Lord Jesus, bread of life, you fill us with life and hope. Be with us as we come to you today, bringing ourselves and the many people in our world who are searching for your closeness and help.
We pray for all religious leaders who inspire us to hunger and thirst for what is right. May we follow their example in reaching out to those who are most vulnerable and in need of compassion.
Following the riots this week, we remember the families and friends of the murdered children, those who felt threatened by violence, the emergency services and those who helped to clear away the damage. May there be peaceful, just and long-lasting solutions to the difficulties which lead people to feel anxious, insecure and overlooked.
We pray for everyone who does not have sufficient food or water. Especially where hunger is caused by warfare and violence, may there be peace and access to food.
We pray for all those who hunger for meaning in their lives and cannot find it. May they discover new directions, new support mechanisms and people who can help them towards a future full of hope.
We pray for everyone who hungers for justice and peace. May understanding and reconciliation heal the wounds caused by the street protests and destruction which have hurt so many communities in the past few days.
We pray for people who, in their loneliness, hunger for friendship. May they find friends who will lift them out of their feelings of isolation.
We pray for famers and growers as harvest time approaches. As they work to supply us with food, may they have good weather and all the help that they need.
Lord of life and love, fill us with your goodness. May we follow you in all that we say, think and do. Amen.