Category: Prayer of the Week

Loving God, we come to you with heavy hearts,
remembering the six million Jewish souls murdered during the Holocaust.
In the horrors of that history, when so many groups were targeted
because of their identity, and in genocides which followed,
we recognise destructive prejudices that drive people apart.
Forgive us when we give space to fear, negativity and hatred of others,
simply because they are different from us.
In the light of God, we see everyone as equally precious manifestations of the Divine
and can know the courage to face the darkness.
Through our prayers and actions,
help us to stand together with those who are suffering,
so that light may banish all darkness, love will prevail over hate
and good will triumph over evil.
Amen

It’s been a year of disturbance without time or space to settle or rest. How to make a home for a Saviour in this awkward place? Lord, may we seek you in doorways or spots we know well. Keep us ready for discipleship, to go and to tell. Amen

This is the time for hope’s renewal.
We know Christ will bring righteousness  
as surely as flowers will come again in spring. 
Lord, we light candles to rage against the dark. 
Keep us fierce and faithful bringers of hope.
Amen

We could become comfortable in creation,
using up the bounty and the beauty God provides.
Our over-indulgence just feeds other’s poverty.
Lord, we hold your world in trust for your imminent arrival.
Keep us busy caring, sharing and preparing it to be fit for you.
Amen

This hectic world is quieter for now, holding its breath as the calendar moves on. We hope for fellowship, but prepare for loneliness. Lord, focus our minds on a different preparation; keep us busy in conversation with you. Amen

God the Father,
help us to hear the call of Christ the king
and to follow in his service,
whose kingdom has no end;
for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, one glory.
Amen

God of all time, you made time and you entered time to be with us.
We move from ordinary time to extraordinary time, and in all this, we wait for you.
Keep our hearts aflame with the things that please you: mercy, humility, justice.
And as we turn to worship you, we worship you in time, in spirit and in truth.
Amen

Living God, you call us into a deeper relationship with you.
You hear the cry of the weak and you value each of us, whatever our circumstances.
We praise you for your abundant generosity, for your astonishing grace
and we give thanks that we are called to reflect those qualities in our own lives.
Remember us Lord as we remember those who have fought the good fight
and now rest in your love and peace.
Amen

Gracious God, we know that in coming towards you, you came towards us first.
You called us by name, bringing us deeper into you, into community, into love.
We thank you for this gift.
And now, we hold our hands humbly, offering you what we have,
knowing that you receive what we give, even when it is very little; in Jesus’ name.
Amen

Loving God, guide each one of us to follow the prayerful example of your Son,
who gave everything so that we may possess eternal life.
Help us follow in the steps of our Saviour and experience intimate prayer and fellowship with you and with our brothers and sisters.
We trust that you love us and are working all things together for good for those of us who love you.
Guide each one of us in our prayers and actions through the power of the Holy Spirit,
so that we may make a lasting difference in other people’s lives as we ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen

We praise you, Lord, for witnesses through the ages who have told your story and made you real to the next generation.
We thank you for people whose names are well known and prominent,
and we thank you for those whose names are long lost in the annals of history – but who are known to you.
We praise you for all whose good Christian lives have impacted on who we are, and what we are, and where we are.
We praise you that in every generation there are witnesses who stand out, who stand up to be counted, who make a difference to the Christian path. We praise you, Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we have been brought by word, by deed, by action to follow you.
Amen

Faithful and loving God, we do not always feel like rejoicing.
Even as we gather to worship you, our minds are sometimes distracted and elsewhere,
weighed down by the burdens of our lives.
Help us, in this moment, to find it within our hearts
to REJOICE in your constancy and loving care for us
for we know you love us immensely.
Amen

Loving God, we come to you in gratitude.
We are all so different, each our own being; and yet you love and care for us all.
You nurture and protect us.
How can we not be thankful to you for all that the journey with you offers!
We thank you that you guide us, in unexpected ways, to find the right way in life.
We thank you that when we wander, you draw us back to you,
give us new direction and encourage us to follow where you lead.
We thank you that the pains of life can be overshadowed by the joy of walking with you.
For all these blessings and more, we give you thanks and praise.
Amen

Pour out your Spirit, O God, over all the world
to inspire every heart with knowledge and love of you.
Grant that we who confess Jesus as Lord
may shun whatever is contrary to this faith
and give witness to your love that has saved us in Christ,
for he lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen

We praise you, Lord, for all that you are, for the creation that is yours, for its beauty and wonder, its diversity and richness.
We praise you for your presence and comfort that swaddle us in your purity and enrich us with your abundance.
We praise you for your steadfastness and your amazing grace that has rescued us.
Amen