Help us to learn how to put the needs of others more firmly before our own. May those who exercise power and authority in our communities use it wisely, and may we, and they, serve the Lord with gladness. Jesus came into our world bringing your promises of grace and freedom for all of us.
We rejoice in the great body of people who form your church and to whom we are glad to belong. We pray for all those who love you and those who are yet to find you. Lord, we pray that this time of global illness be a time when we can all come together, we can all find you for the first time, or again, after having lost our way, but most of all may it be a time when you are seen and felt among us through the many who reach out to help, to comfort and to care.
The light given off by a candle reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world. May it remind us of that promise as we remember those who have died and gone before us. We remember them and those who mourn them. We pray in the quietness of our minds for all who we know have need of You. Those who are sick, in hospital; those who are badly affected by the present pandemic, those who are lonely or depressed, those who have no family help. Bless them and give them comfort and assurance, and give us courage to do what we can to help.. Give your grace and strength to all whose life is built round caring for others.
We pray for the world wide Church in all its wonderful diversity, bringing the elements of different cultures into their worship to and in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. Especially we pray for all churches for whom meeting together to worship isn’t possible or safe at this time. Let us all know and feel your all abiding presence to both uphold our courage and strengthen our faith. We pray for our own church in Worthing, and we bring before you all those who lead and inspire our worship, those who care for and pray for the sick and bereaved and those who carry out the maintenance and administration of the church. For we are called to go out and preach the Good News to all that will hear - and so we pray for all areas of outreach to both young and old and whether formal or informal that many will respond to the call of Christ to follow him.
Lord, in this world which is a part of your creation, we struggle to understand the reasons behind the great natural disasters which mankind must endure; whether it be hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, Tsunamis or the pandemic that currently has the whole world in hiding. But we do understand that in the midst of such events your love is shown in the acts of bravery, selflessness and compassion which follow. We pray for all who have suffered through the virus in such dreadful circumstances and for those who are tasked with providing the medical and community support and, in time, in the long task of rebuilding our economies and communities.
As our nation struggles with economic uncertainty we pray for the power-less, the hope-less and all those for whom our Lord would have us care for most. We pray for those who have to make the difficult spending decisions with reduced budgets knowing that all objectives and needs cannot be met. As our young people attend schools and colleges, we remember that the society they grow up in and the attitudes that they form are in our hands. Lord help us to work towards a just and equitable society, built on the values that are inspired by people of faith, vision and commitment and not on those of expediency, glamour and greed.
And so we think now of those in most need in our own community, the elderly, the housebound and those in care homes, hospital and hospice and for the work and devotion of carers whose skill and compassion bring both material and spiritual comfort at times of need. We also pray for those who feel the pain of grief at the loss of a loved one whether recent or as each anniversary passes. Help us to support all those who mourn both with our prayers, with words of comfort and with practical help both this day and in the days and weeks to come.
