As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God.
I rejoice in God’s protection today, joining with the ancient praise of all God’s people in the words of Psalm 46…
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!…
The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress. (46:1–3,6–7)
We join together, to pray verses from the Bible, in response to the global coronavirus crisis.
Lord Jesus Christ, I ask You to protect us from the
spread of the coronavirus. You are powerful and merciful; let this be my
prayer:
Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I
take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster
has passed. Psalm 57:1
Jehovah Shalom, Lord of Peace, I remember those living in coronavirus hotspots and those currently in isolation. May they know Your presence in their isolation, Your peace in their turmoil and Your patience in their waiting. Prince of Peace, You are powerful and merciful; let this be their prayer:
… may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in
desperate need. Help us, God our Saviour, for the glory of your name. Psalm 79:8–9
God of all comfort and counsel, I pray for those who are grieving, reeling from the sudden loss of loved ones. May they find Your fellowship in their suffering, Your comfort in their loss, and Your hope in their despair. I name before You those known to me who are vulnerable and scared – the frail, the sick and the elderly. God of all comfort, You are powerful and merciful; may this be my prayer:
He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will
deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver
us. 2 Corinthians 1:10
Jehovah Rapha, God who heals, I pray for all medical professionals who are daily dealing with the intense pressures of this crisis. Grant them resilience in weariness, discernment in diagnosis, and compassion upon compassion as they care. I thank You for the army of researchers, working steadily and quietly towards a cure – give them clarity, serendipity and unexpected breakthroughs today. Would You rise above this present darkness as the sun of righteousness with healing in Your wings (Mal 4:2) ? May this be my prayer:
Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth
by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17
God of all wisdom, I pray for the World Health Organisation, national governments, and heads of schools, hospitals and other institutions. Since You have positioned these people in public service for this hour, I ask You to grant them wisdom, beyond their own wisdom, as to how to contain this virus; faith, beyond their own faith, to fight this fear; and strength, beyond their own strength, to support institutions and people in their care in this time of turmoil. God of all wisdom and counsel, You are powerful and merciful; may this be my prayer:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble. Therefore we will not fear
Let us pray the blessing of Psalm 91:
‘Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with
his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will
be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the
arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor
the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten
thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you’(Psa. 91:3–7).
Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me
relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1
May El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty who loves us, protect us. May Jesus Christ, His Son who died for us, save us. And may the Holy Spirit, who broods over the chaos and fills us with His presence, intercede for us and in us for others at this time.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will
bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever.
Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18
Closing Prayer
Father, help me to live this day to the full,
being true to You, in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others,
being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost,
proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.
This prayer was sourced from Lectio 365,
an app which I have found to be an
excellent prayer resource.
Download it here.
