Prayer
The aim of this page is to help people to pray
2000 years ago Jesus' disciples came to him and said: "Lord, teach us how to pray". Jesus gave them the prayer which is commonly called The Lord's Prayer. The words are familiar to many people and it remains a most useful prayer for all occasions. So if you cannot decide why or how to pray, or who or what to pray about or for, or even when or where to pray, just use Jesus' own prayer:
The Lord's Prayer
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.
Every week the Church of England has at least one prayer which many churches use during services of worship. It is usually called the Collect (pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable). The aim is to have a prayer which in some way expresses the sorts of things which the Church at large is concerned about at that time. Often the prayer reflects the current daily Bible readings and the time of the year. It attempts to bring together, that is to collect (pronounced with the emphasis on the final syllable) these concepts into one thoughful prayer.
On this page you wll find a Collect which you may find useful to read, think about and use as a prayer for your own purposes.
Further down the page are some other prayers which you may find helpful.
A PRAYER SEEKING GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins
of all those who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness:
Through Jesus Christ
your Son, our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and for ever.
Amen.
If you would like to share you concerns with someone and be supported in prayer please feel free to come along to any Service and speak to any of the people on duty that day who will be pleased to advise or assist you. The dates and times of services can be found on the Worship Services page.
In addition we are fortunate to be able to offer a dedicated prayer connection with - the Emmaus House of Prayer - which you can contact by e-mail. Briefly explain your circumstances and concerns and you can be assured that these will be prayed about and for, that very day. The e-mail address is:
emmaushouse @ btconnect.com
The simple
JESUS PRAYER
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner"
Two Prayers for Justice
ALMIGHTY God our heavenly Father,
guide the nations of the world
into the way of justice and truth,
and establish among them that peace
which is the fruit of righteousness,
that they may become the kingdom of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
GRANT us, Lord God,
a vision of our land
as your love would make it:
a land where the weak are protected,
and none go hungry or poor;
a land where the benefits of civilised life are shared,
and everyone can enjoy them;
a land where different races and cultures
live in tolerance and mutual respect;
a land where peace is built with justice,
and justice is guided by love.
And give us the inspiration
and courage to build it,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Some prayers for other occasions:
Collect for 25 December Christmas Night
Eternal God,
in the stillness of this night
you sent your almighty Word
to pierce the world's darkness with the light of salvation:
give to the earth the peace that we long for
and fill our hearts with the joy of heaven
through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Collect for Mothering Sunday
God of love,
passionate and strong,
tender and careful:
watch over us and hold us
all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Collect for the 19th Sunday after Trinity
Faithful Lord,
whose steadfast love never ceases
and whose mercies never come to an end:
grant us the grace to trust you
and to receive the gifts of your love,
new every morning,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Collect for the 4th Sunday before Advent
God of glory,
touch our lips with the fire of your Spirit,
that we with all creation
may rejoice to sing your praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Another Collect
Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your grace,
and, in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory:
Through Jesus Christ
your Son, our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Contact
Office: Church Lane
Northampton, NN1 3NL
Tel: 01604 627988
Vicar: 01604 230316
Restoration Trust:
Tel: 01604 754782