Morning Prayers Friday, 22 May 2020

Good morning, everyone.
Peace to you and all those you are concerned about this morning.

Please click on the link below for our opening music to set the theme for this morning,
which I hope many of you will remember our own choir singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAFCY_4mrWM

I will begin with a passage from Isaiah 26:

Our city is strong!
God himself defends its walls!
Open the city gates
and let the faithful nation enter,
the nation whose people do what is right.
You, Lord, give perfect peace
to those who keep their purpose firm
and put their trust in you.
Trust in the Lord for ever;
he will always protect us.
He has humbled those who were proud;
he destroyed the strong city they lived in,
and sent its walls crashing into the dust.
Those who were oppressed walk over it now
and trample it under their feet.

Lord, you make the path smooth for good people;
the road they travel is level.
We follow your will and put our hope in you.

Isaiah 26: 1a–8

Let us pray:
Faithful God, we trust in your word and call on you now
to bring peace to our minds
and to warm our hearts as we face a new day.

God of grace,
You have made our minds, so help us to know you.
You have made our hearts, so help us to love you.
You have made our voices, so help us to sing your praise.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, so together we may celebrate your glory
And worship you in spirit and in truth,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

We ask your forgiveness
for those times when we have complained about the situation in which we find ourselves;
if we have been short tempered with those we live with
or complained about the restrictions on our usual way of life;
if we have failed to appreciate the efforts
others are making on our behalf
to keep the services we rely on running smoothly.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We praise you for the gifts you have given us,
which so often, in our normally busy lives, we take for granted.
While some of us may be finding it difficult to adjust to a different pace of life,
others may be enjoying the chance to relax more and take things more slowly.
Wherever we see ourselves,
we know we have much to thank you for,
so we pause and take this chance to reflect on new blessings
we have discovered in the last few weeks.

Thank you:
for the new opportunities which the change in our lifestyle presents;
for time to better appreciate nature in all its forms;
for the telephone, internet and a postal service
which keep us in touch with people we long to meet;
for those people who continue to provide us with the services we need:
shop workers, postal workers, delivery drivers,
and everyone working in the health service.

When this crisis is over,
help us to remember just how much we owe them
for their dedication and hard work. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who feels lonely and isolated.
May they feel the comfort of your presence.
We pray for those who are concerned about their health,
or the health of others close to them.
Give them strength in the face of difficult times.

We pray for those who are anxious about returning to work,
but who need to do so to retain their job
and to provide for themselves and their families.
Support them in their distress and comfort them with knowledge of your love.

We pray for those whose jobs are insecure
and may find themselves redundant
after their furlough comes to an end.
Help them to know they are valued
and encourage them as they seek new opportunities in the future.

We pray for ourselves, reflecting on our own immediate needs.
Loving God draw us close to You,
so that we may reflect your love to others
through our words and actions
and the love and care we show to them.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

So we join together in the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen

The peace of God be in your heart.
The grace of God be in your words.
The love of God be in your hands.
The joy of God be in your soul
and in the song that your life sings.