Tag: Prayer

Thanks be to God

A wise friend once said to me that it only costs the price of a stamp to thank people for something they have done for us or a kindness they have shown to us. Saying Thank You can seem a small thing to do but it can make a world of difference to the person receiving thanks.
Today we might do this via email, WhatsApp or telephone but sending and receiving a greetings card is still rather special.

Kindness is something which is too often lacking in society and it’s all too easy to take people for granted.
That is particularly true about God. We take his love for us for granted and we can fall short of thanking him for his goodness to us.
That is something that I think as we approach Lent.

At a time when so much in the world is dark and negative, life can exist in a state of gloom and emptiness.
That can only ever be part of the story. There are many things that happen which are much more positive. There are also people who make our lives happy and hopeful, joyful and full of kindness.
So, one thing which can help us to change the balance from despair and sadness to joy and gladness is to spend time on giving thanks. In particular we can use the period of Lent as a time of thankfulness to God.
At the beginning and end of each day we can identify something that has happened recently and for which we can thank God. Maybe write these things in a notebook which build up into a special kind of prayer book, or maybe use post-it notes.

We can offer our thanks in a very simple way. During a time of quiet, perhaps only a few minutes, you can tell God your thanksgiving. It may be for some personal action of God’s grace in your life or for something good that has happened to you or you may want to thank him for taking care of you through a difficult period of your life. You may simply want to thank him for the way he continually blesses you and holds you in love. It may be a thanks for what others have contributed to your life, or for a kindness to a friend or relative. It may be for a new insight into the working of God’s love and grace.

Basically we want to Thank God for his many blessings to us—blessings which far outweigh anything negative in our Life.
We continually rejoice at the way God showers his love and grace upon us and how God blesses our efforts to live out the Gospel and try to live a corporate and individual life of discipleship. We try to serve God as best we can and He guides, strengthens and rejoices in that service.
The Book of Common Prayer has a prayer of General Thanksgiving which we might pray. This prayer can gather your thanks to God. Here’s a modern version.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us
and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves
to your service, and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Or something quicker,
a prayer of Dag Hammarkjold (a former General Secretary of the United Nations )

Dear God,
For all that has been, Thanks!
For all that will be, Yes!

[Mr. G. February 14th 2026]

Iran, a prayer

Catching the Moon

My artist friend, Kay Gibbons, caught up with the Super (Wolf **) Moon last evening.

Driving home last night I watched the tree reaching up to catch the moon …. but the moon carried on her journey to return another night and I was the only one to catch the Moon -stopped suddenly in its tracks by the click of a button on a screen in the palm of my hand .
I was reminded of an early painting which was inspired by the Wolf Moon in January 2022.

**The January Full Moon is often called the Wolf Moon from the howling of hungry wolves in the winter.
This name is thought to have a Celtic and Old English origin.
Other traditions may also know it as: Celtic: Quiet Moon
North American: Old Moon Cherokee: Cold Moon
In the S. Hemisphere it is known as the Hay Moon, Buck, Thunder or Mead Moon

A Prayer of the Moon

O Lord God,
you called me to be a light to shine from the heavens,
to lighten the earth.
You fashioned me, as an instrument of creation,
as your Sun became the great light to rule the day,
so I became his refracted light.
Reflecting the brightness of my brother,
set in the canvas of night where you fixed the stars.

There will never be a time nor a place
where your light won’t shine upon earth,
a reminder that even when humanity is at its darkest point,
Your light penetrates, is always present,
a divine presence waiting for the clamour
of human vice and voice to be stilled and emptied of meaning.

Your Sun, Stars and Moon, we are a trinity of light,
reflecting your majesty.
Part of your cosmic desire for your love to penetrate the density
of human sin; sadness; selfishness
and so bring hope, light and true life to a world you have created
to be aglow with the joy of creation.

May your People be reminded of the Light of your dear Son,
who converts all hearts, no matter how dark and dim,
to sing your praises.
May they be good and responsible stewards of your earth
and allow your love to penetrate the whole of creation
so that with us, Sun, Moon and Stars, they may glorify you!

Mr G.
3rd January 2026

[][][][] Photograph & painting by Kay Gibbons.
If you would like to see more of Kay’s art, it’s on Instagram:
kaygibbons_art.glass.sculpture

Seek Peace

My friend Gill Henwood’s photographs and thoughts regularly appear on this blog. The other day she sent me this photograph of a winter cherry tree at Kew and the thoughts it inspired.

“Here’s a beautiful winter cherry in the Japanese garden at Kew Gardens, yesterday.
The tree is a cloud of delicate blossom in the winter gardens of bare skeletal deciduous trees and dark sombre conifers.
For Gill it speaks to her of “Hope, for peace in the world. Prayers, for Japan and so many places where natural events challenge, and wars destroy. Trust, in the presence of God’s cloud of peace with us, is often unnoticed.
May the gracious, comforting Spirit bring the peace that passes all understanding to sore hearts.”

At a time when intense negotiations are going on about brokering peace in the Ukraine and in the aftermath of Gaza, the photo brings a glimpse of purity in what feels like a dark, sombre and impure world.

What I am constantly hearing and seeing is despair, uncertainty and a sense of futility. The question : What can I do or make a difference, in the sense of not being in a position to affect real change in the International struggles in our world?

Perhaps we could take a more local and personal view.
The late Rabbi Lionel Blue once told a story about meeting an old-time party member of the Soviet Communist Party. He spoke in tears that the Revolution got hijacked because of personal ambition, greed and power. “We tried to understand society to change it, but we didn’t start with ourselves.” (Rabbi Blue).

That is where we all can start – with ourselves. We can cultivate gentleness, kindness, care, approach-ability. We can and should stand up for goodness in our society and acceptance of others. Perhaps even a bit more listening to others rather than telling them what they should be like or believe. Above all we should open our hearts to a hope which isn’t just a feeling but a prayer and an action.

A little story I love tells me that one thing we can avoid is believing that we have nothing to contribute to growing peace in our world.

A little sparrow laid on its back with its legs in the air. Another sparrow walked past and asked the sparrow in its back what it was doing. It replied that it had heard that the sky was going to fall in and thought that it should try and help hold it up. The other sparrow laughed and said, “You’re only a little sparrow with little legs. How can you hold up the whole sky?The little sparrow lying on the floor with its legs in the air, turned its head and said:“I know, but one does what one can.”

Doing what we can is about living in peace and harmony with others and with creatures and the world in which we live. It’s about rejoicing in creation and protecting the part of our world where God has placed us. It’s also about refusing to let our world be taken over by those who would dominate, abuse, bully and live self-centred lives.
It’s about allowing God’s beauty, joy, hope radiate from our lives just as it radiates from the Winter Cherry Tree at Kew.

It’s about praying this prayer, written for world peace in 1978. By praying and seeking to live it out in our lives may we recognizing that we have just increased peace in the world.

A Prayer for World Peace, 1978

We pray for the power to be gentle;
the strength to be forgiving;
the patience to be understanding;
and the endurance to accept the consequences
of holding on to what we believe to be right.

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil
and the power of love to overcome hatred.

We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe
in a world emancipated from violence,
a new world where fear shall no longer lead men or women to commit injustice,
nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy
to the task of making peace,
praying always for the inspiration and the power
to fulfil the destiny for which we and all men and women were created.

– Author Unknown, Offered by Beth Amyot
published by Xavier University Cinncinati

[Mr G & Gill Henwood. 11th December 2025]