Evening Prayers Sunday, 10 May 2020

God is our hope and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Psalm 46: 1 & 7

Heavenly Father, on this special weekend when we mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, we give thanks for the sacrifice of thousands of men and women in our armed forces who gave their lives during WWII to fight injustice, tyranny and oppression. Their extraordinary courage, resilience and selflessness means that we are now able to live freely in relative prosperity and peace. Help us not to squander the gift of peace which we have received, but to honour it, to share it and to live it to the full in generations to come.

Lord in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, as we approach the bicentenary of the birth of Florence Nightingale this coming Tuesday, we thank you for the vision and inspiration which she has provided over many decades for all who care for the health and welfare of others, especially in our hospitals. We pray for our ‘nightingales’ of today – the doctors, surgeons, nurses, paramedics, midwives, healthcare assistants and care home staff who are working tirelessly and selflessly in the most challenging circumstances to bring healing and comfort at this time of international crisis.

Lord in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father we thank you for the skill and dedication of our medical scientists, and in particular for the incredible work which is going on, both in our own country and across the world to develop a vaccine to combat the effects of COVID 19. Bless the work of our scientists and politicians as they face the challenging and unenviable task of guiding our nation forward in a way which protects health, supports livelihoods and upholds mental well-being.

Lord in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father we pray for our friends and families. We rejoice that the period of ‘lockdown’ has for some people been a time of reawakening and rediscovering and an opportunity for a strengthening and renewal of family ties. We ask your blessing on those experiencing difficult relationships, for whom this has been a time of great unhappiness, even fear. We hold in our hearts those who feel lonely and isolated, those who are worried about loss of income, and those who are anxious about the future. Father, we thank you for the privilege of belonging to the Church of Christ the Cornerstone, that we may continue to be a welcoming, supportive and nurturing community, reaching out to all those around us who need our love and care.

Lord in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, we ask you to accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Adrian Boynton