Short Prayer Service

Opening Responses

Sing the praises of the Lord, you His faithful people;
praise His holy name.

For His anger lasts only a moment,
but His favour lasts a lifetime;

Weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

God turns weeping into dancing
and clothes us with joy.

May our hearts sing God’s praises and not be silent.
We will praise God today and forever.

Gathering prayer

We exalt You, Lord God
the God who has made all things in creation
and called them ‘good.’
The God who has woven heaven and earth together,
who taught the sun to rise
and the stars to dance.

Mighty in power and works!
Strong is Your love
and tender is Your touch.

The heart of the earth is cradled in Your hand,
each grain of sand is known to You.
the whole world is drenched in Your Holy Spirit.
every atom of this universe is seen and cherished.

How can it be then,
that this very God,
this highest host of heaven
knows and loves each of us?

How can it be then
that this very God
has made it so that we might draw close
in worship and adoration;
here, now, in this very place?

Draw close,
even when we have wandered far
draw close,
even when our hearts are heavy.
When we struggle to believe You care
or that You are even there at all.

Hear us, Lord, and be merciful to us.
Lord, be our help.

We thank You, Lord,
who lifts us from the depths,
who saves us and heals us,
who restores and reshapes us,
and who equips us to restore and reshape all of creation.

Sing the praises of the Lord, You His faithful people;
praise His holy name.

For His anger lasts only a moment,
but His favour lasts a lifetime;

Weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

God turns weeping into dancing
and clothes us with joy.

May our heart sing God’s praises and not be silent.

We will praise God today and forever.

Prayers of concern

O Living Christ and Ever-Present Saviour,
draw very near to the sick,
the sorrowful, the suffering and to those who have asked for our prayers.
Though absent from us we know their names are written on Your Heart
and their every weakness known to You.
Grant them, even as we pray, rest and relief,
bodily comfort and spiritual consolation.
We bring them to You in faith
and we leave them with You
in entire dependence on Your Unchanging love.
Enfold them in Your strength and bring them,
even through sorrow, to a Vision of Your Eternal Peace.
And Thine shall be the Glory, world without end.

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father,
who loves all and forgets none,
we bring to You our supplications for all
Your creatures, and all Your children…
We remember before You all the sick in body
and the troubled in mind;
all who have been bereaved of family and friends;
all who are troubled by the suffering of those they love;
all who are met with earthly loss,
that in the dark and cloudy day they may find assurance and peace in You.

We pray for all who are burdened by grief,
that they may be raised to know
the secret and solidarity of the Cross;
for all who are lonely and sad
in the midst of others’ joy.
May they know God as their Friend and Comforter.

Remember O Lord, the aged and infirm,
those who feel that their life work is done;
all who are passing through the valley of shadows,
that they might find that Christ, the Risen from the dead, is with them,
and that there is light at evening time.
We ask all these things through the same,
Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We give thanks for the tireless carers
except they aren’t tireless
anything but – and yet they have kept going
at great cost to themselves, saving lives.
God who cares, thank You for all carers,
strengthen them in their innermost being.

We bow hearts and heads with sadness
for the many loved ones who have died
from or because of Covid-19.
Tears fall with the memories of absence,
of too many final moments spent apart.
God of all comfort, bring peace.

Amen

Closing Responses

Go and serve the Lord, you His faithful people
serve His holy name.
With our hearts:
We will serve You!

With our minds:
We will serve You!

With our strength:
We will serve You!