Prayer Links and Services
It can be hard to know how or what to pray especially when times are difficult. Here are a few suggestions that my help you.
● Lighting a candle before you pray can help you to focus and listen.
● Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer so that we would always have words to say.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
● The “Examen”. Don’t let the name put you off! This is a very simple way to prayerfully review your day with God in five steps:
1. Become aware of God’s presence, or ask God to help you remember he’s there with you.
2. Review the day with gratitude (as best you can!)
3. Pay attention to how you’re feeling about it.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray about it.
5. Look toward tomorrow. What do you expect the day to hold?
Ask God to help you remember he’s with you.
● Lectio Divina: again, if this is new to you, don’t let the name put you off. Lectio helps you to read the Bible in a prayerful way. Pick a short passage of Scripture (it can be anything you like, but if you’re stuck, parables of Jesus or the shorter Psalms are a good choice). Read it through, slowly, two or three times. Notice what jumps out at you, and ask yourself, what is God saying to me here? Reflect on this for a few minutes. Then, read the passage again. Now ask yourself, what do I want to say to God? - then say it. Lastly, sit quietly and know that God is with you.
Creative Ways of Praying
● You might find it helpful to listen to favourite hymns or worship songs, or other pieces of music that have a special meaning for you.
● Pictures can help prompt our prayers - for instance photos of loved ones, maps or pictures of our community or the wider world
● If the news is getting you down, try praying for the people and situations that are mentioned.
● Why not try doodling, painting, or drawing as you pray?
Online Resources
● You can find services of Morning, Midday, Evening, and Night Prayer from the Church of England online at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-daily-prayer
● These services are also available via an app downloadable onto your smart phone or tablet. Search 'Daily Prayer: from the CofE'
● The Northumbria Community: https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/offices/how-to-use-daily-office/. Short but poetic forms of daily prayer in the Celtic style.
● Pray As You Go: https://pray-as-you-go.org/. A short (11-12 minutes) daily act of prayer and worship, available online or as a tablet and smartphone app (search for “pray as you go” in your app store and look for the headphone logo). This easy to use, beautifully produced site uses music and pictures to help you pray and reflect with a passage of Scripture. Follows the Roman Catholic calendar, but widely used by Christians of all traditions. There are also special seasonal meditations.
Services
Daily Hope is a free national telephone line, offering music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of the phone. The line – which is available 24 hours a day has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind; to provide comfort and spiritual nourishment to the most isolated in our society.
BBC Radio 4 have a weekly Sunday Worship, live at 8.10am.