Prayer Resources 

Prayer during the Day

For use at Home

during Eastertide

 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 Eastertide: Psalm 118,14-24; John 6,39

Alternatively you could use the following cycle over the season…

Note:

The suffix “a” after a verse number denotes that the first part of that verse only

should be read 

The readings for next Sunday appear on the notice sheet. You could use these on Saturday to prepare for worship the next day.

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.

Prayer during the Day : Eastertide

Preparation

Say quietly to yourself…

Alleluia. Christ is Risen!

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!                 

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 peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.                                              Matthew 5,9  

Prayers of Intercession

Prayers may include these concerns

·       The people of God, that they may proclaim the risen Lord

·       God’s creation, that the peoples of the earth may meet their responsibility

to care

·       Those in despair and darkness, that they may find the hope and light of Christ

·       Those in fear of death, that they may find faith through the resurrection

·       Prisoners and captives

·       Other themes from this week’s notice sheet.

The Collect from this week’s notice sheet or the following prayer is said

Christ yesterday and today,

the beginning and the end.

Alpha and Omega,

all times belongs to you,

and all ages;

to you be glory and power

through every age and for ever.                                              from the Easter Vigil

The Lord’s Prayer is said

The Conclusion

May the risen Christ give us his peace.

Alleluia. Amen.

Making the Most of your Prayer Time

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!

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)

https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/Guidance%20on%20Spiritual%20Communion%20and%20Coronavirus.pdf

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: