In this moment

A prayer for love in a time of loss
God of all comfort,
hear our cry in this time of loss,
when emotions are on edge,
hearts are hurting,
lament is lasting,
and we are processing our pain.
Tender Father,
draw alongside us in our brokenness,
with your rod and staff to comfort us,
with your unfailing love to bind our wounds,
with your peace that passes all understanding.
Man of sorrows, suffering servant,
taking up our pain,
bearing our sufferings,
stricken, afflicted, pierced,
wounded, oppressed, crushed,
help us to know your loving presence with us in our anguish.
Holy Spirit, mentor us in prayer and care,
that we might know how to:
mourn with those who mourn,
be a loving neighbour to those in need,
bear one another’s burdens,
avoid being a Job’s comforter,
blaming and shaming those already bowed down by grief.
Even now, wipe away tears from our eyes,
as we yearn for that time when there will be no more death,
or mourning, or crying, or pain.
For this old order of things will have passed away,
swallowed up in the victory of the King of love,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
in whose name we pray.
Amen

Sunday 24 May

Congregational life and witness

• Pray for a sense of God’s presence and equipping for this season of life through digital worship broadcast today.
• Pray for the working of the Holy Spirit as congregations continue their weekly life and witness digitally and at distance, asking that we would listen to his voice and be led in learning his ways for us in this moment.

Monday 25 May

Standing Commission of the General Assembly

• Pray for preparations for the meeting of the Standing Commission of the General Assembly from 1-3 June 2020, asking that God would enable the smooth delivery of all aspects of the work to allow this body to progress necessary pieces of business in the absence of this year’s regular format of General Assembly.
• Give thanks for the ministry of the outgoing Moderator, the Right Rev Dr William Henry and pray God’s blessing for incoming Moderator, Rev David Bruce, as he continues to prepare for his year of office in this unusual season of church life.

Tuesday 26 May

Creative thinking and flexible planning

• Pray for creative thinking as church and society find themselves having to do so many things differently, asking God that this might be a season of fresh insight and ability to respond imaginatively to obstacles to be overcome.
• Pray for everyone charged with making plans for the future in these days of uncertainty, asking that God would give understanding and the necessary flexibility in response to both feelings of progress being paused and the need to react to constantly changing messages.

Wednesday 27 May

Mental health and wellbeing

• Pray for those with mental health challenges who feel isolated and anxious, asking that God will bring peace and calm and that they will receive every possible support.
• Pray for other aspects of the wellbeing of society, such as healthy relationships, neighbourliness and care for the most vulnerable, asking that God would enable the flourishing of our life together despite lockdown and social distancing restrictions.

Thursday 28 May

Collaboration in decision making

• Pray for good relationships between governments on the island of Ireland and within the United Kingdom, asking that God would enable wise and healthy balance between overall coordination and the need for regional variation. 
• Give thanks for continued engagement between government ministers, officials and church leaders as movement on easing the lockdown progresses. Pray that these constructive working relationships forged through crisis would continue into the future.

Friday 29 May

Life in hospitals and care homes

• Pray for patients in hospital and residents of care homes at this time when the need for additional measures to ensure safety from spread of infection can be upsetting, asking that God would bring a sense of his peace and a freedom from fear and anxiety.
• Pray for hospital and care home staff who feel tired and stressed by confronting the challenges of coronavirus, asking that God would renew them in body and mind.

Saturday 30 May

Growing confidence in society

• Pray that as the conversation in society turns from lockdown to lifting restrictions, God would give necessary confidence to us all to begin to take the tentative steps permitted towards resuming more regular patterns of life.
• Pray for a gathering sense of looking forward in hope as overall figures of deaths and the rate of infection from coronavirus begin to subside across the world.