Welcome to this time of prayer.
For the next few moments, let us put aside the busyness and distractions of life and place ourselves in the presence of God.
Psalm 14 is an honest Psalm. It looks at a world where people can turn away from God, where injustice and foolishness can seem to flourish, and where goodness can sometimes be difficult to see.
But the Psalm does not leave us there.
It reminds us that God sees, God knows, and God remains our hope.
Let us be still before him.
Silence
Opening Prayer
Loving God,
we come before you just as we are.
You know our thoughts,
our worries,
our failures,
and our hopes.
Help us to be honest with you.
Where we have turned away from you,
draw us back.
Where we have been selfish,
teach us generosity.
Where we have been silent in the face of injustice,
give us courage.
Where the world seems dark,
help us to remember that you are still God.
Be with us now,
and open our hearts to your word.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Hymn
“Lord, I come before Your throne of grace”
Use the hymn as a personal prayer of confession and dependence.
Psalm 14
Let us hear the words of Psalm 14.
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.”
The Psalm continues:
“The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.”
And later:
“You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.”
And finally:
“Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”
Reflection
Psalm 14 begins with a challenging statement:
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
The Psalm is not simply talking about intellectual doubt.
It is describing a life lived as though God does not matter.
And perhaps that is something we can all recognise.
We can believe in God, yet sometimes live as though we are entirely dependent upon ourselves.
We can pray, yet still try to carry everything alone.
We can worship, yet fail to notice the person who is hurting beside us.
The Psalm reminds us that God looks upon his creation.
“The Lord looks down from heaven.”
Nothing is hidden from him.
He sees the suffering that others overlook.
He sees the lonely person.
He sees the person who feels forgotten.
He sees injustice.
He sees those who have little power or influence.
And, importantly, verse 6 says:
“The Lord is their refuge.”
That is good news.
God is not simply watching the world from a distance.
He is a refuge for those who turn to him.
When we cannot change everything around us, we can still turn towards God.
When we do not understand why things happen, we can still trust him.
When the world seems broken, we can still believe that God’s purposes are greater than the darkness we see.
And the Psalm ends with a longing:
“Oh, that salvation… would come.”
It is a prayer for God to act.
So today, we bring before God the things that concern us.
We bring our community.
We bring our families.
We bring those who are struggling.
We bring our broken world.
And we pray:
“Lord, be our refuge.”
Prayers of Confession
Let us bring our own lives before God.
For the times when we have ignored you, Lord, forgive us.
For the times when we have thought only of ourselves, Lord, forgive us.
For the words we have spoken that have hurt others, Lord, forgive us.
For the good we could have done but failed to do, Lord, forgive us.
For the times when fear has prevented us from doing what is right, Lord, forgive us.
For the times when we have trusted ourselves rather than trusting you, Lord, forgive us.
Silence
God of mercy,
take away our guilt,
renew our hearts,
and help us to walk in your ways.
May we know the forgiveness that is ours through Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Hymn
“Dear Lord and Father of mankind”
Allow the words of the hymn to become your own prayer for God’s peace and renewal.
Prayers for the World
Let us pray for the world God sees.
For nations torn apart by war and violence,
Lord, be their refuge.
For people forced from their homes,
Lord, be their refuge.
For those living in poverty and hunger,
Lord, be their refuge.
For those who are persecuted because of their faith,
Lord, be their refuge.
For those who are lonely, frightened or forgotten,
Lord, be their refuge.
For those who are sick or waiting for treatment,
Lord, be their refuge.
For those grieving the death of someone they love,
Lord, be their refuge.
For our communities, our churches and our neighbours,
Lord, be their refuge.
And for ourselves, with all that we carry today:
Lord, be our refuge.
Silence
Lord God,
where there is hatred, bring love.
Where there is injustice, bring justice.
Where there is despair, bring hope.
Where there is division, bring reconciliation.
Where there is darkness, let your light shine.
And make us people who seek you,
follow you,
and reflect your love to others.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As Jesus taught his disciples, so we pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever.
Amen.
Closing Hymn
“O God, our help in ages past”
As you sing, remember the final hope of Psalm 14: God has not abandoned his people.
Closing Prayer and Blessing
Faithful God,
when the world around us seems uncertain,
be our refuge.
When we are discouraged,
be our hope.
When we are tempted to give up,
strengthen us.
Help us not simply to see the brokenness of the world,
but to become people who bring your love,
your justice and your peace into it.
Keep us close to you
and help us to seek you each day.
And may we leave this time of prayer
remembering that you see us,
you know us,
and you never leave us.
Amen.
Go in peace,
trusting in God,
walking with Christ,
and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
