopotamus, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox… Under the lotus plant he lies….among the reeds in the marsh (Job 40:16 & 21)

The Somme river crosses the Department along a magnificent valley and flows into one of the most beautiful bays in the world. It is one of the main Ramsar sites in France and the location for this organisation’s recent annual national symposium.

Let us pray that the restoration and protection of wetland areas, reservoirs of biodiversity, which do so much for water quality, will be taken into account in planning and development projects.

Prayer for 05/12/2019

Lord God, Creator God, we pray for all those involved in the conservation of the Common Snipe, of which there are no more than 50 nesting in France. Give courage and wisdom to farmers and naturalists when they take steps to prevent the disappearance of their habitats.

Amen

Prayer for 06/12/2019

Loving Lord Jesus, your word tells us that creation is made by, through and even for you.

Forgive our lack of gratitude and love.

Transform and inspire us to treasure your good creation. Amen.

(Colossians 1)

Prayer for 07/12/2019

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the Lord, the King (Psalm 98:4-6)

I praise you Lord for this song that you invite us to sing day after day, to encourage us, to encourage our neighbours and above all to glorify your Holy name, the matchless beauty of your creation and your unconditional love.

Amen

Prayer for 08/12/2019

Creator God, thank you for the beauty we can see in the shapes of deciduous trees in winter, just as much as in spring or summer. Thank you that in your creation economy nothing is wasted; that the fallen leaves provide protection for many small creatures and replenish the soil.

Amen

Prayer for 09/12/2019

Lord God, we hear so much about water whether there is an abundance or a lack. We pray for those with responsibility for managing our water resources in a thirsty world. Help them to take wise decisions and help us too to be mindful of what a precious resource it is that you provide for us.

Amen

Prayer for 10/12/2019

As the ice melts, so would you melt our cold hearts that we might care enough to change our behaviour.

As the forests burn, so may our passion to act and petition be enflamed.

As the global temperature rises, so may your people rise together to stand against the systems of greed and abuse that corrupt your good earth.

Amen.

Prayer for 11/12/2019

Local elections are on the way

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no-one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility towards all men. (Titus 3:1-2)

Let us pray that those who feel called to take on political responsibilities, in particular at local level, do so with intelligence and commitment. That God raises up good candidates and that they themselves acknowledge that they are subject to God in the decisions they take.

Prayer for 12/12/2019

Lord God, Creator God, we rejoice that, little by little, efforts are being made to favour renewable energies. But we know that this often causes conflicts. We pray for the decisions taken when choosing a new site for wind turbines. In particular we bring before you the site of the Col de la Bataille in the Vercors where many migrating birds risk being hit by the blades if this project should come to fruition.

Amen

Prayer for 13/12/2019

You teach us, loving God, that what we do for the least of your creation, we do also for you.
Give us the imagination to find your presence in all that you have made.
Help us to express our worship of you through our love for your creation. Amen.

(Matthew 25)

Prayer for 14/12/2019

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God (1 Peter 1:22-23)

I praise you Lord for this love that we share through the unconditional love you share with us; for these bonds that, through you, we can experience and comprehend and in which your kingdom is revealed in its splendour and power and which makes us conscious of our part in the beauty of your creation.

Prayer for 15/12/2019

Father God, we thank you for all those who have challenged us in our thinking about your creation. Within the A Rocha family, thank you for Peter and Miranda Harris, Chris and Susanna Naylor and their inspiration and example in caring for your creation. At this time, we pray for your continued healing for Peter and your comfort for the Naylor and Harris families.

Amen

Prayer for 16/12/2019

Lord God, today we bring before you those with responsibility for national parks policies in our country. Give them wisdom and good judgement as they seek to balance what is good for the environment they are trying to protect with public access to those areas. Thank you for their work.

Amen

Prayer for 17/12/2019

Creator God, we can be overwhelmed by the scale of climate breakdown.
Yet you tell us that with faith as small as a mustard seed we can move mountains.
We pray with boldness that the effects of climate change will slow down and reverse.
Give us along with our political and business leaders, true faith to act in hope and love for your world.

Amen

Prayer for 18/12/2019

ITER: an inspired project or a Tower of Babel

Then they said, ‘Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’ (Genesis 11:4)

This €20 billion project based in France, but involving 35 countries, is intended to test ‘the energy of the future’, but even the scientific community is perplexed about it. It only claims to be an experimental phase. May God guide the decisions so that it is not illusory, but a project that really serves the good of the whole of creation.

Prayer for 19/12/2019

Lord God, Creator of insects, spiders and crustaceans, we give you thanks for all that these animals provide which allows all species, including humans, to flourish on this earth. A report last month raised concerns that they were disappearing at a faster rate than had been thought previously, so we pray for our leaders when they have to take decisions to restrict the use of crop protection products.

Prayer for 20/12/2019

Forgive our silent acceptance of the systems of exploitation and greed.
Give us soft hearts, and hard feet.
Help us to feel the injustice of unfair global structures of consumption and help us to know how to respond in action.

Amen.

Prayer for 21/12/2019

‘Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord …’ (Psalm 96:11-13)

I praise you Lord for the splendour of the Domaine des Courmettes, set between the Pre-Alps and the Mediterranean. This oasis of beauty leads us to ever deeper contemplation of the majesty of your creation, to wonder at it and to be reconciled with you.

Prayer for 22/12/2019

Lord God, we sometimes feel overwhelmed by the ‘bad news’ stories of relentless deforestation, forest fires and other ways in which your creation is harmed and we risk losing heart. But Lord thank you for the ‘good news’ stories too – thank you for the work that has been achieved by A Rocha Peru, encouraging tree planting and restoration in the dry forests in the north of the country. We ask you to continue to bless those projects and those involved in them.

Amen

Prayer for 23/12/2019

Lord, it is so easy to grumble and find fault with those who govern my region and my country. Lord give me the courage to speak up with respect when I think there are problems, but above all, help me to pray for them consistently, that you will guide them to act justly and care for your creation in all their decisions.

Amen

Prayer for 24/12/2019

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who long for climate justice, for they will be satisfied.

May we be satisfied by our work for the good of the whole planet.
May we be ultimately satisfied with God in the new creation when all will have been made new.
May those who deny the need for climate justice, become hungry and thirsty for righteousness and act to safeguard your good creation.

Amen.

Prayer for 25/12/2019

Honeybees can threaten biodiversity

Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste (Prov. 24:13)

Nothing is straightforward: whilst bees are threatened by pollution, intensive rearing of honeybees can in certain situations force out other species of insects that are vital for the pollination of certain plants. Let us pray that the scientific community can give good advice and that beekeepers are able to take it into account respecting biodiversity.

Prayer for 26/12/2019

God our Creator, we bring before you the residents and the naturalists who manage the overwintering sites of waders in the French Antilles and Guyana. Help them as they seek to respect nature and in their decision-making when a third of these birds show declining numbers, as is the case for the Semipalmated Sandpiper. Thank you once more, Lord, for the beauty and diversity of your creation!

Prayer for 27/12/2019

We have been greedy in use of the world’s resources.
Lord have mercy.

We have been mindless of the effect we have on the most vulnerable on the earth.
Christ have mercy.

We have been complicit in unjust structures of exploitation.
Lord have mercy.

Forgive and inspire us. Set us free from guilt and shame so that we might live lives that reflect your justice and your joy. Amen.

Prayer for 28/12/2019

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (1 Peter 1:3-4)

I praise you Lord for your power of resurrection and your power of life, which shows itself in the splendour of your creation, that you restore and that you constantly cause to shine.

Prayer for 29/12/2019

Lord God, as we look back over the past year, we thank you for the privilege of being able to enjoy your creation in all its glory throughout the seasons. As we look forward to the year ahead, help us to share our love of what you have created with others so that they too may rejoice in the world in which you have placed us.

Amen

Prayer for 30/12/2019

‘The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad’ (Psalm 97:1)

Lord God, as we look back at the times this year when we have wondered why authorities in various places seemed unable to prevent damage to the world you created, thank you for this reminder that you reign and that you are in charge. Give us creativity in the year ahead as we seek to influence decisions that are taken and keep reminding us of your kingship.

Amen

Prayer for 31/12/2019

Loving God, we pray for those already drastically affected by climate change.
Be with those who suffer from flood or famine as they struggle to survive.
Be with the aid organizations seeking to alleviate suffering.
Be with all of us who affect the changing climate with our distant choices.

Amen

January 2020

Prayer for 01/01/2020

Lord God, we thank you for the Namulonge eco/school in Uganda where the pupils have created an orchard, nursery beds and a medicinal garden. We pray for their influence on all the teachers who visit them as part of the workshops organised by A Rocha Uganda. The pupils call what they are doing ‘farming God’s way’.

Prayer for 02/01/2020

Lord, we are grateful that in many places we are able to drink water from the tap and it is safe and wholesome. But advertising sometimes implies that water from mountain sources delivered in bottles is better. Yet to produce such water can cause habitat conflict, with stream flow being reduced and habitats put at risk because of water abstraction. Help us to be grateful for good water and to be conscious of the risks that our purchasing choices can have for your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 03/01/2020

Obesity, a plague of modern times

‘Please test your servants for ten days: give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ (Daniel 1:12-13)

Lord, we abuse the benefits of the food that you give us every day. Too much sugar, salt, fat, meat, substances that are harmful to our bodies and to our spirit … We are aware of this and are often ashamed and yet we persist in our little indulgences. Forgive us. Free us from our addictions and help us to nourish ourselves correctly.

Prayer for 04/01/2020

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad!

Let the seas resound and everything in them, let the fields and the forests sing praise to our God, and living creature within them.

We take our place in the endless variety of creation as it praises its maker. Amen.

(Psalm 96)

Prayer for 05/01/2020

Creator God, your world is both abundant and finite.

Help us to revel in your generous creation and also to know how precious it is.

May we not take for granted the resources of this earth but treasure them and steward them with care. Amen.

Prayer for 06/01/2020

Almighty Father,

At the start of this year we bring before you all those who have authority. Walk with them in this responsibility and transform their hearts so that they can exercise their authority in accordance with your justice and with love for all of your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 07/01/2020

The earth is feverish and suffering with a temperature.

Lord, what responsibility so I bear in climate change? Political bodies bear some responsibility, as do major industrial groups and the search for unbridled growth etc. But what about me? What decisions have I taken with negative consequences for our planet? What can I change from now on to show greater respect for the earth?

Father, show me, one by one the choices, whether conscious or unconscious, that have harmed the climate. Help me day by day to understand my responsibility and gradually to change. It is not a question of guilt, but a desire to be open to repentance as you yourself reveal things to me.

Prayer for 08/01/2020

Lord God, we thank you for the many nature protection associations. We pray for ASPAS (Association for the protection of wild animals) which purchases large unspoilt land areas to conserve them for the flora and fauna. We ask you to give them, and indeed all of us, wisdom in managing relations between humans and animals on this earth.

Prayer for 09/01/2020

Creator God, we love the beauty of our native trees but aware that many of them are at risk from all sides (IUCN Red List of European Trees). There are alarm bells for the Horse Chestnut, threatened by the activities of the leaf miner moth and the damage it causes. Give wisdom to those seeking to conserve our native trees and to make wise planting and management decisions.

Amen

Prayer for 10/01/2020

Addicted to CO2

Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, ‘Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.’ From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, ‘Save me! You are my god!’ (Isaiah 44:16-17)

Lord, you have created the earth in such a way that we can use its resources for our well-being. But we abuse it. And we think that that is normal and that our economy will collapse without overconsumption and we worship at the altar of ever more material goods. Forgive us! Open our consciences and give us the wisdom and courage to rein in our lifestyles. Lord, repair that which we have completely destroyed.

Prayer for 11/01/2020

Thank you, Loving God, that in the cross you are reconciling all things to yourself and that you promise that you are making all things new.

Thank you that there is hope in the midst of environmental despair.

Thank you that you do not call us to grieve alone or work alone for this creation in crisis, but to join you in loving it. Amen.

Prayer for 12/01/2020

Flowers have ears …

A recent scientific study has shown that the flowers of Oenothera drummondii, evening primrose, are able, through their petals, to detect the vibrations produced by the wingbeats of their pollinators. These flowers then rapidly increase the sugar concentration in their nectar to attract these insects and encourage them to return …

Lord, how amazing is the subtlety and complexity of your creation in every detail.

May these scientific discoveries make us increasingly full of wonder and also grow our desire to protect these species fully.

Amen

Prayer for 13/01/2020

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’ (Matthew 28:18)

Lord Jesus,

This morning we proclaim that you have authority over all your creation. May the nations acknowledge your authority and submit to it so that your kingdom can come among us now.

Amen

Prayer for 14/01/2020

Father, thank you for Laudato Si (Pope Francis’ encyclical on care of our common home). This text inspired by your Spirit makes a clear statement, criticises where it is needed and draws the church together to understand and act as a community. Lord may it continue to bear the fruit which has developed to help us to position ourselves in the fight against climate change.

Prayer for 15/01/2020

For the past 20 years A Rocha has been present in the Vallée des Baux near the Alpilles, conserving this wetland area and its endangered species like the European roller and the ocellated lizard.

Lord God, we pray for the team responsible for this work and for all the placement students and volunteers with whom the team works. Give A Rocha wisdom in the choices to be made to continue the project in the long term and to protect this valley.

Prayer for 16/01/2020

Creator God, we enjoy watching seals playing in the sea and watching as some populations grow. But that is not the case for the Mediterranean monk seal, which is in decline and facing threats from many sides. Give wisdom to those seeking how best to protect it and raising awareness of its conservation needs.

Amen

Prayer for 17/01/2020

Biodiversity at risk

We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. (Daniel 9:5-6)

In 1965 Jean Dorst, Director of the Museum of Paris published the book ‘Before Nature Dies’. Lord, we cannot say that we did not know. You sent new prophets among the scientists who we have not listened to and who we are still not listening to. And today these same scientists are making depressing findings about the loss of biodiversity. It is so serious that we feel powerless. Lord, forgive us and come to the aid of your creation. Only you give hope.

Prayer for 18/01/2020

We look at creation and can see a God that loves variety.

Thank you for your endless creativity and the senses you give us to enjoy it.

Help us to worship you in spirit and in truth, in our own ways as part of your beautiful and varied creation. Amen.

Prayer for 19/01/2020

Lord, we thank you for A Rocha’s Gifts With A Difference project (https://shop.arocha.org/) that enables us to raise awareness among our friends and families and bring hope to your world. We pray for the growth of this side of A Rocha’s work through the year ahead and for inspiration for the A Rocha team as they develop it further.

Amen

Prayer for 20/01/2020

‘The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted’. (Matthew 23:11+12)

Lord,

Through your Spirit anchor these words deep in the heart of everyone who has authority. You have given these people this calling. May they exercise it in a spirit of service for the whole of your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 21/01/2020

Father, thank you for the changing path which you walk with us as we face climate change. I praise you for the eco-friendly steps, the green laws and the ethical charters which have developed. While continuing these necessary efforts, help us to dig down to respond to the challenges raised by the destruction of the planet. Michel Maxime Egger’s book (La terre comme soi-même : repères pour une écospiritualité) invites us to transform our inner approach to life in a way that seems very relevant. Thank you, Lord, for this text, and for all that you do to increase our unity with others, among ourselves and with you through this topic of climate change.

Prayer for 22/01/2020

Lord God, thank you for the growing conviction that together we can make a difference in protecting nature. We bring before you all the participatory science projects in which our fellow citizens can be involved. May all the observations they make both enable them to marvel at your creation and also increase our knowledge so that we can protect creation more effectively.

Prayer for 23/01/2020

We tend to think of hamsters just as nice pets for children, but they are more than that. The European Hamster in Alsace is very much an endangered species with a population in rapid decline. Give thanks for those farmers who are prepared to alter their farming practices to protect habitats and for the researchers working alongside them. Pray for their wisdom and skill as they balance conservation needs as well as good economic outcomes for the farmers.

Prayer for 24/01/2020

Quiet covetousness

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:2-3)

Lord, our society encourages us to covet and often we keep on doing so, because we find it gives us pleasure. We are thus complicit in this approach to life which actually only produces deception. Forgive us. Open the eyes of our hearts so that we know how to resist and be content with what you give us.

Prayer for 25/01/2020

Creator God, you describe all you have made as good, good, and very good.
Thank you that we come close to you as we enjoy the beauty of the earth.
May our enjoyment turn to love, and our love turn to care.

Amen.

Prayer for 26/01/2020

Lord, we thank you for the funds raised for A Rocha to develop and extend environmental education and help many more to care more effectively for your creation. Give creativity and wisdom to all those involved in so many different A Rocha projects of this sort. We pray for the impact on many different age groups and communities.

Amen

Prayer for 27/01/2020

Lord,

This morning we bring before you the European Union. With the emergence of a Green Deal but at a time when the budget is the main source of discord, we pray for each of the leaders so that they are just in their demands and that climate justice is made a priority.

Prayer for 28/01/2020

The theme of the 2019-2020 synod of the United Protestant Church of France: ‘The challenge for the United Protestant Church of France is also to make our church greener and its next synod includes this ecology theme. This topic has a spiritual and theological dimension because the environmental problem is not new to the Christian faith – the place of humans in creation is a subject that occurs throughout scripture’. The 480 local church communities in 9 regions have discussed this question. The conclusions will be shared and a common line will be decided at national synod in the days ahead. Lord, we ask you to be at the centre of this process.

Prayer for 29/01/2020

Lord God, we thank you for the Scout movement which was, in some ways, the first ecological youth movement. Strengthen their links with the churches, inspire their leaders and help them in their responsibilities for the young people entrusted to them.

Prayer for 30/01/2020

Lord, as buildings are renovated and insulated and efforts are made to improve human ‘habitats’ we are conscious that ‘habitats’ for bat species often become less favourable and populations are in decline. Give skill and wisdom to those seeking to protect space for bat roosts when conflicts of interest arise.

Amen

Prayer for 31/01/2020

He is the Creator

Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. (Psalm 24:1-2)

Lord, we act as if we were gods and abuse your creation. We forget that it is you who created this world and entrusted it to us. Forgive us. Put us in our rightful place and create in us the desire to change. And help us, because we cannot do it on our own.

Amen

February 2020

Prayer for 01/02/2020

Lord, thank you that climate change is now generally acknowledged and discussed. Some years ago, only the specialists who first raised the alarm were concerned with it. Now the voices of groups of people from a wide range of backgrounds and views are heard. We praise you O God!

Prayer for 02/02/2020

In 2020 A Rocha will have had a presence in France for 20 years – Lord, God how great is your faithfulness! We thank you for how you have enabled A Rocha to witness to your great love for your creation over all that time. And we want to continue to thank you for the vision of Peter and Miranda Harris who started this work near Arles, in the Vallée des Baux. We still mourn the death of Miranda deeply and we continue to pray for Peter, for consolation and healing for him. We commit to you the important decisions that have to be made early on this year around our long-term presence and our activities in the Vallée des Baux.

Prayer for 03/02/2020

Lord, we earnestly pray that you will open the eyes and ears of those who hold political authority that they make take the decisions needed in these deeply troubling times.

Prayer for 04/02/2020

Lord,

We bring before you the consequences of climate change and in particular the vast fires that are ravaging Australia. We are helpless in the face of this catastrophe and we lay this situation in your hands.

Amen

Prayer for 05/02/2020

In the far north of Cameroon where deforestation has had devastating effects, 25 women from 5 villages are being trained to build improved stoves by a partner association of SEL (Service d’Entraide de Liaison): these stoves are made with the earth from termite mounds, dried dung, dried grasses and stones. A stove has two cooking areas so that couscous and sauce can be cooked simultaneously. This type of stove uses less firewood.

Our God and Father, we pray that these women trained by the SEL partners will in their turn be able each to train 100 women in their village and thus to help to protect your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 06/02/2020

The Red List of Threatened Species

If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life. (Deuteronomy 22:6-7)

Lord, the Red List of Threatened Species is drawn up by the IUCN and draws decision-makers’ attention to the priorities and encourages all stakeholders to take action to limit the rate of disappearance of species. Give real clarity to the many experts, especially in France, whose work enables this list to be drawn up and also to those who can act on the basis of this list.

Prayer for 07/02/2020

Lord, we who regularly pray ‘give us this day our daily bread’ teach us to buy just what we need and not to waste or throw away food. Teach us to be satisfied with the simple and delicious food that you offer us and to turn away from processed industrial food as much as possible.

Prayer for 08/02/2020

‘I always loved nature and I learned as much as I could so as to respect it. 15 years ago, I acknowledged Christ as my Saviour and Lord. As this new life began, I found it difficult to have two passions which seemed hard to reconcile: God and nature. Through A Rocha God has restored me and made me whole. I know today that he rejoices to see me using my gifts and talents in caring for his creation’ (extract from a volunteer’s testimony).

Lord, thank you for your work of reconciliation.

Prayer for 09/02/2020

Lord God, Creator, we bring before you A Rocha Switzerland. At the start of this year we pray for the new director, Ursula Peutot, and all her team. We bring before you all their work on dry meadows and pastures, so species-rich but also so threatened. Help them in their work of mobilising local groups to help farmers who often do not have the time for this work. In France we thank you for the longstanding collaboration with A Rocha Switzerland and in particular in recent years in the organisation of camps at Courmettes.

Prayer for 10/02/2020

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Lord, I ask you to transform the hearts of those holding political power into hearts of flesh so that the beauty of your creation can be preserved.

Prayer for 11/02/2020

Lord,

Help us to accept these major changes that are happening and that we are already starting to experience. Help us to understand that we are powerless, so as to let you act.

Amen

Prayer for 12/02/2020

Thank you, Lord, for the many different opportunities children have to wonder at your creation. Thank you for the clubs where children can learn how to grow food. Thank you for the garden projects of A Rocha Peru and A Rocha Uganda, but also for gardening clubs for children in this country. Lord, show me if this is an area where I could be involved and in so doing help young people to recognise your work in creation.

Amen

Prayer for 13/02/2020

Mehely’s horseshoe bat facing extinction

And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals? (Jonah 4:11)

Mehely’s horseshoe bat lives in caves or caverns near water. It is now an ‘endangered’ species in the middle east (Nineveh, near Mosul in Iraq) and now ‘critically endangered’ in France. Lord, these bats are fascinating and demonstrate your creative genius. They are a victim of drought and the disappearance of their natural habitat. We pray that there may be restoration of their habitat. Enable people to take practical action to safeguard these parts of your creation.

Prayer for 14/02/2020

Help us to be aware of all the false arguments we use to justify our irresponsible attitudes and forgive us for them. Do not let us imitate those who despair and say ‘eat and drink for tomorrow we die’ when we have the assurance that you are the alpha and the omega and that you have the final say.

Prayer for 15/02/2020

Father, thank you for your church that lives and evolves. There are today several communities that give us a sense of belonging and that nourish us. The local church enables us to be part of your body with people who are geographically near to us. A Rocha also enables us to gather together as the body of Christ. Thank you for feeding us as part of these two flocks.

Prayer for 16/02/2020

God our Father, we pray for all A Rocha France team members, staff and volunteers. Give Jean-François Mouhot, the Director, all the wisdom he needs in leading this growing community. We especially bring before you this month of February in which many decisions are being taken on the organisation of Spring and Summer activities at Courmettes. Help all those involved to discern your priorities in what is planned.

Prayer for 17/02/2020

Lord, may we be your watchmen for the beauty of your creation so as to give the best possible advice to those in authority around us locally.

Prayer for 18/02/2020

Almighty Father,

We put all our confidence in you. Confidence that you will transform our hearts to care for all life on this beautiful planet that you have entrusted to us. Confidence that egos will give way to altruism and solidarity with those who suffer the most because of climate change. Confidence that you will bless those who act in justice and love of your name.

Amen

Prayer for 19/02/2020

Lord,

Environmental problems don’t often stop at frontiers. We pray for local environmental groups in our frontier districts. Help them to build bridges and reach out to groups on the other side of the frontier so that they can work together to care for your creation.

Amen

Prayer for 20/02/2020

Productivity

But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. (Leviticus 25:4-5)

The main threats to the flora come from modification of natural habitats, growing urbanisation and artificialisation of soils and also intensification or abandonment of certain agricultural practices (IUCN). Lord, this is the result of our greed: the land is exhausted … we ask forgiveness for our complicity with modern productivity. Give us the wisdom to make wise choices for our food needs.

Prayer for 21/02/2020

As it is you who provides our food, remind us that you also provide our clothing and that you do not want us clothed whilst exploiting people who are badly paid or worse still, children. Remind us that caring for your creation is also respecting the animals that serve in the manufacture of our clothing, shoes etc. Forgive the cruelty of people who do not hesitate to pluck live ducks to make our cosy duvets!

Prayer for 22/02/2020

When one studies ecological questions as a Christian it opens up a whole new path. By investigating external ecology, Your Spirit enables us also to achieve a better internal ecology. When we care for Your creation you reveal new aspects to us leading to greater respect for ourselves and for all our brothers and sisters. Thank you that you join us in our walk towards a deeper and more vigorous relationship with You. You bless all aspects of our individual lives and relationships.

Prayer for 23/02/2020

Lord God, we are so grateful to you for the 21 countries where A Rocha is at work. Today we bring before you the five African countries with a national A Rocha movement: Kenya (the second A Rocha to start after Portugal), Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa. Lord, it is difficult for us in Europe to know and understand all the challenges of their work. But we know that we are united by the Holy Spirit in the same struggle. Lord, help them, help us to trust you fully together.

Prayer for 24/02/2020

‘The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.’ (Ecclesiastes 9:17)

Prayer for 25/02/2020

Lord,

Today we are facing the consequences of our injustices. Injustices linked to our way of life often based on exploitation of your creation. Teach us to live according to your justice, in harmony with others and with nature.

Amen

Prayer for 26/02/2020

Lord,

Thank you for the community gardens in so many places in our country; for the people they draw together; for the joy of growing and harvesting crops; for the benefits people gain from working in your creation.

Amen

What about … finding a community garden near you where you could participate and share in working in God’s creation.

Prayer for 27/02/2020

Crayfish

Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. (Ezekiel 47:9)

Lord when we read this vision we dream, dream about it happening in France. We are saddened by the virtual disappearance of Stone Crayfish. There are only five sites on the map where they are shown to be present. We bring these amazing creatures before you. May people know how to take steps to conserve them and encourage growth of the populations.

Prayer for 28/02/2020

Forgive us for seeking our comfort (like taking the plane rather than the train) without thinking about the pollution of this beautiful planet. Help us to be satisfied with the local products that nature gives each season and to refuse imported products or products that use a lot of energy to grow, like tomatoes cultivated in heated greenhouses in winter!

Prayer for 29/02/2020

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23

Alleluia!

March 2020

Prayer for 01/03/2020

Australia bush fires

Creator God we grieve with our brothers and sisters in Australia at the ecological catastrophe of the widespread bush fires which have consumed over 10 million hectares. We grieve at the millions of animals which have been killed and the destruction of trees which has released so much CO2 into the atmosphere. We cry to you for your mercy and we thank you for recent heavy rain which has put out most of the fires. We pray for A Rocha Australia as they seek to help those who have suffered and to explain the relevance of the Bible to this emergency. May they be bringers of hope and light in this situation.

https://arocha.org/en/news/battling-bushfires/

Prayer for 02/03/2020

Sometimes protecting creation can result in regulatory changes. The ban on local authorities using pesticides that came into force on 1 January 2017 upset some mayors.

Lord, I ask you to continue to watch over these elected representatives who are often feel harassed by and drowning in regulations. Help them to see that changes in regulations have brought benefits for the health of the employees caring for green spaces and for the air and soils. Prepare their hearts for any future similar legislation. Give them pride in what they can do at their level to protect your creation.

Prayer for 03/03/2020

With climate change some species of birds and insects have become more vulnerable and some cannot adapt sufficiently fast and could well disappear.

Father God, our creator, you have created everything, but we ask your forgiveness because despite what we now know we don’t pay that much attention to the little creatures and certainly not to those we do not see. Help us to be aware that each small species, even the less ‘attractive’ ones, has value in your eyes, Lord, and has a specific place and role within its complex ecosystem, your creation.

Prayer for 04/03/2020

It is the time for the municipal elections in France

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7)

Lord, we are about to elect the 36 000 municipal councils in France. They will have the responsibility to elect their mayor and to follow through on the new direction for their mandate. We pray that you will inform these choices. We pray that justice, truth and environmental concerns are made priorities. I pray especially for my local council. Help me to persevere in praying for them.

Prayer for 05/03/2020

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) from eastern North America are in sharp decline. They undertake a multigenerational migration over 3000 miles to patches of threatened oyamel fir tree forest, distributed on 12 isolated mountain tops in Mexico. The challenges to their conservation were underlined in January when Illegal loggers murdered Homéro González and Raul Hernández, both dedicated to protecting these forests and the butterflies.

Pray for the safety of those engaged in frontline conservation. More than three environmental activists were murdered around the world each week during 2019.

Prayer for 06/03/2020

God our Father,

As we celebrate the beauty and diversity of your creation, we are truly sorry for our consumerism and wastefulness. Have mercy on us for contaminating the Earth with billions of tons of plastic waste. Please give each one of us the desire and the means to put things right; no longer trusting in ourselves but in your grace and wisdom alone.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
Amen

(Arthur Champion, Gloucester)

Prayer for 07/03/2020

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thes. 5:18)

As I go about my daily life today, Lord, give me open eyes and a thankful heart.

Prayer for 08/03/2020

India elephants

In the beginning, Lord God, you created people and animals to live together in harmony. But now our population growth and our greed mean that we encroach on or destroy habitats needed by other creatures. We pray for A Rocha India in their labours to protect Bannerghatta National Park, near Bangalore, under immense human pressure from increasing agriculture, urbanization, grazing and illegal logging. We thank you that they have been able to plant more trees and pray for their efforts to educate the population of Bangalore about the diversity of animals, including elephant and tiger, in the park.

https://arocha.org/en/news/driving-elephants/

Prayer for 09/03/2020

Lord, I want to pray for the authorities.
Yes, but …

‘if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift’. (Matthew 5:22-23)

And that is true, are all my thoughts about the authorities right and do I bless them? The world is very critical towards policies. Has God cleansed me of all the bad thoughts I harbour in my heart when I think of our leaders? Lord, show us our sins in this regard. Lead us to repentance and purify our hearts I pray.

Prayer for 10/30/2020

In Oceania and in the Indian Ocean (Maldives) 280 million people will, over time, no longer be able to stay living in their homes. Small islands have already been submerged and the moves of villages and towns have already started.

Father, we pray for these peoples, for their rulers who have to take crucial decisions every day, for the families who have to find solutions themselves. And help us, the privileged ones, in our thoughts and prayers as all too often we continue to live as though nothing has changed…

Prayer for 11/03/2020

Preparations are underway for the IUCN world congress to be held in Marseille in June

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them (Isaiah 42:10)

This major congress held once every four years brings together thousands of experts from all over the world to focus fully on nature. France is hosting this event for the first time and parts of it will be open to the general public. Lord, we pray for the whole organising team at the international headquarters and for the 30 staff of the French committee who are working to deliver a successful congress and who will be feeling the mounting pressure.

Prayer for 12/03/2020

The giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is the longest member of the weasel family, measuring over 5 feet , and can weigh up to 32 kilograms. It is one of the most endangered mammal species in the neotropics, and extinct in Argentina. A breeding pair were reintroduced in Argentina last year by the Conservation Land Trust, an organization dedicated to the rewilding of large tracts of wilderness.

Pray for those that engage in the challenging work of reintroducing key species into degraded ecosystems.

Prayer for 13/03/2020

Lord, we are bombarded every day in the news by reports of disasters, often linked to climate change, and we reach a point where we become numbed and start to ignore them, or accept them as just ‘part of life’. Lord, forgive us and keep us sensitised so that we ourselves take action wherever we can.

Prayer for 14/03/2020

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

Lord, so many changes and problems in the world around me – it can be overwhelming. Thank you that I can rely totally on you at all times. May the assurance of your steadfast love embolden me to act for your creation.

Prayer for 15/03/2020

Teaching people to garden ‘wild’ as AR Czech Republic

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food… The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:8-9, 15)

We thank you, Lord, for gardens, for the pleasure they give us, for the flowers, trees and fruits we can grow. But we confess that our gardens are often too neat and tidy and not always a good place for wild things. We thank you for A Rocha movements, such as A Rocha Czech Republic, who are working to show that gardens can also be a haven for wildlife. We pray that as they use their centre’s garden as an outdoor classroom, many will be inspired to make their own gardens more nature-friendly. Whether our garden is large or tiny, help us to find ways in which we can encourage diversity.

https://arocha.org/en/news/gardening-on-the-wild-side/

Prayer for 16/03/2020

Lord, thank you for the Carbone 4 publication: Doing your fair share for the climate? The power and responsibility of individuals, businesses and the state in the fight against climate change . Please place this report in the right hands so that we can fight shoulder to shoulder as individuals and families alongside businesses and decision-makers in safeguarding your creation.

Thank you, Father.

Prayer for 17/03/2020

Lord God, our creator, we thank you for the cold areas of our planet, the Arctic and the Antarctic. In their beauty they are crucial in maintaining the equilibrium of the planet. Whilst the disappearance of glaciers and the pack ice whets the appetite of the oil companies to do new test drilling, with all the potential environmental risks, we commit to your protection these very fragile environments.

Prayer for 18/03/2020

The French Office for Biodiversity has been in existence since 1 January 2020

A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest…. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (Luke 22: 24;26)

The result of a merger of the French Biodiversity Agency and the National Hunting and Wildlife Agency, this body has a broad range of tasks to help improve biodiversity. Such regrouping of public bodies needs egos to be less important and for the right people to be put in the right positions. Lord, we pray for your hand over this so that the teams can work calmly and effectively and can improve the care given to your creation.

Prayer for 19/03/2020

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is one of the most striking and peculiar mammals of South America. From the tip of its long snout to the end of its big and bushy tail, it can reach a length of 2 meters and can weigh up to 40 kilograms. Rapid and massive deforestation of the dry tropical forests of the Chaco region in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay for cattle ranching is destroying the anteater’s habitat.

Pray for the leaders of indigenous communities that live in the forests of the Chaco, as they seek to protect their ancestral lands from destruction.

Prayer for 20/03/2020

Lord, I see and hear advertisements everywhere, all of the time. And sometimes it is easy to be tempted by them and to buy things ‘just because …’. Lord help me to think before I open my wallet and to be content with what I have.

Prayer for 21/03/2020

Lord, we thank you for the rhythm of the seasons, for your provision for us through those seasons, for times of rest and reflection, times of planting, times of harvest. Give us grateful hearts every day.

Prayer for 22/03/2020

Singapore creation care book

Father God, we thank you for all those who challenged and encouraged us to play a part in preserving your creation. We pray for the impact of a new book from A Rocha Singapore, God’s Gardeners: Creation Care Stories From Singapore and Malaysia. May the stories it tells encourage others to see caring for creation as part of our worship of you. May we in turn share our stories with others to encourage them in this expression of our faith.

Prayer for 23/03/2020

Lord, at a time when the internet helps us to access all sorts of content it is sometimes difficult to distinguish information from fake news. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (www.ipcc.ch) providing a clear and consensual voice we want to thank you for this beacon that allows us to navigate through the fog. Lord, continue to bless their work providing expert scientific, technical and socio-economic information on the risks of climate change caused by humans.

Prayer for 24/03/2020

The northern peoples of the American and Asian continents have already been greatly impacted by climate change. They can no longer live from hunting and fishing and their whole way of life is called into question. Lord, we commit them to you, and the governments that have a tendency just to tell them to go and live somewhere else, without taking into account the trauma that this causes.

Prayer for 25/03/2020

Picardie Nature and A Rocha both watch over the swallows.

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. (Psalm 84:3)

A Rocha rings thousands of swallows when they are concentrated in the marshes of the Vallée des Baux prior to crossing the Mediterranean. In the process it helps to assess the fall in populations. However, at the same time many organisations like Picardie Nature are working to restore nesting sites, including placing artificial nests in places where people have destroyed them. Lord, look upon these activities which may seem small in the face of the problem and may the population of this species recover well.

Prayer for 26/03/2020

Huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) are native to the mountains along the border between Argentina and Chile. While previously found over much of southwestern South America, hunting and the fragmentation of this Patagonian habitat have reduced population down to around 2000 individuals.

Pray for efforts, such as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme, that aim to protect species that migrate across international borders.

Prayer for 27/03/2020

Lord God, forgive us when we do not speak out when we see your creation being exploited, sometimes because of our fears. Lord give us the courage, tact and wisdom to speak into the situation and so to help to change it.

Prayer for 28/03/2020

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31)

Thank you, Lord, for the goodness of your creation. As I move around today, give me appreciative eyes and ears for all that you have made.

Prayer for 29/03/2020

AR France training ambassadors

Creator God, we praise you that A Rocha France wants to establish training for A Rocha ambassadors this coming summer. Ambassadors who will be able to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility in Christian churches in the face of environmental challenges.
We pray for the pilot training, due to take place at Courmettes in April. May the right people be found who have a heart to glorify you through sharing their expertise and passion for you and for your creation. May this initiative in turn strengthen your church in France to worship you in looking after your creation.

Prayer for 30/03/2020

COP26 will happen in November (9 – 19) this year. Lord, as this significant conference is prepared, we pray for all those involved; for policy-makers, for governments; for lobby groups. We pray for your wisdom for all of them and a willingness to move forward positively. May your will be done.

Prayer for 31/03/2020

In France over the next thirty years extreme heat waves will become much more frequent throughout Occitania. The increasing number of hot days will affect in particular the areas around the Mediterranean and the Garonne plain, the parts of the region with the largest populations.

Father, we pray for the elderly, the young children and the poor who are the most vulnerable in the face of repeated heatwaves, Give wisdom to the government, to the mayors and all those with responsibilities in this region.

April 2020

01/04/2020

SEL (Service d’Entraide de Liaison) supports a local Christian organisation in Benin that works with several communities on agricultural development that is adapted to climate change and is environmentally friendly. Among the many activities undertaken as part of this project are training in making and using compost, community relay training in agro-ecology, raising awareness about reforestation and agroforestry. The vision is to enable local populations to live from what they produce, by maintaining and enhancing the natural resources available to them.

Our God and Father, we pray that all the activities developed as part of this project (now reaching its final stages) may become a permanent part of life in this area. We pray that the communities will not be discouraged despite the frequent vagaries of the climate, and will continue to pursue their agricultural activities with the same vision of restoring and enhancing their environment. Thank you for all that has been accomplished thus far.

Amen

02/04/2020

The Little Bustard, a bird the size of a pheasant, now only occurs in a few places in France.

Lord God, thank you for this interesting bird that hides away among tall vegetation. A bird also created by you to fill a special role in creation. We bring before you the team of volunteers in Tulette in the south of the Drome that is repairing and preparing the habitat for the return of this bird to us in the Spring.

03/04/2020

Father God, in all areas of life we so often selfishly put our own interests and concerns before those of others, sometimes without even being aware that we are doing it. Lord, at this time, make us mindful of the needs of others.

04/04/2020

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures for ever.

Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures for ever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures for ever.

(Psalm 136:1-3)

05/04/2020

Please pray for the impact of COVID-19 on A Rocha organisations as people reduce their travel to A Rocha centres, project work is halted and for the safety of staff and volunteers.

06/04/2020

Loving Lord, in the last week of your pre-resurrection life, you were called to stand up to worldly authorities who saw you as a threat to their power. You spoke truth, but you did so wisely. Above all, you recognised that only by placing our entire trust in God the Father can we live well on this earth. We pray that those in authority might be ready to listen to truth and not driven by a desire for power. As the earthly creation faces challenges which humanity struggles to comprehend, give our leaders humility to understand that only by placing our trust in you can we hope to live well. Give them your deep compassion for all life on earth.

07/04/2020

The UK and Italy are scheduled to co-host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, in November. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the process of global diplomacy that is essential for international consensus on greenhouse gas emissions. Pray for those tasked with negotiating agreements with participating governments at a time when authorities have had to shift their focus to the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

08/04/2020

Father,

We bring before you the group of 1,000 scientists and their call to civil disobedience and for the development of alternatives in the face of the ecological crisis. May their warning be heard but may any action taken reflect your love. May governments also hear this call and start a political transition that is right for your creation.

09/04/2020

Amphibians are one of the most threatened classes of animals because of the disappearance of their habitats.

Lord God, Creator God, we give you thanks for all animals and especially for those, like amphibians, that are not ‘pretty’ or ‘cute’ in our eyes. Help us to get to know them better and to keep our eyes open to see all the small ponds and areas of water around us that are vital for their survival. Help us to protect them!

10/04/2020

Lord, as travel and traffic has been reduced so much, we are conscious that some aspects of pollution have also been reduced. Lord, may this give us pause for thought about our own behaviours going forward once restrictions are lifted.

11/04/2020

‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’ (Revelation 4:11)

12/04/2020

Lord, thank you for A Rocha Ghana’s involvement in bio-cultural educator training projects for the Bobiri forest reserve and butterfly sanctuary. Thank you for this opportunity to record and pass on knowledge and to contribute to the care of your creation in this country.

13/04/2020

Creator God, as we celebrate the endless creativity displayed by the resurrection of your son Jesus Christ, we realise that everything has changed. We cannot fully understand the changes that are needed for the creation to thrive and prosper without pain or suffering. But in your resurrection, we are given hope that you can act beyond our expectations. Give all those in roles of authority the humility to recognise that we must rely on more than human understanding and power to face the ecological crisis. Give them hope that loving action taken today, which may seem too small to make a meaningful difference for tomorrow, has an everlasting place in your resurrection kingdom.

14/04/2020

The state of the world’s oceans has a direct bearing on climate. Marine ecosystems absorb both the excess heat generated by our greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide itself, helping to reduce the impacts of climate chaos. Oceans are the world’s biggest carbon sink, but their absorptive capacity is being undermined by overexploitation of marine life and the disruption of ocean ecosystems. Governments were due to meet in April to agree to a UN global treaty to protect marine biodiversity, but this has now been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pray that this global treaty may be achieved and soon.  

15/04/2020

A Rocha has just launched the African Forests Programme in four countries: Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana. This project aims to protect 50 000 hectares of biodiversity! The programme will have various community-oriented projects helping to improve the resilience of this amazing ecosystem. https://arocha.org/en/news/trees-take-on-climate-change/

Lord,

We commit to you this project and all those involved in implementing it as they seek to preserve these jewels of your creation. May the programme bear fruit and inspire the communities and governments of these countries to add to the areas protected.

16/04/2020

Lord God, Creator God, we bring to you the elephant population of India, threatened, like so many others, by the shrinking of their habitat. We pray too for the men and women living on the edges of the forests who have to face the elephants that venture out from the forests and into contact with humans. Thank you for A Rocha India which, together with the Karnataka forest authorities, has just released a film Driving Elephants presenting all the challenges of this difficult cohabitation.

17/04/2020

Lord God, I don’t always consider whether or not a product has a Fair Trade label on it – help me to remember to check and to really think about fair and just conditions for those who produce the products and foods that I enjoy.

18/04/2020

Creator God, thank you for the joy you give us in planting seeds and watching them grow to fruition – whether in gardens, window boxes or plant pots. Thank you for the way in which it helps us to really observe closely what you have created.

19/04/2020

Lord God thank you for the work of A Rocha Netherlands and all its local groups working in different parts of the country. Thank you too for their practical activities alongside other national A Rocha organisations. Bless their work and give them creativity as they seek to bless others.

20/04/2020

O God who rules the light and darkness, the powerful leader Nicodemus came to you at night so that he might not be seen by others. But you lovingly challenged him to understand that God loves the whole creation, and that we must be born again if we are to live in it well. Give our leaders the curiosity to search for truth in the hidden places, and the courage to follow the truth even at the cost of their reputation. We pray that all in authority might realise the need to be born again, as we ourselves commit to your call to live a born-again life.

21/04/2020

All life, from the smallest microbes to the largest plants and animals, depends on soil for food, cover, habitat, water cleansing, air purification. Soil is the second-largest living reservoirs for carbon storage, with oceans being the largest. Billions of soil building plants and microbes play a very important role of regulating the earth’s atmosphere and greenhouse gases. The healthier the soil, the more life it has, the more carbon it can absorb. Pray that people become aware of the important role soil plays in climate change and that they adopt practices that will restore health to our soils.

22/04/2020

Father,

We place in your hands all the projects seeking to create a new society that is fair and supportive for the whole of your creation. Bless those involved with these projects and strengthen them so that they do not lose hope despite the difficulties that they encounter. May your Spirit multiply these signs of life in this world.

Amen

23/04/2020

In New Zealand introduced predators have decimated or even eliminated many species, including sea birds that nest in burrows. A Rocha New Zealand uses a dog, Rua, who finds these burrows, that are often very well hidden. Scientists are thus able to work more effectively to protect these birds, including a species, the Oi (Grey-faced petrel) that is the last sea bird to nest on Mount Karioi.

Lord our God, we pray for the people who live in that area and who work together with A Rocha and Rua.

24/04/2020

‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’ (Luke 8:8)

Lord, how often do I really listen – to the sounds of your creation, to my family, neighbours and friends? At this time give me truly open and listening ears and discernment as I process what I hear.

25/04/2020

‘Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Ephesians 5:20)

Today, stop; contemplate; listen – and give thanks.

26/04/2020

Lord, thank you for all those working with A Rocha, thinking especially of those working on teams at A Rocha centres or on national or international committees. As you pray today, look up your national A Rocha website and pray by name for the teams of people you find listed there.

27/04/2020

Loving Lord, as the spring days get longer in the northern hemisphere, we rejoice in the gift of your sustaining Spirit whose loving hand moves in the creation, bringing life and joy. Help our leaders to recognise the abundant generosity of your provision, and the joy which comes from You, the bringer of true life. Help them connect with your Spirit, the true source of deep joy, and to lead the nations in ways which enable such a joy to flourish. Give our leaders joy in enough, so that they avoid making unsustainable decisions and instead set their eyes, minds and hearts on the long term good of creation.

28/04/2020

Forests can be carbon sinks when they are increasing in density and area. Warmer temperatures have led to increasing tree mortality in tropical forests, resulting in a substantial decrease in the uptake of carbon from the atmosphere. It is now estimated that tropical forests are taking up a third less carbon than they did in the 1990s, because of higher temperatures, droughts, and deforestation. If this downward trend continues, the typical tropical forest may end up being a carbon source rather than a carbon sink by the 2060s. Pray for the ecological integrity of forests around the world. Pray specifically for the government of Brazil to revert its current policies of exploiting the Amazon

29/04/2020

Father,

We bring before you the outcomes of the citizens’ convention on climate. May these discussions bear fruit over and above simply political actions and beyond what we might hope. May these 150 people involved become spokespeople for this cause and bring about a sense of conscience and transformation in the area where each of them is based.

30/04/2020

Lord our God, give wisdom to A Rocha Kenya team members and the naturalists with whom they collaborate. To limit conflict with the local population elephants were confined in the forests, but these large mammals are starting to modify this habitat and as a result two rare bird species, the Sokoke Scops Owl and the Amani Sunbird could be at risk. Lord, how can we protect and love all your creatures, including us, humans?

May 2020

01/05/2020

Today is the day when many churches around the world remember Philip and James, two of the twelve apostles. Both of their lives remind us that though we might start with shaky steps, we can grow if we are open to growth; Philip had little faith during Jesus’ life, but we go on to learn of his great acts of faith in the book of Acts.  In James’ New Testament letter, he challenges us to grow up.  Help us Lord, like James and Philip, to grow in our faith so that our lives gradually become more like yours.  Help us to let go of all our bad habits and unhelpful ways of living.  Give us the capacity to live lives which are ever more sustainable and giving of ourselves for others. Amen.

02/05/2020

How great is God – beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. (Job 36: 26-28)

Eternal God, though you are beyond our full understanding, we praise you that you care for your children. You send rain to water the earth, you provide water for us to drink and for plants to grow. May we never take this for granted, may we always remember to thank you for your gift of water.

03/05/2020

A work founded on the rock

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

The work of A Rocha is rooted in the understanding of the biblical texts, the word of God. Many people including Dave Bookless, Peter Harris and others contribute to these studies. Lord, may they faithfully listen to the Holy Spirit in this process and educate others to guarantee the faithfulness of the organisation.

04/05/2020

Lord, our authorities are under much pressure because of the health crisis. Many elected representatives have worked tirelessly in recent weeks and we want to thank you for them. They need wisdom to know the best way to support the economy, because many jobs are threatened. Help them to take a long-term view and to favour investments that will contribute to an economy that is fairer and shows greater respect for your creation.

05/05/2020

Lord we have been confined for several weeks now and we ask you to renew us. For those living in towns nature is distinctly lacking. Show us how your creation is so good for us and help us to increase our desire to restore it.

For those of us who have the benefit of a small garden or access to a little bit of nature, help us to get to know the flora and fauna around us and to care for it as you would have us do.

06/05/2020

SEL supports a local Christian organisation in Mali establishing an integrated development project including an organic vegetable garden area. The garden combines both economic and food with social and community aspects (a group of women working together) and an environmental aspect, with production based on the principles of agro-ecology.

Our God and Father, we thank you for all the initiatives, both small and large, that already exist to meet the needs of people and in particular those who live in poverty while also caring for your creation. May we see them growing and we pray that you may prosper them. Amen

07/05/2020

Creator Father,

We pray for this ecosystem that is the earth of which we are a part. We give you glory for the capacity of your creation, including humans, to recharge (rapidly) when we rest. May this fact give rise to hope, hope and acknowledgement in the heart of each one of us that in walking with you it is never too late.

08/05/2020

Coronavirus has shown us that we are all connected in ways which go beyond our seeing.  We cannot avoid being affected by other people’s lives, even if we wear plastic gloves and facemasks.  We also learn that in that connection, it is two way; we are affected by others, but we also affect others.  We repent of those times when we think we can ‘go it alone.’  We repent of those times when we think we can create our own security behind our own walls, be they physical, mental or spiritual.  Help us Lord, as we sometimes don’t even want to repent.  Help us to want to want to repent, if that is where we are.  Lord, give us a deeper love for you and your ways. Amen.

09/05/2020

The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. (Psalm 104:16-17)

We marvel at great trees, Lord, at their age and complexity. Thank you for not only creating such trees but the whole ecosystems which live on them and depend on them. Each spring, as we see trees coming into leaf and birds beginning to nest, may we give praise and thanks to you who sustains them.

10/05/2020

A work that is so fragile

‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Cor 12:9)

In 2019 the A Rocha France board reached a point where it needed to let go of its ‘original’ centre at Les Tourades which was too great a financial burden. However, this does not alter the more than 20 years of involvement in this area, and in particular in the Vallée des Baux. The team is scaling back to a minimum and decisions are being taken on how we adapt. Pray that God gives us his wisdom in renewing and redeveloping A Rocha’s presence and its influence.

11/05/2020

In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels towards all who please him. (Proverbs 21:1)

Lord, we pray for our decision-makers at departmental level. Give them your wisdom and your clarity of thought in decisions on energy, management of the natural environment and waste management. Help them to take courageous decisions around transport so that your creation enjoys better protection.

12/05/2020

Lord, while not ignoring all the suffering that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused, we want to thank you for this crisis. It is during wilderness times that you can redirect our lives for the better. Continue to give us hearts that are open to repentance and its fruits. Thank you that you are with us as we move towards greater unity with you, with our inner self and with all your creation.

13/05/2020

France Nature Environnement groups together more than 3000 different environmental associations.

Lord God, we bring before you France Nature Environnement. Thank you for all that it does to help the associations to raise awareness and take action to help this creation that you have entrusted to us. While during this time of lockdown these associations have also had to reduce their activities, give them wisdom to see their priorities clearly once everything opens up.

14/05/2020

Loving Father,

You who have created everything and every creature, we bring before you those plants along our roads and in our gardens that we consider ‘undesirable’. Help us to change our approach and give us a heart for these species so that we protect them instead of eliminating them.

15/05/2020

As schools in France begin to start normal life again, we pray for our transformation.  We pray that if we are adults, we accept that we have not lived lives worthy of God’s call to care well for the earth; teach us to learn those ways better, and to be humble as we seek to model wholesome lives to our children.  And if we are children, we pray that we will always know that God loves us, no matter that we will always be making mistakes.  Help us to learn the two rhythms of knowing God’s love more deeply, and knowing how to repent and turn as we constantly stray.  Teach us, Lord, to receive your love, and to share it with those around us. Amen.

16/05/2020

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24)

Yes, Lord, you have filled the earth with creatures large and small. We marvel at the care you lavish on even the smallest and those that seem most insignificant. We thank you for every different habitat that you have created, from the frozen arctic to the tropical rainforest, from coral reefs to deep ocean depths; we praise you for the multitude of creatures that live in these different habitats.

17/05/2020

Les Courmettes – constantly evolving

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

A hundred years ago a pastor had the vision to make it into a place of blessing which fitted the needs of the time. A Rocha now carries the responsibility to adapt to the current priorities, especially the environmental ones. Pray that the team on site and the Board will know how to offer the best experience to those who arrive there whether for just a few hours or for several months.

18/05/2020

We pray today for the members of the European Commission. May you give to each one of them an honest heart and the desire to use their influence to serve others. May there be good cooperation between them. May the climate emergency and our responsibilities towards the most vulnerable people not be forgotten in this current crisis.

19/05/2020

Lord, in this chaos we pray that the right voices and paths may emerge. Trade, industry and many other sectors are adversely affected by the current health crisis. May the technocratic paradigm be challenged. Help us to implement audacious choices leading to greater respect for all things living.

20/05/2020

Lord God, thank you for the 150 citizens who have given so much of their time to be part of the Citizens’ Convention on Climate. With their proposals arriving in the midst of the health crisis, we pray that you will help them to convince the government to take the points they raise seriously. Father help us all to grasp that our economic and social needs are closely linked to the future we give to the planet.

21/05/2020

Lord,

This morning we commit wetland areas to you, so important for the life of so many species, including for humans. But they are disappearing so fast everywhere in the world. May our societies include the conservation of these zones in the choices they make. Their disappearance is also responsible for numerous social injustices, conflicts and environmental migrations.

22/05/2020

Ascension Day reminded us that Jesus has been fully accepted into God the Father, in his resurrected transformed body.  It tells us that the matter that made Jesus’ body – the particles, the atoms, his bones, his skin – can live with God in the resurrection.  When God created the universe, God said ‘it is good.’  And Jesus’ ascension reminds us again ‘it is good’.  Forgive us Lord when we do not live this out. Forgive us when we think that ‘spiritual’ things are more important than ‘physical’ things.  Forgive us when we belittle the small things we see around us, because of our own grand ‘spiritual’ schemes.  Help us live whole lives worthy of you. Amen.

23/05/2020

Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the sheepfold and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

As we see the effects of climate change in extremes of heat or storm, wind or drought, may we still be those who trust in you and rejoice in you, the creator and giver of all good things, and the one who keeps everything going.

24/05/2020

Who should lead A Rocha?

Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. (Titus 1:7)

The Board of A Rocha International has gone through the process intended to identify the potential candidates to lead the global organisation. May God give wisdom both to the candidates and to those making the final choice so that the organisation will be well led and will remain faithful to its vocation.

25/05/2020

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

Lord, at this difficult time our authorities could be tempted to make short-term choices motivated by the fear of men. In your grace may our government have the courage to take decisions which take into account the protection of creation and the long-term fair sharing of resources.

26/05/2020

Lord, thank you for all brothers and sisters who have chosen to live the monastic life. Thank you for their prayers that make a difference to this world. In our turn we bring them before you. Continue to inspire them in their personal life and to show them what they should make public so that all can benefit from your inspiration. As some are very close to your creation we pray that they can help us to see more clearly the next steps that need to be taken individually and at community level to deal with climate change.

27/05/2020

Lord God, as disciples of your Son, Jesus, by whom ‘all was created’, we are fascinated by the beauty and the power of his creation and concerned by the suffering we cause it. We long felt very isolated in our struggle, but now everyone is talking about it and many people are taking action. We bring before you this movement of citizens that is growing all the time. Give your wisdom in the actions undertaken and help us in our witness when we work together with them at local level.

28/05/2020

Lord,

We pray you for all the species that are often invisible (bacteria, fungi, etc.) but so important for the functioning of many ecosystems. Because they are often invisible to us, guide our eyes to see the results of their presence and do not let us forget them in our conservation and awareness-raising activities.

29/05/2020

Pentecost comes on Sunday when we realise God’s gift of the Spirit, which constantly sustains all life in the universe.  Teach us Lord to look with eyes ever more transformed by your Spirit.  Forgive us when we belittle the Spirit’s work in our own lives and those around us.  Forgive us when we assume that our feelings determine when we know the Spirit is acting, and when it isn’t.  Teach us instead to grow into such a well-grounded faith that we are always open to the Spirit’s movement, when it is both comforting and uncomfortable. Amen.

30/05/2020

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. (1 Chronicles 29:11)

Amen and amen

31/05/2020

A Rocha is helping to ‘green’ the church

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:19)

The church, which brings together those who believe in their Creator and their Saviour, has a vital role in these present times when creation is suffering. Eglise verte, in which A Rocha plays an important role, is tasked with mobilising the various Christian communities in this role. Pray for its development and that the faithful act in full unity with God.

June 2020

01/06/2020

South Africa is responding to the COVID-19 economic slump by relaxing environmental regulations. Minister of Environment, Barbara Creecy has recently relaxed minimum emission standards for coal-burning power stations, locking the country on a path of deadly air pollution. She has also given the go-ahead for the expansion of beach mining, which has a disastrous effect on the ecological integrity of coastlines.  Pray for Barbara and the government of South Africa, that they may find a more equitable balance between meeting economic needs and sustain a healthy environment.

02/06/2020

‘And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind’ (Acts 2.2).

Climate change will increase the violence of hurricanes and cyclones, causing greater damage and suffering than humans have been used to in recent history. The church has just celebrated Pentecost, when God’s Spirit came ‘like the rush of a violent wind’. But that was a wind of love, and stirred people to new ways of thinking and being. Lord, we pray today for a new encounter with Your Spirit, that humanity will discover new ways of being and acting which will lead to better care for the poorest in our world, who are most affected by the damaging effects of climate change. Amen.

03/06/2020

National Natural History Museum

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made … (Romans 1:20)

This institution, of which France has been proud since it was established in 1635, focuses on nature and its relationship with the human race on a daily basis. Over 2000 people work there including 500 researchers. It is not within the institution’s remit to make reference to God the Creator and to celebrate his glory. But, as the rest of that passage of scripture affirms, it seems incomprehensible that so many naturalists neither recognise nor serve the Creator when every day they are witnesses to the perfections of nature. Let us therefore pray for these people, that God may open the eyes of their hearts and that they will carry out their mission in the best possible way.

04/06/2020

‘Nature Mauritania (http://natmau.org/en/) has taken action in the context of the sustainable management of ecosystems in wetlands, including mangroves, gonakiers, palmyra palms and sporobolus. These actions are part of the fight against desertification through the sustainable management of forests, rangelands and natural resources.’

Father, we pray for those working to protect ecosystems and migratory birds in Mauritania. There are many challenges. We pray for an ecological, social and spiritual renewal in this country, to the glory of your Son Jesus.

05/06/2020

Lord, where are we going to end up after the pandemic? I pray that you will guide our desire for change, prayerfully using the questionnaire found on the Eglise verte site: https://www.egliseverte.org/actualites/la-lettre-eglise-verte-n8-edition-speciale-2020/

06/06/2020

His Son, … through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  (Hebrews 1:2-3)

God our Father, our anxieties grow, and we wonder what the world will look like with the pandemic and its aftermath. And yet, when we look around us we see the stability and resilience of your creation, despite all the harm we inflict on it. We praise you for the power of your word that sustains it!

07/06/2020

Heavenly Father,

We place in your hands your creation, this creation that represents your first act of love. Forgive us that we do not care for it and that we are not amazed by this evidence of your love, which is before our eyes from the smallest seed to the highest mountain. Open our eyes.

08/06/2020

Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro has placed the future of Amazonia and its indigenous people in the hands of his vice president, Hamilton Mourão, a retired general and supporter of Amazon mining development. As the head of the newly created Amazon Council, Hamilton has the mandate to protect and ensure the “sustainable development” of the world’s largest rainforest. Under this government deforestation and burning rates of Amazon forests have reached their highest levels in the past decade. Pray for a radical change in government policy towards Amazonia.

09/06/2020

Loving God, in you, the Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit – we see an on-going and everlasting working out of love and creativity. Give humanity that combination of love and creativity which will look for ways to stem the emission of CO2 and implement ways of living which foster mutual cooperation and support, rather than selfish exploitation and greed. Amen.

10/06/2020

IUCN World Congress

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number – living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. (Psalm 104:24-26)

This congress should have been held in Marseilles in June but has been postponed until next January because of Covid 19. It should bring together more than 10 000 experts from throughout the world, representatives from individual states and the main nature conservation organisations, including A Rocha. A significant part of the programme will be open to the general public.
We pray that this delay may give the IUCN organisational team, and in particular the head office team and the French national committee, time to prepare even better, so that it can have a strong impact on respect for creation and take into account the lessons from the current crisis.

11/06/2020

Terns (Little Tern and Common Tern) nest on the sandy banks of the Loire. These species are at risk, not only because of floods that can drown the chicks but also because of human (and canine!) activity.

Thank you, Lord, for these magnificent birds. We pray for good outcomes for those seeking to raise awareness among locals and visitors so as to protect these birds. We pray also, by your grace, that if there are floods this year they will not be too destructive for the terns.

12/06/2020

Lord, thank you for your unconditional love. Because of our love for you, we want to be imitators of you. As the lockdown eases, we are tempted to revert our old way of life and even to indulge ourselves, by way of recompense. We believe that you have another way forward for us. You take pleasure in repentance because it is beneficial for us. You want to make us free. Free from these compulsive purchases, from this excess food, from all other addictions. Even now we thank you for this resurrection of our lives.

13/06/2020

Lord God, Creator, you have given us the earth for many reasons, and in particular to provide us with food. But we thank you too because you, God, are an artist who has created nature to restore us just through contemplation of it. And we know that if it does us so much good it is because its beauty comes directly from your minds and that you have created us, ‘marvellous creatures’ in the same way. We praise you!

14/06/2020

Lord Jesus,

You have come to inhabit this earth and make it reflect your shining glory. We commit to you all the A Rocha teams; may they continue to reflect your resplendent glory on this earth.

15/06/2020

European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen is spearheading the Green Deal, which aims to transform the 27-country bloc from a high- to a low-carbon economy. At the core of this initiative is a 50%-55% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (compared with 1990 levels). The aim is to improve people’s quality of life, through cleaner air and water, better health and a thriving natural world – without reducing prosperity. The challenges are significant. There is no certainty of success, and there are many who will oppose the deal if it affects national economies. Pray for Ursula as she guides ongoing negotiations.

16/06/2020

We pray for leaders of global energy companies and the impact of their decisions on climate change. Society depends on the use of energy and it is often easy to blame the energy companies for mismanagement of fossil fuels, whilst we all consume and derive benefits from its use. We pray for the leaders of energy companies as they look for ways to provide energy in sustainable ways. Give them boldness, courage and honesty to address the challenges, and an ability to look beyond their own companies’ financial profits towards a future which is sustainable for all life on earth. Amen.

17/06/2020

The Coastal Conservancy

When daylight came, they did not recognise the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. (Acts 27:39)

Created in 1975, the purpose of the Conservancy is to protect the French coastline using a powerful tool of acquisition and a significant budget. It entrusts the management of the land it owns to local authorities or associations. A Rocha is associated in this way with the management of the Ilon reserve. We pray for this body, that it will manage its resources in the best way possible and for its collaborators, so that they can establish the best possible relations with their partners.

18/06/2020

For those who have the privilege of having a garden the lockdown has sometimes been the opportunity to get to know and appreciate better the different species it contains. Many birds which visit our parks and gardens are in sharp decline; the Goldfinch, for example, has lost 35% of its population in 18 years. We pray that more and more people in France can make their gardens a welcoming haven for nature.

Lord we are grateful for the presence of your creatures even in areas where there is much human activity. Help us to take steps to encourage and protect biodiversity, and may our eyes be open to your wonderful works.

19/06/2020

Lord, we want to repent as church.

Michel Maxime Egger comments that several elements in the Judeo-Christian tradition have contributed to the disenchantment of the world and a metaphysical depreciation of nature, thereby legitimising its objectivization and mechanical representation, favouring its exploitation and sanctioning the increasingly destructive domination of homo sapiens.

By your Spirit help us to discern in the tradition what is relevant in ecological terms or outdated in the light of the current situation. On this basis, give us the audacity to respond to present and future challenges.

20/06/2020

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, (Romans 1:20)

Lord God, Creator, thank you that looking in wonder at your creation is our initial source of inspiration, helping us to praise and adore you. We praise you, our God, because the grandeur and complexity of creation is a reflection of Your grandeur and mystery.

21/06/2020

Father and Creator,

Forgive us that we have pushed you away from your creation. May your creation be a place that allows us to return to you. May the work of A Rocha in restoring your creation be a vector of the love that you have for us, so that each inhabitant of this earth can find their way back to you.

22/06/2020

Philippines president, Roberto Duterte, maintains that environmental protection is one of his administration’s top priorities. In sharp contrast, independent watchdog Global Witness considers the Philippines the most “murderous” country in the world for land and environmental defenders. A third of environmental defender deaths in 2018 were on the island of Mindanao, which is at the centre of the Duterte administration’s plans to allocate 1.6m hectares of land to industrial plantations.  Pray for both environmental and social justice to prevail in the Philippines.

23/06/2020

We pray for scientists exploring new ways of producing energy which do not emit CO2, the cause of climate change. We pray you give them the support (financial and emotional) needed to further creative and hopeful ways of producing sustainable energy. We pray that their efforts will be recognised by courageous investors who are prepared to support them as they test new ways of producing energy which might be more healthy for the creation. Amen.

24/06/2020

Noé, serving biodiversity

And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:24-25)

Noé, an organisation (www.noe.org) created 20 years ago, has conservation programmes for endangered species and for the preservation and restoration of natural environments and protected areas. It has many points in common with A Rocha. Pray that it will continue to mobilise many members and partners and that it will be wise in its choice of activities so that it is effective.

25/06/2020

The Sologne is a forested region in the central Loire valley area, known for its lakes and ponds: the constant reduction of reedbeds limits nesting sites for emblematic birds such as the bittern, the little bittern or the great reed warbler. The salt marsh copper frequents the wetland areas and water meadows. Drainage of these habitats threatens this nationally protected butterfly which has become rare in the central region (www.sologne-nature.org)

Lord Jesus, we place into your hands the activity of those working for the protection of these habitats and who give advice to economic stakeholders in the region. We also pray that your name can be known and that you will be honoured as the Creator and Redeemer by the people living in this region.

26/06/2020

Lord, in the light of the SELblog text Emmanuel Macron et la dette africaine : quelques clefs de compréhension, I feel challenged to revisit certain precepts in the Old Testament. I pray that you will stir our consciences. What place should we give today to the Year of Jubilee, to loans without interest etc. so that there can be greater respect for all of your creation?

27/06/2020

All things have been created through him and for him…  For God was pleased … through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:16;20)

Lord God, thank you that when we contemplate your creation it sends us back to your son Jesus, our Saviour and Lord, and the Saviour and Lord of all that you have created.

28/06/2020

Father,

With a grateful heart I fall silent before your creation. What beauty! Come to its aid and multiply the fruits of A Rocha through the projects undertaken on five continents.

29/06/2020

Many international and regional treaties and conventions already exist to protect the environment, with bodies to oversee their implementation. Lord, I pray that all governments, including my own, may be willing to truly honour what has been agreed, and in so doing set an example and protect your creation.

30/06/2020

‘They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor….’ (Galatians 2.10)

This week on Monday, many churches around the world especially remember the apostles Peter and Paul. In the early days of your church, they grappled with how to proclaim your gospel to both the Jews and the Gentiles. Amongst many disputes, the fundamental value which they were challenged to keep at the front of their minds was how their telling the good news impacted ‘the poor’. As the world debates and disputes how best to tackle climate change, we pray for your Spirit to guide us such that ‘we always remember the poor.’ Amen.

For this month’s prayers, please see this page.

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