Evening Prayer Friday, 26 March 2021
Loving God,
we approach Palm Sunday wanting to join with the crowd
to praise the name of Jesus.
But we acknowledge that, like them,
we sometimes join in this praise unthinkingly,
gaining more from the celebration of a service
than we are prepared to put into it.
So we ask you this evening to help us to prepare ourselves
to experience a genuine feeling of adoration, praise and gratitude
when we join together for our Palm Sunday Service on Sunday.
Lord of life
Hear our prayer
With the benefit of hindsight,
we can see the change in mood of those who followed Jesus –
from praising him on Palm Sunday, to denying him on Good Friday.
Let us ask for strength to keep our eyes focused on Jesus,
so that we stay close and loyal to him.
Christ our Redeemer,
you were prepared to give up everything to do God’s will.
Your sacrifice led to your Resurrection
and enabled the good news of the Gospel to spread
throughout the world and through time.
We thank you that we can follow your journey to the cross
and celebrate the joy of Easter Day.
May the remaining days of Lent be a time when we look deeply into ourselves,
then turn our eyes outwards to the world
and look with compassion on your people.
If we are faced with situations where it would be easier to follow the crowd,
keep our eyes fixed on you to guard us from temptation.
Lord of life
Hear our prayer
And so, let us pray for the world:
Christ our Encourager and Protector,
we thank you for your loving care for us
and ask that you prompt us to respond to the needs of others.
Open our eyes to see the needs of your people who suffer in our world today.
The devastation caused by the coronavirus is only too obvious to us here.
So many people have lost their lives and families are bereaved.
Bless those who are sick and those who care for them.
Comfort those who mourn and stay close to them.
May they be conscious of your presence with them.
We pray for those throughout the world
who live in poverty and overcrowded conditions,
where social distancing is impossible,
health care is limited, expensive or even unavailable to many.
Bless all those who are frightened for their own safety and survival
or for that of those they love.
Lord of life
Hear our prayer
We pray for the many thousands of Rohingya people
affected by the fire in their refugee camp in Bangladesh.
It is hard to imagine the horror of their situation,
having fled from the oppressive regime in their own country,
to find themselves trapped by fire.
We lift them up to you and ask that the people of Bangladesh
who have granted them refuge will be able to support their recovery.
We thank you that local aid agencies were quick to respond
but know that the impact of the fire is likely to worsen their living conditions.
Lord of life
Hear our prayer
We pray too for the people of Yemen, many of whom depend on Aid to survive.
Six years of conflict has taken its toll.
We pray for children who have known nothing but war;
for parents whose livelihoods have been ruined,
many of whom have fled their homes
and now try to care for their families in refugee camps,
where coronavirus continues to spread.
We pray too for those who work to bring relief to their suffering,
that they may be sustained by our prayers
and know that they are not forgotten.
Lord of life
Hear our prayer
As the number of people vaccinated in the UK
brings the prospect of lockdown being lifted in this country,
we remember that none is safe until all are safe.
Save us from the selfishness and greed which would tempt governments
to neglect the needs of others in the attempt to care for their own population.
We pray for our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
Show us how best to influence those in power
to ensure that vaccines are available to all those who need them most.
Lord of life
Hear our prayer
Let us finish our prayer time this evening
by listening to members of the Assyrian Church singing, ’Hosanna’.
They don’t sing in English, but there is a translation on the screen.
And now, let’s say the Grace together:
May the Grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all, evermore.
Amen
Rosemary Kearsey
