Staying afloat in the Pandemic – The Gift of Prayer

Our theme in this video again builds on a theme that I have been following for some weeks: “Staying afloat … in today’s world.”   And today our focus will be on something that people of faith deeply value: “the gift that is prayer.”

Scripture Reading

Scripture reading: Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.

 

Prayers from today’s service

Opening Prayer

When Christians gather for worship we begin with acknowledging that we are in the presence of God. The God who is creator the cosmos, yet who has come amongst us in the person of Jesus, and indeed who knows you and me better than we know ourselves.

The following opening prayer includes elements of a prayer by John Harvey from the Church of Scotland.

Be still now … try to put to one side anything that might distract you … to pause and give space for God …

Let us pray:

Holy God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

You embrace all time and eternity in your care,

Yet you are right here with each of us in this present moment …

As we pause in prayer, enable us to still our rushing, swirling thoughts … so we might concentrate on you … our life and our hope.

Open our hearts and souls to your peace and your healing …

Compassionate God who knows us intimately and unconditionally look in mercy on us and deal with those aspects of our living and our thinking that do not equate with or indeed distort the way of Jesus.

Help us to come clean with ourselves and with you about our deep and often hidden needs …

Challenge us and forgive us;

speak your word for us …

Show us how to search for you

in the midst of life;

help us to believe and trust

that no wrong we have done,

and no good we have failed to do,

is too great for you to pardon,

through Jesus Christ the Son, Amen.

Elements of this prayer are by Rev. John Harvey, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.

http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/16290/29_September_2013.pdf

Prayers of praise and intercession

 Let us continue in prayer with a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession with elements from a prayer by Iain MacDonald again from the Church of Scotland.

Prayers of the People

Ever faithful Father,

Ever giving Son,

Ever present Spirit,

Holy Three and Holy One,

For the many gifts you grant us

and the opportunity to enjoy these things;

For your daily provision

and for the constant signs of your healing love;

For hope amidst despair

and the light which always shines;

For all these things we are, however, inadequately “thankful.’

May our thanks and praise, our deep gratitude, flow out into our words, thoughts and actions.

When the opportunities come our way,

may we serve you by serving others,

enable us to be healers,

peacemakers

and ambassadors of the Gospel of hope … the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Compassionate God,

In silence we bring before you those people and issues that are closest to us and that occupy our minds at this time …

God who in Jesus has made clear that you love the whole world and its peoples,

we bring before you people and issues from around our planet …

we think of people impacted by the pandemic,

by despondency and a lack of hope,

by fear,

by hate,

by oppressive and violent regimes,

by disasters (natural or otherwise),

by hunger and thirst,

by grief and the nearness of death …

God of hope and healing,

May we in some way be a part of the answer to these the prayers of our hearts …

We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ the one who is the way, the truth and the life,

Amen.

Elements of this prayer are based on prayer by Rev Iain MacDonald.  Posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/

A hymn for today: