Prayer Resources
November 2020
As the Archbishops call us to a month of prayer in lockdown, please see the link to resources for prayer:
Prayer during the
Day
For use at Home
during Ordinary Time
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 weekly cycle…
Sunday: Psalm 19, Proverbs 8,30-31
Monday: Psalm 126, Matthew 11,28
Tuesday: Psalm 17,1-8, Matthew 15,30
Wednesday: Psalm 48, Habbakuk 2,14
Thursday: Psalm 133, I Corinthians 12,12-13a
Friday: Psalm 23, Luke 6,27b-28
Saturday: Psalm 63,1-8, 2 Corinthians 4,18
Alternatively
you could use the following cycle over 4 weeks…
|
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
|
Sunday
|
Psalm 20 Genesis 1,1-5 |
Psalm 34 2 Cor.5, 17-19a |
Ps.115,1-13 John 5,15-18 |
Psalm 116 Revelation 21,1-4 |
|
Monday
|
Psalm 49 Isaiah 49, 1b-4 |
Psalm 65 Proverbs 3,7-12 |
Ps.104,26-end Mark 4,26-29 |
Ps,50,1-15 Matthew 25, 19-21 |
|
Tuesday
|
Psalm 16 Deuteronomy 28,1-6 |
Psalm 25 Isaiah 35 2c-6 |
Psalm 36 John 9,1-5 |
Psalm 39 Revelation 22,1-2 |
|
Wednesday
|
Psalm 2 Isaiah 61, 1-3a |
Psalm 44 Micah 4,1-4a |
Psalm 45 Matthew 9, 35-end |
Psalm 72,1-8 John 18, 33-38 |
|
Thursday
|
Psalm 81 Deuteronomy 15,7-11 |
Psalm 90 Isaiah 43,5-7 |
Psalm 101 I Peter 2,9-10 |
Psalm 107, 1-16 John 17, 18-23 |
|
Friday
|
Psalm 112 2 Chronicles 7,13-14 |
Psalm 120 Isaiah 57, 15-19 |
Psalm 123 Ephesians 2,13-18 |
Psalm 124 Luke 9,22-25 |
|
Saturday
|
Psalm 130 Isaiah 11,6-9 |
Psalm 131 Ephesians 3,14-19 |
Psalm 138 John 11, 17-26a |
Psalm 139 Revelation 5,8-10 |
Note: The addition of a letter after a verse number indicates a part of that verse
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, is copyright © The Archbishop’s Council 2000, 2005.
Prayer during the Day : Ordinary Time
Preparation
Say quietly to yourself…
I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;
In
his word is my hope. Psalm 130,4
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:
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
This is the Gospel we proclaim
Prayers of Intercession
Prayers may include these concerns
· The universal Church, that she may proclaim the living Lord
· The nations of the world, that rulers may govern wisely
· The natural world, that we might use creation sustainably
· Our community and its needs, that all may come to know God’s love
· The needy, that they may know new life
· Other themes from this week’s notice sheet.
The Collect from this week’s notice sheet or the following prayer is said
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end,
and at my departing.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
The Conclusion
May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith.
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)
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:
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