Across the world, Covid-19 has brought much sadness to many. 

‘The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby wrote recently, ‘… we do what we can to halt the spread of this virus – but we can still feel powerless. Is there anything else we can do? Really do? Yes. Yes there is. We can pray. Prayer is my first response when I feel out of my depth, when I need help, when I am worried, when I am concerned for those I love… Prayer changes things.’

Every day we will pause and pray at 6pm for those impacted by the pandemic.
You can set an alarm, light a candle or use a light on your mobile phone as a prompt to pray.

Follow us the Church of England on social media for daily prayers, and you can find an easy to use, printable prayer booklet here, to help you as you pray over the next 4 weeks. You can also explore the Church of England’s website for further resources.

Click here to watch the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, inviting you to join #PrayerfortheNation. Please do share this with your friends and family.

Click [HERE] for daily prayers during pandemic and join the nation the weekly prayers below or in the document.

A Prayer for daily use 5th – 15th November

Loving God,
at this time of crisis
when so many are suffering,
we pray for our nation and our world.
Give our leaders wisdom,
our Health Service strength,
our people hope.
Lead us through these parched and difficult days
to the fresh springs of joy and comfort
that we find in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Prayer for daily use 16th – 22nd November

Loving Father God,
be with us in our distress;
be with our families, friends, and neighbours,
our country and our world.
Give health to the sick,
hope to the fearful,
and comfort to mourners.
Give wisdom to our frontline and key workers,
insight to our Government,
and patience to us all.
Overcome disease with the power of your new life,
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Prayer for daily use 23rd -29th November

Lord Jesus Christ,
in these dark and difficult days, we turn our hearts to you.
In ages past, you have delivered our nation from disaster.
Do it again, we pray.
Give wisdom beyond human wisdom to our leaders,
Give strength beyond human strength to the NHS and all our frontline workers.
Give comfort beyond human comfort to the elderly and all who grieve.
Lord Jesus Christ,
in these dark and difficult days,
turn your face towards us,
have mercy upon us,
and heal our land, we pray.
Amen.

A Prayer for daily use 30th November -6th December

WEEK 4 (30 NOVEMBER-6 DECEMBER)

Loving God,
your Son Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it abundantly;
pour out your blessing upon our nation;
where there is illness,
bring your healing touch;
where there is fear,
strengthen us with the knowledge of your presence;
where there is uncertainty,
build us up in faith;
where there is dishonesty,
lead us into truth;
where there is discord,
may we know the harmony of your love;
this we ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Advent

Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, as the Church prepares
to celebrate the coming (adventus) of Christ in his incarnation, and also looks
ahead to his final advent as judge at the end of time. The readings and
liturgies not only direct us towards Christ’s birth, they also challenge the
modern reluctance to confront the theme of divine judgement. The characteristic note of Advent is therefore expectation, rather than penitence, although the character of
the season is easily coloured by an analogy with Lent. The anticipation of
Christmas under commercial pressure has also made it harder to sustain the
appropriate sense of alert watchfulness, but the fundamental Advent prayer
remains ‘Maranatha’ – ‘Our Lord, come’ (1 Corinthians 16.22). Church
decorations are simple and spare, and purple is the traditional liturgical
colour. In the northern hemisphere, the Advent season falls at the darkest
time of the year, and the natural symbols of darkness and light are powerfully
at work throughout Advent and Christmas. The lighting of candles on an
Advent wreath was imported into Britain from northern Europe in the
nineteenth century, and is now a common practice. The Moravian custom of
the Christingle has similarly enjoyed great success in Britain since the latter
part of the twentieth century, with the encouragement of the Children’s
Society. The Third Sunday of Advent was observed in medieval times as a splash of colour
in the restrained atmosphere of Advent (Gaudete or ‘Rose Sunday’), and the
last days of Advent were marked by the sequence of Great ‘O’ Antiphons,
which continue to inspire modern Advent hymns and meditations.

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.  Amen.