The purpose of this Prayer Diary is to provide subjects for your reflection and prayer as the Spirit moves you.
March 2025 Environmental Prayer Diary
We encourage you to take part in the “Sustainable Shift” Lenten Challenge this Lent
Saturday |
1 |
National Water Month2025 theme: “Water for Climate Action.”This theme focuses on the connections between climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. The goal is to The South African National Water Week campaign is aimed at educating the public about their responsibility in water conservation initiatives, raising awareness around the need to protect and conserve the country’s water resources. In the summer of 2023-2024, water outages became a regular occurrence, especially for those living at higher elevations or in older suburbs in the city. These characteristics fit all the criteria for water insecurity, such as an excess of demand over supply. We have no control over weather patterns, but the effects of climate change as beginning to have a drastic effect as far as water security is concerned.
Water is precious! Don’t waste a single drop!
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Sunday |
2 |
The water that God called into being is at the heart of all that lives. We pray for the leaders of nations, corporations, and communities of the world, that they may exercise wise stewardship over the waters of their lands, We pray for the wisdom to shape creative solutions to conflicts over water We pray for the oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, watersheds, streams, ponds, deltas, marshes, and swamps of our planet, for the waters beneath the ground, and for all creatures that live in the waters of the earth. We pray for all who travel or work at sea or on inland waterways. We pray for all who suffer from too much water in the destruction of flood, storm, tsunami, and ice; and for those people and creatures who suffer as the glaciers and ice floes vanish. We ask your prayers for all who thirst for water, for health, for love, for wisdom, for God, that their cups may be filled to overflowing. Blessed God, in your wisdom you uphold creation and renew it again and again. From The Episcopal Ecological Network website.
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Monday |
3 |
World Wildlife Day2025 Theme: “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet”.The critical theme of “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet aims to raise awareness of the potential solutions and From the highland steppe to the coral reefs, wild animals and plants hold intrinsic value. As essential parts of Earth’s intricate web of life, they sustain ecosystems, regulate natural processes, and support biodiversity. With more than 1 million species now estimated to be threatened with extinction amid the intensifying triple planetary crisis, innovative finance for wildlife conservation has never been more urgent. Over half of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is dependent on nature, making biodiversity loss an increasing threat to financial stability and livelihoods. CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero said: “We have a responsibility to unlock the power and agility of the finance sector and mainstream nature-positive considerations in the spheres of investment. Wildlife conservation finance is about conserving plant and animal species in the wild and contributing to the conservation of our planet’s biodiversity that sustains all ecosystems and communities worldwide.” Innovative Finance for Wildlife Conservation Investing in wildlife is not an aspiration, it is a necessity! It is everyone’s collective responsibility towards a resilient future for both people and the planet. Wildlife provides essential services that support human livelihoods and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Forests alone contain 60,000 different tree species, 80 per cent of the world’s amphibian species, and 75 per cent of the world’s bird species, while providing over 1.6 billion people with natural capital in the form of food (SDG 2: Zero Hunger), medicine (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being), income (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth) and more. Current financial flows have proven insufficient for governments to meet their national biodiversity targets, especially in low-to-middle-income countries where the world’s biodiversity hotspots are located. Though USD 143 billion is currently invested annually in biodiversity conservation, of which 80-85 per cent comes from the public sector, this amount falls significantly short of the estimated USD 824 billion needed each year to adequately protect and restore nature. On the path to achieving the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an SDG Stimulus of at least USD 500 billion to significantly increase affordable, long-term financing for development, including for nature. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) has revitalized the global effort to take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, calling for stimulating innovative financial schemes to mobilize at least USD 200 billion of financial flows for biodiversity (Target 19) and aiming to eliminate, phase out, or reform harmful subsidies by at least USD 500 billion annually by 2030 (Target 18). Today, innovative wildlife finance solutions are emerging to unlock the power and agility of the finance sector and mainstream nature-positive considerations in the spheres of investment and policy making. No single financial mechanism will fill all conservation funding gaps. Therefore, mobilising financial resources for wildlife at the scale required demands creating enabling conditions, building trust, and applying a collaborative, multi-pronged approach that involves governments, financial institutions, businesses, and civil society, and that considers of the needs and expertise of indigenous peoples, local communities, women and youth.
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Tuesday |
4 |
“Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” Pope Francis
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Wednesday |
5 |
Ash WednesdayCreator of all, we stand at this in-between place, recalling the advent wonder yet standing on the road that leads to the passion and cross. O Creator God, You saved us by taking on flesh and walking this long, muddy road to Calvary with us. Inspire us to walk a little longer and not forsake the road for more pleasant pieties so that we make of our fasting a more complete offering to you. Amen.
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Thursday |
6 |
A Lenten prayer guide for protectors of Mother EarthAll powerful God, you are present in the whole universe O God of the poor,
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Friday |
7 |
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Saturday |
8 |
Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti of Pope Francis
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Sunday |
9 |
The First Sunday of LentLord God,
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Monday |
10 |
It was very good1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. — Genesis 1: 1-2, and 1: 31 What are the opening words of the Bible? In the beginning God…. It all begins with God. The source of all life starts with God. In the beginning God created….. God is the foundation. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God brought into being this incredible universe, the vastness of which we can’t even begin to comprehend. What is described as a day in Genesis 1 in God’s terms could be a few billion years. The universe is 14 billion years old and our planet 4.5 billion. Life on planet Earth came about with “the Spirit of God hovering over the waters”. Our planet has evolved into this incredible state of beauty and abundance we are privileged to experience. Just stop and think of the wonder of life around us, the beauty of the mountains, the oceans, the birds and animals, that spectacular sunrise, all of which has enabled us to flourish. At the end of Genesis chapter 1 we read “God saw everything he had made, and indeed it was very good”. Everything was good, not just humans. And God charged us to look after, care for and protect God’s magnificent creation. But we have been seriously disobedient to God. We have selfishly exploited and abused God’s creation, to such an extent. that we are now seriously threatening the future of life on our only home. We are bringing about biodiversity loss, causing the extinction of thousands of creatures and plants. Through our ongoing burning of fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – we are warming the atmosphere bringing about weather extremes of droughts and floods, increased heat and cold and unpredictable weather patterns. We have to change our ways. That means recognising we are part of nature. We are not separate. We must live in harmony with nature and all of life. We must care for all life, recognising that life is sacred. Reflection: Reflect on how your current lifestyle is damaging God’s Earth. What changes can you commit to, starting this Lent? Prayer We praise you Our Lord and God, for the variety of your creation and for the sanctity you have bestowed on all life through creation. Bishop Geoff Davies
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Tuesday |
11 |
“I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that everywhere, wherever you may be, the least plant may bring to you the Saint Basil of Caesarea (4th century)
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Wednesday |
12 |
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Thursday |
13 |
“The human spirit has come to believe that compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it Albert Schweitzer
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Friday |
14 |
International Day of Action for RiversThe definition of a river “is a ribbon-like body of water that flows downhill from the force of gravity.” A river can be wide and deep, or shallow enough for a person to wade across. The state of rivers in South Africa varies enormously, with some rivers experiencing above-normal flow while others are barely a trickle or nothing at all. Challenges facing South Africa’s rivers today include:
In Gauteng, we are dependent on the Vaal River. The River’s flow is usually minimal, but the winter months can cause it to become a muddy torrent. The Vaal Dam regulates the river’s flow and is located 23 miles upstream of Vereeniging. The river has its source near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, east of Johannesburg and about 30 kilometres north of Ermelo and only about 240 kilometres from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its confluence with the Orange River southwest of Kimberley in the Northern Cape. Most rainfall in the greater Johannesburg area (especially south of the Witwatersrand range) does not flow into the Vaal Dam but below it. The Vaal River faces numerous threats. In the lower catchment irrigation return flows are the major contributor to river salinity. Potential long-term pollution threats to the important Vaal Dam catchment are atmospheric pollution from heavy industry, diffuse agricultural sources and further industrial development. Eutrophication is already a problem in the Vaal River. Everyone can take action in relieving even a little pressure on our precious river by reducing our water consumption; using biodegradable toiletries and cleaning products and being extra carefully about what we flush down the toilet and dump in the drain.
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Saturday |
15 |
Psalm 65:9-13 (The Message)You care for the land and water it;
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Sunday |
16 |
The Second Sunday of LentLoving God,
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Monday |
17 |
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Tuesday |
18 |
Global Recycling DayEvery year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources and at some point, in the not too distant future, it will run out. That’s why we must think again about what we throw away – seeing not waste, but opportunity. The last decade has been the hottest on record, and we are now facing a climate emergency of unparalleled proportions. If we don’t make significant and rapid changes, we will see continued rising global temperatures, the melting of icecaps, continents on fire and rapid deforestation. This directly affects humanity with increased poverty, immigration from displaced communities, job losses, waste mountains and natural habitats disappearing. We have the power to make lasting changes to combat this, and with recycling being recognized in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda, we are already seeing many individuals, governments and organisations taking direct action to support the global green agenda. Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, helping to protect our natural resources. Each year the ‘Seventh Resource’ (recyclables) saves over 700 million tonnes in CO2 emissions and this is projected to increase to 1 billion tons by 2030. There is no doubt recycling is on the front line in the war to save the future of our planet and humanity. The African Reclaimers Organisation – the informal recyclers who work in streets and landfills – are doing an incredible service to us all. The Reclaimers are responsible for collecting over 90% of all materials that are recycled in South Africa. African Reclaimers Organisation was formed by Luyanda Hlatshwayo For more information, contact Luyanda – luyandahlatshwayo@gmail.com – or leave a message for him on their FaceBook page – https://www.facebook.com/africanreclaimers/
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Wednesday |
19 |
We have a planet that is at risk, where resources don’t have a permanent life. We are going to have to make the decision: are we going to survive Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
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Thursday |
20 |
International Day of HappinessThe General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of 12 July 2012 proclaimed 20 March the International Day of Happiness We are spending more time indoors and online, however, recent scientific studies suggest that nature can help our Plan to spend some time in nature this week – your own quiet time with our Creator. |
Friday |
21 |
International Day of Forests and Trees2025 theme: “Celebrating forests and foods”In 2025, forests and foods is the theme for the day, celebrating the crucial roles of forests in food security, nutrition and livelihoods. In addition to providing food, fuel, income and employment, forests support soil fertility, protect water resources, and offer habitats for biodiversity, including vital pollinators. World-wide, forests are essential for the survival of forest-dependent communities, particularly Indigenous Peoples, and contribute to climate-change mitigation by storing carbon. Here in South Africa, Together, our natural forests and savannah woodland systems contribute to the conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity, the protection of our soil and the purification of watercourses. We, in the city, may not rely on the forests for our daily food, but there are many, many species that totally rely on them! – this is part of biodiversity! Even sitting in our comfortable living rooms, we can protect forests in South Africa:
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Saturday |
22 |
Earth HourUniting for people and our planetSince, Earth Hour began in 2007, it has been known for the “lights off” moment, with individuals from around the globe switching off their More than 15 years later, our Planet is at a tipping point with climate and nature crises, putting at risk the fate of our one home – Earth – and all our futures. We are on course to breach by 2030 the 1.5°C global temperature increase limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement, and nature – the source of our very livelihoods and one of our biggest allies against the climate crisis – is also under severe threat, facing alarming and unprecedented rates of loss globally. The next 7 years are therefore crucial to all our futures – we have to stay under the 1.5°C climate threshold to avoid irreversible damage to our planet, and we need to reverse nature loss by 2030, ending the decade with more nature than we started, not less. To make this happen, individuals, communities, businesses, and governments must all With this 2030 goal in mind, we too must step things up. Amidst our increasingly divided and polarized societies, the Biggest Hour for Earth becomes a precious moment of unity, reminding the world that our one shared home needs our help and that we all can – and must – play a part in protecting it. Will you participate? Saturday, 22 March from 20:30-21:00 – TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS!
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Sunday |
23 |
The Third Sunday of LentLoving Father,
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Monday |
24 |
World Water Day (22 March)The 2023–2024 El Niño weather pattern caused below-average rainfall and higher temperatures across Southern Africa in 2024. Many parts of Southern Africa have endured the worst mid-season dry spell in over The expected La Niña (opposite of El Niño) which typically brings drenching rains, remains elusive and it increasingly looks like it may not emerge at all this summer. Initially, farmers in southern Africa were optimistic that La Niña would bring heavy rains to reverse the drought’s impact. However, recent forecasts predict either weak or neutral conditions, raising fears of another difficult agricultural season from October 2024 to March 2025. These erratic weather patterns are largely due to climate change. Rainfall delays caused by climate change have led to decreased dam levels and droughts. We are all too aware that South Africa is facing a water crisis of immense proportions! A combination of factors has led to this critical situation, including climate change, over-consumption, a lack of investment in infrastructure, theft and vandalism as well as the ever present corruption especially the water mafia. South Africa’s water infrastructure is dilapidated, with leaky pipes and poorly maintained distribution systems. Compounding the problem is that water consumption in South Africa is high, especially in Johannesburg, where it’s more than 60% higher than the global average. As of 1 December 2024, the Vaal Dam was a mere 29% – contrasting severely with the 120% in January 2024. Johannesburg Water has tightened water restrictions and is throttling water at high-consumption reservoirs. The utility has also revealed that half of its reservoirs are leaking, but it can only fix 20 of them. There have been Level 1 restrictions in place for some years, which prohibit consumers from irrigating their gardens and using municipal water to clean paved areas at their residences between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. However, few people actually adhere to them. Stricter water restrictions and water supply throttling are sure to be enforced in the coming months. In October 2024, Rand Water, bulk-water supplier to the greater Johannesburg and Pretoria areas, warned that we may run out of water unless the cities didn’t immediately curb consumption. Crumbling water, transport and other infrastructure poses a significant threat to the country’s financial system as well. The collapse in water infrastructure is intensifying just as we recover from a yearslong energy crisis. To address this water crisis, we all need to work together to curb our water usage … unless we are wanting to face “Day Zero” as Cape Town did in 2018. Water saving strategies:
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Tuesday |
25 |
World Meteorological Day (23 March)2025 theme: “Closing the early warning gap together“.“Closing the early warning gap together” is an effort to improve early warning systems to protect lives and livelihoods from natural hazards. This initiative is led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and aims to enhance collaboration and action to address gaps in order to provide end-to-end multi-hazard early warning systems to protect people, especially those vulnerable to devastating weather events. The WMO Executive Council approved a road map to speed up and scale up efforts to ensure that life-saving early warnings cover everyone on the planet. The road map aims to close critical gaps, including in the basic observing network, in satellite and data products, and in the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System. These early warning systems will help countries better anticipate disasters, protect vulnerable populations, build long-term resilience to a rapidly changing climate, and cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent. From the World Meteorological Organization
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Wednesday |
26 |
Creator God, we thank and praise you for giving us the opportunity to be co-creators with you and to ensure the sustainability of “Mother Earth” our meeting place with God. God as a community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit teach us as the Anglican Community to work together for mutual respect with one another and your creation. We repent for our negligence leading the earth to be in peril from loss of habitats and species. Help us to be caretakers of your gifts, protecting the land from abuse, and ready to share with all in need. The late Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya
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Thursday |
27 |
Created to LoveIn the fourth century, St. Augustine (354-430), an official Doctor of the Church (meaning his teaching is considered reliable), said, “the church consists in the state of communion of the whole world.” Wherever we Non-human creation is invariably obedient to its destiny. Animals and plants seem to excitedly take their small place in the “circle of life,” in the balance of nature, in the dance of complete interdependence. It is only we humans who have resisted our place in “the one great act of giving birth” (see Romans 8:22), even though we had the most powerful role! Humans, in fact, have frequently chosen death for themselves and for so many other creatures besides. We are, by far, the most destructive of all species. As St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179, also a Doctor of the Church) writes: Human beings alone are capable of disobeying God’s laws, because they try to be wiser than God. . . . Other creatures fulfil the commandments of God; they honour [God’s] laws. . . . But human beings rebel against those laws, defying them in word and action. And in doing so they inflict terrible cruelty on the rest of God’s creation. Jesus clearly taught that if we seek first God’s kingdom and the universal law of love (“love God and love one another,” Matthew 22:37-40), all the rest would take care of itself (see Matthew 6:33). We would no longer blatantly defy the laws of nature but seek to live in harmony and sustainability with Earth and all her creatures. This radical lifestyle demands a sense of inherent dignity that is granted by God and not an off-and-on dignity determined by egocentric humans. As Homo sapiens (“Wise Humans”), we should have taken our place as what Teilhard de Chardin called “the pinnacle of evolution” or “the rocks come to consciousness.” Then we could join with the rest of creation in obedience to our unique and full destiny. In poet Gerard Manley Hopkins’ words: Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: When we get the “who” right and realize that who I am is love, then we will do what we came to do: Love God and love all that this God has created. I firmly believe that grace is inherent to creation and not an occasional additive, and that God and goodness—not Armageddon—have both the first and final word, which we call divine creation and final resurrection. Gateway to Silence: From Richard Rohr’s daily meditations
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Friday |
28 |
Lord Jesus, Rt Revd David Urquhart
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Saturday |
29 |
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Sunday |
30 |
The Fourth Sunday of LentLoving Creator of mine,
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Monday |
31 |
International Day for Zero Waste (30 March)The International Day of Zero Waste highlights both the importance of bolstering waste management globally and the need to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. Advancing resource recovery and reuse strategies are key to protecting human and Households, small businesses and public service providers generate huge amounts of solid waste every year – from packaging and electronics to plastics and food. Waste management services are ill-equipped to handle this and local authorities must act urgently to address the waste crisis. Improving collection, recycling and other forms of sound waste management remain an urgent priority. But to solve the waste crisis, humanity must treat waste as a resource. This entails reducing waste generation and following the lifecycle approach. Resources should be reused or recovered as much as possible, and products should be designed to be durable and require fewer and low-impact materials. Upstream solutions like these can minimize pollution of air, land, and water and decrease the extraction of precious and limited natural resources. Achieving zero-waste societies requires action at all levels from all stakeholders. Consumers can change consumption habits and reuse and repair products as much as possible before properly disposing of them. Governments, communities, industries and other stakeholders must improve financing and policymaking, especially as the waste crisis disproportionately impacts the marginalized, urban poor, women and youth. We all need to assess our life-styles and minimise the waste that we produce. Do this today! |
2025 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
2024 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
- January 2024
- February 2024
- March 2024
- April 2024
- May 2024
- June 2024
- July 2024
- August 2024
- September 2024
- October 2024
- November 2024
- December 2024
2023 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
- January 2023
- February 2023
- March 2023
- April 2023
- May 2023
- June 2023
- July 2023
- August 2023
- September 2023
- October 2023
- November 2023
- December 2023
2022 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
- January 2022
- February 2022
- March 2022
- April 2022
- May 2022
- June 2022
- July 2022
- August 2022
- September 2022 – Season of Creation
- October 2022
- November 2022
- December 2022
2021 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
- January 2021
- February 2021
- March 2021
- April 2021
- May 2021
- June 2021
- July 2021
- August 2021
- September 2021
- October 2021
- November 2021
- December 2021
2020 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
- January 2020
- February 2020
- March 2020
- April 2020
- May 2020
- June 2020
- July 2020
- August 2020
- September 2020
- October 2020
- November 2020
- December 2020
2019 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
- January 2019
- February 2019
- March 2019
- April 2019
- May 2019
- June 2019
- July 2019
- August 2019
- September 2019 – Season of Creation
- October 2019
- November 2019
- December 2019
2018 Enviro Prayer Diaries in PDF
- January 2018
- February 2018
- March 2018
- April 2018
- May 2018
- June 2018
- July 2018
- August 2018
- September 2018 – Season of Creation
- October 2018
- November 2018
- December 2018
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