Father in Heaven, may we come to you, for you have counted us as your children. May your word bless us and restore us. Give us courageous hearts to bear the distress of our times. Stretch out your hand so that all people may turn to you, and your will may be done on earth. Amen
God of refuge, watch over our sisters and brothers in war torn countries, especially in Ukraine. Bring comfort to those who grieve, shelter to those who are homeless, and sustenance to those who are hungry and thirsty. Spirit of love, pour out your peace like a healing balm, and bring hope in places of despair. Amen
Merciful Father, be with all people affected by natural disasters across the world; from wildfires, drought, earthquakes, storms and floods. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods. Give them strength, hope and the resources they need to rebuild their lives. May your light shine through their darkness, bringing healing, restoration and hope. Amen
We pray for people who are suffering in body, mind or spirit. We remember those on our prayer list. Grant them all your comfort and strength during the week ahead. We pray, also, for those who have died and for those who mourn. Let them feel you close to them, supporting and loving them. Help them to experience the comfort of your Holy Spirit. Amen
We pray for all people working or volunteering to help others in our community, especially in the local food bank and those caring for the elderly. Amen
Loving Father, we lift up families in our community to you and ask you to watch over each one of them. Help us to show love and kindness to each other, and foster peace within our homes. Let our homes be a place of love where each person feels cherished and understood. Amen
Loving Father, we pray for all staff in our local schools. Grant them your encouragement, wisdom and peace. We ask that you watch over all children in their care. Amen
Lord, as we start this new week, we come before you with a heart full of gratitude for the gift of life and the opportunities that lie ahead. We pray for your guidance and wisdom in the decisions we make. Amen
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
PRAYERS ON SUNDAY 9th FEBRUARY
Lord our God, we come into your presence, for you are our certainty, our refuge, especially in these times when so much is happening to grieve and trouble us. You are our God and our Saviour today and for all time. We praise you and glorify your name. May your name be kept holy, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen
Strengthen Bishop Michael, Canon Ben and all your Church in the service of Christ. We welcome Canon Andrew Stead this morning and thank him for conducting our service. We come before you with a heartfelt desire for the members of our church to experience abundant joy in their lives. You are the source of true and lasting joy, and we ask that you fill their hearts with an overflowing sense of joy and gladness. Amen
We pray for King Charles, and for those who bear the responsibility of government in this and every nation, that your people may rejoice in your gifts of true justice and peace. Guard and strengthen your servant Charles our King, that he may put his trust in you, and seek your honour and glory. We thank him for his faith in you and his love for all people. Amen
We remember people across the world who are suffering conflict, especially in Eastern Europe. Bring your comfort and healing to those who are struggling. We thank you for people's generosity and compassion towards those in distress and we pray for faith leaders, as they seek to serve the churches in those countries. Amen
Dear Father, we pray for the families of those who have been victims of violent crime recently, and especially for their parents. We acknowledge their deep pain and grief, the loss of the hope they had cherished for their children’s future, the loss of the sons and daughters they had loved and nurtured through childhood. We ask you to bring comfort to every person grieving their loss. We deplore the wickedness that is rampant in our cities and towns; we lament that violence and bloodshed, murder and crime are so commonplace, that the lives of people you have created are treated with such carelessness and contempt. We uphold the value and dignity that you have placed within each of these people who have lost their lives and we acknowledge the injustice of their deaths. We ask that you stir up the hearts of your people, irrespective of colour, creed, age or gender, to care deeply about what is happening, especially in our local towns. Amen
We pray for the poor, hungry and neglected all over the world, especially those in need in our own community. We give thanks for the volunteers working in the local food bank and for the generous people who donate food. We pray for all people working or volunteering to help others in our community and thank them for their devotion to caring for us. Amen
We ask for your healing touch and comforting presence for all who are suffering illness in body, mind or spirit, especially those on our prayer list. Amen
Heavenly Father, we ask for your mercy and grace for those who have died. Hold them in your loving arms and grant them peace and rest. Surround their grieving families and friends with your loving arms and grant them the strength to face the coming days. Amen
Loving Father, thank you for all teachers and other staff in our local schools and we pray that you keep them safe during the week ahead. Comfort and restore children living under shadows of unhappiness, abuse, pain or fear. May school be a safe place for them. Amen
We entrust the days ahead to your care, knowing that you are with us always. Help us to carry the peace and joy of this day, to see opportunities to serve others, and to be a source of kindness and compassion. Amen
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
PRAYERS FOR THE WEEK 10th-15th FEBRUARY
Lord our God, help us find the path that we may walk with confidence because you are our Father. Banish all thoughts that try to depress us; let your Spirit drive them away. May our hearts become quiet before you, because you, the Almighty, guide everything for the good of people on earth. Everything will lead to thanksgiving, to your praise and glory. Be with us at all times, day and night. Amen
God of refuge, watch over our sisters and brothers in war torn countries, especially in Ukraine. Bring comfort to those who grieve, shelter to those who are homeless, and sustenance to those who are hungry and thirsty. Spirit of love, pour out your peace like a healing balm, and bring hope in places of despair. Amen
We pray for places in this country that are stricken, all too often, by knife or gun crime, even on school premises. We remember the victims of knife crime and pray for their families. We give thanks that the Chancellor has announced an extra £100million for the police and we pray that this money will be used efficiently; to develop a strategy to combat this problem and to fund extra officers. We pray that many young people will decide to give up their knives and guns through amnesty schemes such as the ‘Community Weapons Surrender Bins’ across the West Midlands. We pray, too, for weapons to become more difficult to obtain. We pray for young people who feel powerless and vulnerable and are in danger of getting involved with gang culture, carrying weapons, being made to commit crimes and becoming victims of abuse. We pray for you to keep our children safe. Amen
Merciful Father, be with all people affected by natural disasters across the world; from wildfires, drought, earthquakes, storms and floods. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods. Give them strength, hope and the resources they need to rebuild their lives. May your light shine through their darkness, bringing healing, restoration and hope. Amen
We pray for people who are suffering in body, mind or spirit. We remember those on our prayer list. Grant them all your comfort and strength during the week ahead. We pray, also, for those who have died and for those who mourn. Let them feel you close to them, supporting and loving them. Help them to experience the comfort of your Holy Spirit. Amen
We pray for all people working or volunteering to help others in our community, especially in the local food bank and those caring for the elderly. Amen
Loving Father, we lift up families in our community to you and ask you to watch over each one of them. Help us to show love and kindness to each other, and foster peace within our homes. Let our homes be a place of love where each person feels cherished and understood. Amen
Loving Father, we pray for all staff in our local schools. Grant them your encouragement, wisdom and peace. We ask that you watch over all children in their care during this week. Amen
Lord, as we start this new week, we come before you with a heart full of gratitude for the gift of life and the opportunities that lie ahead. We pray for your guidance and wisdom in the decisions we make. Amen
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
PRAYER FOR ALL WHO SUFFER AS A RESULT OF WAR:
Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of war and ask that God may give us peace: We pray for all of those who have died in the violence of war. Each one is remembered by and known to God; May God give them peace. We pray for all members of the armed forces who are in danger this day, remembering their families, their friends and all who pray for their safe return; May God give them peace. We pray for all civilian men, women and children, whose lives are disfigured by war or terror, and we call to mind in regret the anger and hatred of humanity; May God give all peace. We pray for all peacemakers and peacekeepers, We pray for all who seek to keep this world secure and free; May God give all peace. And we pray for all who bear the burden and responsibility of leadership: political, military and religious; We pray that they may have the gift of wisdom and work in the search for reconciliation and peace; may God grant us all peace. O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, and those whose names we will never know. As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever. Amen.
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.
A fitting end to our Remembrance Day prayers is Nelson’s Prayer: On the morning of the battle of Trafalgar, Nelson made an entry into his journal and with it the following prayer: “May the great God, whom I worship, grant to my country and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory and may no misconduct in anyone tarnish it; and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature in the British fleet. For myself individually, I commit my life to him that made me; and may His blessing alight on my endeavours for serving my country faithfully. To him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen.”
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE AND RUSSIA Lord of all the earth, be present with the people of Ukraine at this time of danger, fear, and conflict. Grant that wise and peaceable counsels may yet prevail, and give to all suffering nations the freedom they desire and deserve. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Gracious God, we pray for the people of the Ukraine and the people of Russia; for their countries and their leaders. We pray for all those who are afraid; that your everlasting arms hold them in this time of great fear. We pray for all those who have the power over life and death; that they will choose for all people life, and life in all its fullness. We pray for leaders of the world; that they will be inspired by the wisdom and courage of Christ. Above all, Lord, today we pray for peace for Ukraine. Amen Lord, the situation the people of Ukraine now face is not a new one. The name Ukraine translates to 'borderland' and this nation and its people have seen struggles with Russia for a century. They are a resilient people who live in a volatile area of the world that has seen regular war and upheaval. Yet Jesus walked the earth in a similar part of the world, plagued by oppression and a ruthless empire. Your word promises in Isaiah 26:3 that, “you keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” We ask that the people of Ukraine may be safe and secure; that they will know not only peace on earth but your true and unwavering peace. Amen God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war or peace, for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions. Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.