Hello everyone

Nick Fawcett served as a Baptist minister for thirteen years, and as a chaplain with the national charity Toc H for three, before deciding to focus on a writing ministry, backed up by editing, both of which he continues with today, despite wrestling with myeloma, an incurable cancer of the blood, that places him in the highest possible risk category during the current coronavirus crisis.  Like so many, he will be isolated at home to protect his health. His aim, increasingly, is to write material free of religious jargon that reaches out to people of all faiths and none.

Here in Meltham over many years now Christine and I have found his material both inspirational and easy to follow.

His response to the pandemic was to write a book of prayers ‘For a Time Such As This’

He asks are you struggling to pray at the moment? I am. You want to bring your fears before God. You want to commit yourself and your loved ones into his keeping. You want to pray for the innumerable people facing unimaginable difficulties and hardship at this time due to the pandemic that has descended so swiftly upon us. But prayer doesn’t come easily. We feel almost numbed, almost lost for words, almost as though our own little concerns (however huge they may feel to us personally) are relatively trivial in relation to the scale of the crisis now facing the world. Yet we need to pray, today, more than ever. Not that prayer will guarantee our safety or that of our loved ones, or that it will miraculously put everything right, but we need simply to seek help and strength to get through whatever the months ahead may bring.

I suggest that we start by asking God what to pray for and then continue by using the prayers of intercession. 

PRAYERS

When you’re struggling to know what to pray for

Lord, what can I pray for?    What should I say?

I’m frightened, troubled, confused, –  everything in life having been turned inside out and upside down.

Whatever words I use in prayer seem inadequate, hollow, even trite.

Help me, hold me, hear me, and at this troubled time, encircle all – myself, my loved ones, the wider world – in the warm embrace of your love. Amen.

Intercession for those struggling with the crisis, both near and far

Reach out today, Lord, to the frightened, anxious about themselves or their loved ones.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the isolated, the lonely, the vulnerable

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the sick, those wrestling with the symptoms of coronavirus, those whose situation is complicated by underlying health conditions.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to those ministering to the afflicted, offering support, comfort and treatment as best they can, but hampered by limited resources and the scale of the crisis.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the bereaved, those already mourning family and friends, their love and companionship snatched away.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to those affected financially – those who have lost jobs and livelihoods, the future they took for granted now under threat.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the countries of our world most affected – Italy, France, Spain, Iran, China, Russia, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom – and the many places elsewhere in the world seeing an increase in infections, and facing imminent catastrophe in turn.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out, Lord, to a world in need, a world teetering on the edge of chaos, on the brink of disaster.

Hold us and help us all. Amen.

For all whose lives have been turned upside down by this crisis

I’m not praying for me today, Lord, but for others: young people meant soon to be taking exams, their future now in doubt;

Carers looking after loved ones, striving to keep safe those at risk;

Those suddenly finding themselves out of work, financial pressures added to fears over health;

Owners of small businesses, cafes, shops, bars and restaurants among many others, faced by the prospect of their livelihood collapsing in ruins, what had seemed a wise investment now a millstone around their neck;

Clergy, counsellors and chaplains, seeking to give succour and support to those reeling from recent events;

GPs, nurses, doctors, consultants, NHS staff, increasingly overwhelmed by massive pressures yet with limited resources to meet them;

Politicians and leaders in this country and beyond, trying to work out the best way forward – a way of safeguarding life as effectively as possible, while also limiting potentially devastating economic consequences for all.

Give help, Lord; give strength; guidance; wisdom.

In our hurting world, bring hope and healing, love and life. Amen.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Keep Safe.  Keep praying

Peter