Prayers

Read Psalm 130 responsively.

Or like this:

When I reach rock-bottom, God, you are the only one who listens.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord.

I carry so much guilt, God. Only you can deal with it.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord.

My soul longs for you to ease my trouble and to lighten my darkness.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord.

Only you can save me, God. Only you can save the world. And you will!
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord.

God, whose Spirit is life,
how is it that our lives are so feeble and poor?
We are self-centred instead of being centred on you,
and when things go wrong we shut ourselves off from you
as though locked in a tomb.
We think we know how you ought to act in our lives,
and we reject the new things you have to show us and tell us.
We think we have the answers, but we don't.
We are full of illusions.
We don't trust you enough to be willing to face pain and conflict,
and so we hide from you in a grey half-life.
But you seek us out,
you call us out of the tomb of our self-regard.
'Come out!' you say.
'Come out into the day, into love, into relationship.'

Yes, Lord, we come.
We accept your new life.
We accept the risk of living close to you.
We will follow you wherever you lead,
no longer retreating into easy lifelessness
but living fully in the light of day,
today and always.
Amen.

Lord of life and light and love,
we ask you to call out from their tombs
all who are barred from fullness of life,
not only because of the sin that besets us all,
but because of our inhumanity towards each other.

To those whose lives are narrowed by extreme poverty,
who have been compelled to leave their homes because of war or persecution,
say, 'Come out'.
Say it by showing our world leaders paths of justice and peace.
Say it through us, our attitudes and actions and commitment.

To those who live on the margins of our own society,
whose lives are dogged by homelessness or unemployment
or who are confined to prison or psychiatric hospital,
to those who meet discrimination because of colour or disability or sexuality,
to the vulnerable – children, elderly people – who are abused or neglected,
say, 'Come out'.
Say it through legislation that will help us become a fairer society for people to live in,
Say it through us, through our attitudes and actions and commitment.

To those we know and love,
who struggle to make sense of their lives,
who face sickness or loss or loneliness or depression,
or who have to make difficult decisions,
say, 'Come out'.
Say it through us, through our understanding and our willingness to listen
and to take whatever action will be most helpful.

To us, Lord,
as we seek to be your disciples, your church,
in our own daily lives and in the life of this community,
this week and every week,
say, 'Come out'.
Help us to hear, and to have the peace and the courage and the boldness
to step into the new thing that you are calling us to.
For the sake of Jesus.
Amen.

Loving God,
may the people we know about,
who suffer pain, anxiety or bereavement,
experience your love and comfort today.
Thank you, Jesus, that you promised to be with us always.
May your Spirit bring each of these people hope today.
Please help us to know how to help and comfort them.
Amen.

God, whose Spirit is life,
we give you thanks and praise for your power over death and destruction.
Illness and decay, separation and loss,
hopelessness and grief
are temporary things,
simply waiting for your hand to touch them and restore life and health and joy.

God, whose Spirit is life,
we thank you that you make your home with us,
creating new things out of what is lifeless in us,
reconciling, healing, reconnecting us to you and to each other,
opening up new possibilities, and new relationships.

God, whose Spirit is life,
we thank you that you call us into your future,
asking us to share your work
of bringing all things into the circle of your love.
Thank you for asking us to share the cost.
Thank you for the peace that is ours when we set our minds on you,
God, whose Spirit is life.
Amen.

(based on Romans 8.6-11)

We thank you, Lord, for the beauty of your creation,
for the amazing variety of plants, animals and people.
We shout aloud your praise and glory.

We thank you, Lord, for the majestic mountains,
awesome oceans, infinite galaxies and planets.
We shout aloud your praise and glory.

We thank you, Lord, that you are the resurrection and the life.
Thank you for the life in the Spirit that we can live now,
and for the life that we will live with you
when our physical bodies are needed no more.
We shout aloud your praise and glory.
 
We thank you, Lord, for helpful and loving support from friends and families,
who show us your love in practice and example,
through good times and bad.
We shout aloud your praise and glory.

We thank you, Lord, for healing and wholeness in body and mind.
Hear our prayers for people we know who suffer.
As you shared the grief of Martha and Mary,
so may our friends and family know that you are with them today
and may your glory be evident in their lives.
We shout aloud your praise and glory.

We thank you, Lord, for our daily work at school, home and business.
We ask that the knowledge of your glory may be our inspiration,
through this coming week and always.
We shout aloud your praise and glory.  Amen.

Lazarus, come out!

For children

If you have made a model of today’s story, use it as a focal point for the prayers.

Give thanks

Dear Jesus,
thank you that you brought Lazarus back to life.
That was amazing!
You are wonderful, and powerful,
and mighty.
We praise you.
Amen.

Wrapping prayers

Invite the children to make long thin strips of paper or cloth — such as were taken off Lazarus when he was raised from the dead. Then, ask them to write their own prayers about the incident along the strip. Read them out in turn.

For others

A prayer for anyone we know who needs especially to know God’s care today.

Loving God,
may the people we know about,
who suffer pain, anxiety or bereavement,
experience your love and comfort today.
Thank you, Jesus, that you promised to be with us always.
May your Spirit bring each of these people hope today.
Please help us to know how to help and comfort them.
Amen.

Responsive prayer

Dear God,
please bless all those who face death. Let them know your presence and your comfort.
Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life.

Please help us when someone we know and love dies.
Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life.

Help us, like Martha, to believe in you even when life is hard.
Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life.

Thank you for raising Lazarus from the dead, and showing everyone that…
Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life.
Amen.

For young people

In life and death

Invite everyone to name anyone known to them who is grieving for someone who has died, or is concerned for someone seriously ill. Remind everyone that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

Trusting

Lord Jesus, you who went to Bethany and wept with Mary and Martha, weep now with those who grieve for loved ones. You who glorified God by giving Lazarus back to his sisters Mary and Martha, help us to glorify you whatever life brings, caring for others in sickness or grief and accepting your will for us. Amen.

Lord Jesus, you who went to Bethany and wept with Mary and Martha, weep now with those who grieve for loved ones. You who glorified God by giving Lazarus back to his sisters Mary and Martha, help us to glorify you whatever life brings, caring for others in sickness or grief and accepting your will for us.
Amen.