For the next two years, we have invited special guest writers to contribute our Weekly Prayers. This month, we welcome former MWiB President Sandra Goodwin. Sandra writes:
The inspiration for this series of prayers is drawn from my love of the natural world, a passion taught and nurtured by my father from a very early age. Each Sunday afternoon he would take me and my siblings for a ‘nature walk’ through the lanes near our home, and holidays were spent roaming the Welsh mountains with their wide vistas and hidden waterfalls. Scripture is full of references to the natural world, and I invite you to quietly reflect on what they may be saying to us.
Matthew 6: 28–30
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?
I really enjoy walking around our garden, especially in the spring and early summer when plants that have lain dormant begin to push their way through the soil and bloom again. The lilies pictured above are a typical example of this; although a different variety to those to which Jesus was referring, the principle of regrowth remains the same. We all experience times when we are ‘blooming’ – confident and enthusiastic about life – and times when our energy and confidence fade. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused untold stress and anxiety to many people, and we wonder what the future will hold.
Jesus pointed to a flower that returned and blossomed every year without human intervention, reassuring us that God is trustworthy and constantly at work within our lives, sustaining, providing and encouraging growth even through difficult moments of worry and anxiety.
Spend a few moments quietly thinking of those known to you who are struggling and anxious at this time, perhaps those who have lost loved ones and are finding it difficult to cope.
Loving God,
thank you for your constant presence within our lives.
Thank you for the reassuring words of Jesus
that teach us to trust in your providence,
knowing that you are with us at each moment of our lives
and in every situation that we face.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen
Weekly Prayers for August written by Sandra Goodwin
Image: ‘Lilies’ (photo – Sandra Goodwin, July 2021)
You can download the Weekly Prayers for August below:
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