Prayer Resources
Prayer during the
Day
For use at Home
during the Epiphany Season
Making the Most of your Prayer Time
Thank you for picking up this leaflet. We hope you find it helpful. The more we pray together as a church family at home as well as in church the healthier we will be in our faith and more able to serve God faithfully in our lives. If you are not used to having an organised prayer time at home the following pointers may help you.
Find the right time of day when you can allow yourself plenty of time and when you are least likely to be disturbed. Make it a rule of your life to spend that time each day, or whenever you can. God is never too busy to listen and is delighted when you want to speak. It’s up to you to make the time!
Be comfortable. You don’t have to kneel – unless you want to!
Find your places in your Bible in advance so you feel organised. It helps to keep you calm and receptive.
Still yourself before you begin. Get your breathing pattern into a relaxed state.
There is no need to pray aloud, though some people find it helpful to speak the words softly.
The headings in the Prayers section are only suggestions. You may wish to develop your own pattern. The cycles of prayer used in church are provided with this booklet. You may even like to write your own cycle, perhaps to pray for your own family and friends.
Like
any relationship ours with God is a two-way street. We all need silence if we
are to listen to God. A minute or two after the Response and at the end of the
Prayers of Intercessions are good times to do this.
If you are worried about distractions keep a pen and notepad near to you so you can write down those concerns that break into your thoughts and come back to them later.
Never stop learning about how to pray better and never be discouraged by feelings of failure – we all have those! God loves us anyway!
Prayer during the Day : Epiphany Season
Preparation
Say quietly to yourself…
With you, O God, is the well of life;
and in your light shall we see light.. Psalm 36, 9
Praise
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
The Word of God
A Psalm followed by a Bible reading – see the back page of this leaflet.
Response
Silent reflection ending with these words:
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5, 5
Prayers of Intercession
Prayers may include these concerns
· The unity of the Church
· The peace of the world
· The healing of the sick
· The revelation of Christ to those from whom his glory is hidden
· All who travel
· Other themes from this week’s notice sheet.
The Collect from this week’s notice sheet or the following prayer is said
Lord Jesus Christ,
in you the Father makes us and all things new.
Transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
The Conclusion
May the light of Christ our Lord shine in all our hearts.
Amen
Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this leaflet, is copyright © The Archbishop’s Council 2000, 2005.
Suggested Pattern of Bible Readings
It is important to read a balanced diet of Scripture. You may wish to use Bible reading notes supplied by organisations such as BRF or the Bible Society. A few like to work through a book of the Bible with the aid of a commentary, although this needs lots of time! Common Worship Prayer during the Day offers this simple scheme…
Any day in the Epiphany season: John 8, 12
Alternatively you could use the following cycle over the season…
|
Sunday
|
Psalm 67 Malachi 1, 11 |
|
Monday
|
Psalm 99 John 2, 10-11 |
|
Tuesday
|
Psalm 100 Isaiah 60, 1-3 |
|
Wednesday
|
Psalm 122 2 Corinthians 4, 5-6 |
|
Thursday
|
Psalm 132, 10-19 Romans 8, 15-17 |
|
Friday
|
Psalm 138 Ephesians 1, 8b-10 |
|
Saturday
|
Psalm 149 Revelation 1, 13-16 |
Note: The use of the letter b after a verse number signifies that the reading begins with the second part of the verse. The division is obvious in most layouts of the text.
The
readings for next Sunday appear on the notice sheet. You could use these on
Saturday to prepare for worship the next day.
Other Resources
You can hear the Prayer for the Day (Collect) read aloud on the Church of England website at
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-daily-prayer/todays-prayer
Prayers for use during the current crisis…
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
Church of England guidance on Spiritual Communion (making your communion when unable to attend the Eucharist)
More Apps and Websites
Church of England Lent App,
email.
#LiveLent: Care for God’s Creation is the Church of England’s Lent Campaign for 2020. Available as a booklet, emails or an app.
App: Free
See https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/lent-2020-church-resources#na
Common Worship: Daily Prayer
Find complete services for Morning, Evening and Night Prayer from the Church of England with this official Daily Prayer app.
App: Free for use online, small yearly subscription for offline.
Common Worship: Time to pray
Time to Pray: Prayer During the Day from the Church of England provides a pattern of prayer and daily Bible reading that is simple yet profound.
App: Free to use online, small
yearly subscription for offline.
Soultime: a Christian Meditation app
Soultime is a Christian meditation app for daily meditations, relaxation and anxiety relief.
App: some content is free, a subscription is required to access all content
Sacred Space app and website
Spiritual freedom, a deeper relationship with Jesus, and
finding God in all things are three basic precepts of Ignatian Spirituality.
Website https://www.sacredspace.ie/
App: Free
Lectio 365
Lectio
365 is a daily devotional resource that helps you pray the bible every day.
App: Free
Northumbria Community
On-line versions of Celtic daily prayer: Morning, midday, evening and compline.
Website: https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/offices/how-to-use-daily-office/
Pray as you go app and website
Designed to be accessible wherever you are, this includes music, scripture and questions for reflection.
Website: https://pray-as-you-go.org/
App: Free to download
Centering prayer:
Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us.
App: Free
Prayermate
Organise your prayer life with this straightforward and distraction-free app.
App: Free to download
Leaflets
Growing with God leaflet:
How can I Contribute leaflet:
************************
- St Andrews Church
- Greenway Avenue
- Taunton
- Somerset
- TA2 6HU
01823 332531
Email Us