# Earth Day Prayer
*2015-04-21*

> Bill Young reflects on the beauty of God's creation and offers a heartfelt prayer for the earth on Earth Day.

## Welcoming the Day

Good afternoon. This is Bill Young, and welcome to the Prayer and Lunch podcast. Today is Earth Day, and I’m grateful for the beauty that surrounds us—whether the sky is clear, rainy, or snowy, the green grass, the birds singing, and the clouds drifting overhead. All of this reminds us of the wonderful world God has given us.

## Earth Day Prayer

Lord God, we thank You for this home you have given us, for the wide sky and the blessed sun, for the oceans and the streams, for the towering hills and the whispering wind, for the trees and the green grass. We thank You for the senses by which we hear the songs of the birds, see the splendor of fields of golden wheat, taste the fruit of autumn, feel the snow, and smell the breath of spring flowers. Grant us hearts open to all beauty, and save us from the blindness that makes us pass by even the common thornbush without seeing its purpose. May we recognize that every flame of life is a sign of Your presence.

## A Call to Appreciation

May we cherish this creation more fully, caring for the earth as stewards of God’s gifts, and may our gratitude be reflected in how we live each day.

*Let us keep our hearts open to the beauty of God’s creation and act as faithful stewards of the earth.*