Praying Together -
Alone But With Others
in the CLEOBURY MORTIMER BENEFICE.
For many of us coming together to pray is important – and is something we will miss if forced to stay at home for a period during the Coronavirus outbreak.
We offer you this selection of resources and prayers which you can use alone or with others who are in the house with you. It can be used at any time and you can select from the contents to make it last for as long or short a time as you wish.
Many of us would like to attend a Church service but circumstances mean we cannot at present, but remember we are united in prayer even if we cannot be there physically.
Whether you are someone who prays and worships regularly or someone who particularly feels the need to pray at this present time we hope this helps you to feel connected to others in your local churches and community and – above all – to the God who knows us, loves us and cares about us so passionately.
Further Resources
If you have internet access you may find the following links helpful:
Daily Prayer – complete versions of the services of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and others, with appropriate readings and psalms for the day, in modern or traditional language can be found at:
www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer
Morning Prayer (Matins) from the Book of Common Prayer:
Evening Prayer (Evensong) from the Book of Common Prayer:
Hymns
Versions of many hymns, traditional and modern, can be found on YouTube: www.youtube.com
Readings
There are many websites that offer suggestions for daily Bible Readings, some of them with accompanying reflections. A possible approach is to search online for “Daily Bible Readings” and look at several of the options until you find one with a style that you like and then to follow that.
Short passages of Scripture for reading & contemplation
Many of us have favourite passages from the Bible. At particular times these may be helpful too:
· Psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation
· Psalm 46 Be still, and know that I am God.
· Psalm 91 He shall cover you with his wings
· Psalm 139 O Lord, you have searched me out and known me
· Isaiah 43 (esp vv.1-7) Do not fear, for I am with you
· John 14 Do not let your hearts be troubled
Psalms
You may have particular psalms that you like. The Book of Common Prayer suggests particular psalms for each day of the month. You may also like to follow this pattern:
Sunday Psalm 150
Monday Psalm 19
Tuesday Psalm 46
Wednesday Psalm 128
Thursday Psalm 23
Friday Psalm 8
Saturday Psalm 121
Prayers
You can, of course, pray however and whenever you like. We offer here some well-known prayers and some which are more specific to the current situation.
In services in the Bromfield Benefice our Prayers of Intercession often follow this pattern:
§ The Church of Christ
§ The world
§ The local community
§ Those who suffer
§ The communion of saints
We use this response:
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
And at the end:
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Coming before God
Take some time to consider what or who is on your mind at the moment, then offer it all to God:
All that we are Lord we place into your hands.
Everything we work for we place into your hands.
Everything we hope for we place into your hands.
The troubles that weary us we place into your hands.
The thoughts that disturb us we place into your hands.
Each that we pray for we place into your hands.
The choices that we make we place into your hands.
A prayer about the Coronavirus outbreak
Keep us,
good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy
in this time
of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and
fearful,
and lift up all who are brought
low;
that we may rejoice in your
comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your
love
in Christ Jesus our
Lord. Amen.
For those in isolation
God of
compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation.
In their
loneliness, be their consolation;
in their anxiety, be their
hope;
in their darkness, be their
light;
through him who suffered alone on the
cross,
but reigns with you in
glory,
Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For those who are worried
Loving Jesus, you are compassionate to those in
need
and heal the sick in body and mind.
Look kindly on those who are fearful at this time.
Help us all to put away all thoughts and actions
that separate us from you and from one another.
Give us grace to live our lives
confident in your promise that you are with us always. Amen.
For social cohesion
Lord Jesus Christ,
you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to care for the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name’s sake. Amen.
For those who are ill
Merciful
God,
we entrust to your unfailing and tender
care,
those who are ill or in
pain,
knowing that whenever danger
threatens
your everlasting arms are there to hold us
safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and
strength;
through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For hospital staff and medical researchers
Gracious
God,
give skill, sympathy and
resilience
to all who are caring for the
sick,
and your wisdom to those searching for a
cure.
Strengthen them with your
Spirit,
that through their work many will be restored to
health;
through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
From one who is ill or isolated
O
God,
help me to trust
you,
help me to know that you are with
me,
help me to believe that nothing can separate
me
from your love
revealed in Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Prayers for when you can't get to church
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your disciples, ‘I am with you
always’.
Be with me today, as I offer myself to you.
Hear my prayers for others and for myself,
and keep me in your care. Amen.
A prayer remembering God is with us
Lord God, you are always with me.
You are with me in the day and in the night.
You are with me when I’m happy and when I’m sad.
You are with me when I’m healthy and when I am ill.
You are with me when I am peaceful and when I am anxious.
Today I am feeling (name how you are feeling) because (reasons you are feeling this way).
Help me to remember that you love me and are with me in everything today. Amen.
Prayers for use with children
A prayer for when a friend is ill
Dear God, (name of friend) is ill.
They are not allowed to go to school or come over to play.
I’m sad because I miss them.
They must be feeling miserable and lonely as well.
Please be close to them.
Please be with the people who are looking after them.
Please help them to get better and to know that you love them. Amen.
A prayer for the world
God of love and hope,
You made the world and care for all creation.
But the world feels strange right now.
The news is full of stories about Coronavirus.
Many people are anxious because of it.
Many people are anxious that they might get ill.
Many people are anxious about their family and friends.
Be with them in their worries and help them to find some peace.
We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists who are working to discover the right medicines to give hope to those who are
ill.
Thank you that even in these strange and worrying times, you are with us.
Help us to look for the signs of your goodness and love towards us. Amen.
Some well-known prayers
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
From St Patrick’s Breastplate
I am giving you worship with all my
life,
I am giving you obedience with all my power,
I am giving you praise with all my strength,
I am giving you honour with all my speech.
I am giving you love with all my heart,
I am giving you affection with all my sense,
I am giving you my being with all my mind,
I am giving you my soul, O most high and holy God.
Praise to the Father, Praise to the Son, Praise to the Spirit,
The Three in One.
adapted from Alexander Carmichael, Carmina Gadelica (1900)
Lord Jesus Christ,
son of the living God,
have mercy on me, a sinner.
The ‘Jesus Prayer’
O gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive
you,
diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.
St Benedict
Soul of Christ, sanctify me,
body of Christ, save me,
blood of Christ, inebriate me,
water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me:
hide me within your wounds
and never let me be separated from you.
From the wicked enemy defend me,
in the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you,
so that with your saints I may praise you
for ever and ever.
Anima Christi
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come;
thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore. Amen