Our Diocesan Bishop, David McClay has invited us to spend a day of Prayer and Fasting on Saturday 25th April (St. Mark’s Day). I will be spending the 12 hours, from 8am – 8pm, fasting (drinks only) and focusing on a number of prayers and topics relating to our current situation re the global pandemic. To help give a framework, encourage and bring a sense of unity here is the pattern and prayers I will be using. the prayers have been mostly taken from our Diocesan web page (the link is on the welcome page of this site) and you are welcome to follow this pattern or use your own. I will post each prayer on the both Christ Church’s and St. Patrick’s Facebook pages, as well as my own
“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:10-11)
08:00 – Collect for St. Mark & ‘come holy spirit’:
Almighty God,
who enlightened your holy Church
through the inspired witness of your
evangelist Saint Mark:
Grant that we, being firmly grounded
in the truth of the gospel,
may be faithful to its teaching both in
word and deed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ever living and ever-loving God,
we praise you for your loving presence with us.
Come, Holy Spirit,
take and transform our societies:
that broken people find healing;
that lonely people find love
that bitter people find peace;
that fearful people find hope
Come, Holy Spirit,
take our world’s leaders and governments
and bring renewal:
that communications can be open;
that relationships between hostile people
and hostile nations will evaporate;
that a hunger for justice addresses the
hunger for food felt by so many.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill your Church:
that our worship will be ever more
pleasing to you;
that prayers will change our minds
instead of trying to get you to change yours;
that our lives will make a real difference to
real people in the real world
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill our lives with your presence:
so that more and more every day,
all that we do and say and hope
will be an act of worship to you and
an expression of love to others,
to the glory of your name. Amen.
09:00 – A Prayer from our ‘Call to Prayer’ on Palm Sunday:
Heavenly Father,
we pray for all those on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus.
For doctors, nurses, pharmacists and all medical staff, especially those we know.
For all those working in essential services
for those who are sick, those who have been bereaved and those living alone who may be afraid.
And for all of us,
that we may know the peace of God that passes all understanding.
Lord God, help us to hear and heed your voice as you lead and guide us daily.
God almighty, enable us to know your presence and your power in our lives that we would see you at work more and more as each day passes.
We cry out to you asking you to intervene and halt the spread of this virus.
We ask for your wisdom and enabling for all involved in research to find a vaccine.
We pray for a new wind of your Holy Spirit to blow across this island with healing and hope, repentance and faith towards you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, leading to the salvation of many.
In your love and mercy, we pray that you would bless us with a new awareness of your presence with us, your love towards us, your kindness and care for us and for all those for whom Jesus lived and died.
May we and may many respond to you with all our hearts in love and faith.
We pray this in and through the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
Amen.
10:00 – Prayer for Medical staff, Carers & Front-line services:
Where you know specific people working in these areas, please bring them to God by name.
We lift before you all our medical staff
and professionals, carers, community workers
and those providing essential services.
We thank you for their commitment and dedication to serving others.
We pray that your outstretched arms will embrace their
helping hands on the frontline of this pandemic.
comfort and uphold them as they deal with
the traumatic situations they face.
Lord, give them strength and tenacity in their tiredness.
Protect them from infection and guard their families.
Father, encourage them with your gentleness and
give them compassion and grace in how they serve and lead.
Amen.
Lord Jesus, who healed the sick and gave them new life,
be with doctors, nurses and carers,
as they act as agents of your healing touch.
In these desperate times,
keep them strong, yet loving;
and when their work is done,
be with them in their weariness and
at time, in their tears.
Amen.
11:00 – Prayer For our National Health Service:
Again, where you know people, be specific and name them before God.
O God, we thank you for our healthcare
systems and those who work in them.
We pray for healthcare workers known to us
that through their love and compassion,
those who are vulnerable and needy might
come to know healing and peace in their lives.
We pray for those who have to make difficult
decisions about resources or treatments,
that they will do so with care and integrity.
Lord, continue your ministry of healing
in the lives of those
who are broken, vulnerable and in need.
We pray this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
12:00 – Prayer for healing:
Again, where you know specific people suffering in body, mind or spirit, please bring them to God by name
God of compassion, we hold before you all
those in need of healing, comfort and
encouragement, especially those who have
asked for our prayers…
calm the anxious mind, bring balm to the
depressed spirit, and strengthen the weakened body
that all who suffer in body, mind and spirit,
may know your healing presence
surrounding and holding them.
Amen.
13:00 – Prayer for our Leaders:
We thank you for our leaders. The women and men who have to
make decisions that directly affect our lives.
We pray for wisdom, discernment, integrity
and a sense of calm in the decisions they have to make.
We pray for those in government , local political leaders, head teachers
business leaders and other institutions.
We pray for a sense of unity and collaboration in
how they work across stressed systems and structures.
We ask for clarity and your wisdom in how these leaders
can help stop the spread of the coronavirus and protect our society.
We ask for provision and release of resources
that will help maintain, protect and sustain our health system.
Jesus, we ask for courage where courage is needed
and patience where patience is required.
We pray that these men and women lead well and are
supported and encouraged by the public and your Church.
Amen.
14:00 – Prayer for our towns, villages & communities:
Almighty God, we bring before you the places where we live.
Our towns, villages and communities.
Our friends and neighbours, those that know and love you and those who have yet to come to have you as their friend and Saviour.
(let us spend some time bringing before God, by name, those in our communities and neighbourhood)
May God bless and protect all those we have prayed for and those we have not, knowing that where we fail to remember, God knows all and loves all so much that he gave his only son, Jesus Christ to death that through the power of the resurrection we might call on his name and be saved.
Amen.
15:00 – Prayer for God’s Church, our Diocese, Diocesan leaders & staff:
Thinking now about the global Church of God, our church denominations (be specific to your own) and in particular at a regional/Diocesan level, those that lead and provide spiritual & practical support, guidance and encouragement.
Heavenly Father, we hold up to you your Church throughout the world, especially where, at a time when faith is so important, having that faith is persecuted.
Strengthen all Christian churches and their leaders.
We especially pray for the leaders of our own denomination and as Anglicans, our own Diocese.
In this Diocese of Down and Dromore we pray for
* Bishop David McClay
* Archdeacon Roderic West
* Archdeacon elect Ken Higgins
and for all our Diocesan staff:
* Roy Lawther
* Brian Lavery
* Tracey Taggart
* Annette McGrath
* Andrew Brannigan
* Julie Currie
* Tim Burns
that as they help lead and support us in these difficult times, they would be strengthened, encouraged, protected and blessed.
Amen.
16:00 – Prayer for all ministers (lay & ordained), office holders in our churches and all church members:
For the next hour, staying with the Church, we think & pray more about the local church, the church families that we belong to (or maybe even those we might seek to be a part of if we are not already).
Almighty God, we bring before all church leaders (lay and ordained), strengthen and encourage them, especially as they seek to lead in these difficult circumstances.
(if you belong to a different church then please pray for your own leaders and members)
Please pray for me, as I seek to lead our churches, our church wardens, Derek, Anne, Colin & Steven. Members of Select Vestries at both Christ Church and St. Patrick’s and all members of our congregations.
Please, Lord, protect us all, keep us safe and help us to grow closer to you during this time of uncertainty and difficulty. Remembering that the one thing we can be sure of is the hope we have in Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
In his name we prayer.
Amen.
17:00 – Prayer for evangelism:
A short prayer, but one that has huge implications for those that come to faith. Please also use this time to pray for specific people to come to know Jesus as their Saviour
Lord God, we pray that in this time of
shaking, many will hear your voice and
begin to build their lives on the firm
foundation of your love and forgiveness.
Help us to be alert to the action of your
Spirit and quick to share the hope
we have in Christ.
Amen.
18:00 – Prayer for the island of Ireland:
This prayer is being said daily in our Diocese from St. Patrick’s Day until Pentecost and is definitely appropriate to use as we think about the island where we live and bring all before God.
Almighty and merciful God, who in days
of old didst give to this land the
benediction of thy holy Church; withdraw
not, we pray thee, thy favour from us, but
so correct what is amiss, and supply what
is lacking, that we may more and more
bring forth fruit to thy glory; through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
19:00 – ‘Come, Holy Spirit’:
As we enter into the final hour of this Day of Prayer, we repeat one of our first prayers, asking the Holy Spirit to continually come into our lives, the life of the Church, the world and all people everywhere.
Ever living and ever-loving God,
we praise you for your loving presence with us.
Come, Holy Spirit,
take and transform our societies:
that broken people find healing;
that lonely people find love
that bitter people find peace;
that fearful people find hope
Come, Holy Spirit,
take our world’s leaders and governments
and bring renewal:
that communications can be open;
that relationships between hostile people
and hostile nations will evaporate;
that a hunger for justice addresses the
hunger for food felt by so many.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill your Church:
that our worship will be ever more
pleasing to you;
that prayers will change our minds
instead of trying to get you to change yours;
that our lives will make a real difference to
real people in the real world
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill our lives with your presence:
so that more and more every day,
all that we do and say and hope
will be an act of worship to you and
an expression of love to others,
to the glory of your name. Amen.
20:00 – The Lord’s Prayer:
As we draw this Day of Prayer to a close it’s fitting that we say together, wherever we are, the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples:
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.