We pray for people impacted by the rising cost of living. A new report released this week shared that families are at risk of a £1600+ gap in their finances due to lack of adequate support. God, we pray for the safety of the poorest families in our communities in these challenging times, and for the right support to be offered by government.
We give thanks for the impact of beavers in protecting environments from the worst effects of hot, dry weather. They re-engineer landscapes to slow down the passage of water, reducing flood risks, maintaining wetlands in dry spells, and boosting biodiversity. God, we are grateful for the ways nature reinforces itself. Help us to work more in step with the natural world.
We give thanks for a rise in repairing items instead of throwing them away. Tutorial videos, apps, repair cafés, tool libraries and right-to-repair legislation are enabling more people to move away from throwaway culture, saving money and waste. God, help us take more steps towards a circular, waste-free economy.
75 years after the partition of India, today we pray for positive relations between India and Pakistan. The partition led to over a million deaths and 15 million displacements, and its legacy manifests in tensions between and within both contemporary states. God, we take this opportunity to reflect on a painful history. We pray for a better future for all affected.
As much of Europe struggles with dry and hot weather, today we pray for protection from the impacts of drought. Extremely dry land increases the possibility of fires, endangers water supply, and hampers agriculture. God, we pray that people would be safe and land would recover. Help us to grasp the wide-reaching consequences of climate change with due seriousness.
We pray for Sierra Leone, where anti-government protests amid economic hardship have spilled into violence. At least six police officers and two civilians died last week. God, we hear the cries of people in suffering and pray for change. We lament these deaths, and pray that protests would be safe and peaceful.
We pray for migrants at risk of exploitation from rogue solicitors and immigration advisers. A watchdog has warned that desperate people are being scammed out of ‘huge sums of money’ for false promises over visa and asylum applications. God, we pray that people would not prey on the vulnerable, and long for an end to these fraudulent practices
