Ten Prayers for World Environment Day

World Environment Day takes place on June 5, 2020 and the theme this year is "Time for Nature".  We are called to reimagine our relationship with nature. This includes all the ways we rely on nature for our very survival (ie the foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink). The coronavirus pandemic is an urgent call to appreciate all the ways that we are dependent on nature, to combat species loss and to remember that we are polluting the planet and destroying habitats upon which we all depend.

Here are ten prayers for World Environment Day published by the Church of England

Heavenly Father,
You have taught us, through your servant St Francis,
That all creation is your handiwork.
Grant us your grace that we may
Exercise wise stewardship of this Earth;
Tread lightly upon it;
And cherish its resources;
That our children may enjoy its riches, throughout all generations,
And your name be glorified through all that you have made.
Amen.

Rt Revd David Walker
Bishop of Manchester


God of creation, who loves all he has made and all that has evolved,
open the eyes of your people,
that your love might be reflected in our care for the planet.
Through Jesus Christ, who walked this earth and calls us by name.
Amen.

Rt Revd Nicholas Baines
Bishop of Leeds


Eternal God, whose Spirit moved over the face of the deep bringing forth light and life;
by that same Spirit, renew your creation, and restore your image in your people.
Turn us from careless tenants to faithful stewards,
that your threefold blessing of clean air, pure water and rich earth
may be the inheritance of everything that has the breath of life
and one generation may proclaim to another the wonder of your works;
through Jesus Christ, your living Word,
in whom the fullness of your glory is revealed.
Amen.

Rt Revd Libby Lane
Bishop of Stockport


Lord Jesus,
the earth is yours and you have commanded the winds and the sea;
help us to leave behind our consumer demand for plastics and move towards behaviours that are environmentally healthy;
help us to follow your lead in caring for the world you love.
Amen.

Rt Revd David Urquhart
Bishop of Birmingham


Creator God,
Thank you for the waters of the earth,
for the life-sustaining rains,
lakes, and deep oceans.
Keep us mindful of how precious these are,
and how vulnerable they are.
Help us to work together for clean water,
and for the sharing of it with those who have need of it today.
Amen.

Rt Revd Christine Hardman
Bishop of Newcastle


Creator of our common home,
You fill the earth and sea and sky with life
Forgive us our neglect of your creation
The choking waste of our pollution
The damage done by careless habits
And our indifference to future generations.
Help us to amend our lives
To refuse more plastic if we can’t reuse it
To lift our voice for lasting change
And to live well and gently on the earth
To the glory of your Son, the Living Word
Through whom you made this fragile world.
Amen.

Rt Revd Steven Croft
Bishop of Oxford


Everlasting God
whose Spirit broods everlastingly over the lands and the waters,
and endows them with form and colour:
give us, we pray, the mind and heart
to rejoice in the majesty of creation.
Teach us to be responsible stewards of this world
and to seek the common good,
that through your blessing all may flourish,
and creation sing your praise
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Rt Revd Robert Atwell
Bishop of Exeter and Chair of the Liturgical Commission


God of life,
we praise you for the beauty of creation,
its richness and variety;
yet, through greed and ignorance,
we scar your world with plastic waste
and throw so much away.
Make us more like Jesus,
treading gently on our common home,
and breathe your Spirit on us,
that we may care more deeply for your Earth.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Rt Revd Graham Usher
Bishop of Dudley


God our Father,
As we celebrate the beauty and diversity of your creation,
we are truly sorry for our consumerism and wastefulness.
Have mercy on us for contaminating the Earth with billions of tons of plastic waste.
Please give each one of us the desire and the means to put things right;
no longer trusting in ourselves but in your grace and wisdom alone.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
Amen

Revd Arthur Champion
Environment Officer, Diocese of Gloucester


Creator God, We acknowledge that as your handiwork,
we stand alongside all that you have made.
Trees and rivers, mountains and valleys,
soaring birds and scuttling creatures,
all are held within your care.
May we grow in our love and appreciation
for the fabulous variety around us;
and may our awe and wonder draw us closer
to the natural world, and through it to you,
the God of all things.
We pray in Jesus name,
Amen

Revd Cate Williams, Mission and Evangelism Officer
Diocese of Gloucester