A prayer for radical change: Martin Johnstone

As the Church of Scotland continues its challenging work on the three-year radical action plan which was approved by this year's General Assembly, we call on those from across the Church to join together in prayer.

This week's prayer is written by Martin Johnstone, Interim Head of Staff and Secretary of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council.

Each week, from late September until late November, new prayers written by people from across the Church of Scotland and our partners will be shared. Please feel free to change and adapt these prayers to suit your own context. There are more prayer resources available on the Prayer section of our website.

"Growing Up into the Likeness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:15)

[Where the prayer is being used for personal worship use ‘I']

God,
thank You,
thank You for seeds of new life.

[In quiet, reflect on where you see seeds of new life in your church & neighbourhood.]

God,
we pray,
we pray for the young people we encounter.

[In quiet, remember the young people that you are particularly close to.]

May they grow up hopeful about what lies ahead,
may they grow up into the likeness of Christ.

God,
we pray,
we pray for the Church,
the church we know and love,
the church we hope for and desire.

[In quiet, pray for the growth of the Church.]

We pray for creativity and innovation,
as new worshipping communities grow throughout the land.

God,
we pray,
we pray for our communities.

[In quiet, pray for the growth of our communities.]

May they come to look a bit more like heaven,
full of laughter and joy, full of fairness and justice.

God,
help us,
help us to recognise the environments where growth can happen.

We pray for growth,
and for the work of the Growth Fund.
In all that we do,
may we be
seeing,
listening,
enabling,
growing.

[In quiet, reflect on how God is calling us to change.]

In the Name of the God
who calls us all to grow
into the likeness of Christ.
Amen.