Prayers
All Saints' Church
St Andrews


Familiar Prayers for use in times of need

This page comes with the love and prayers of the people of All Saints Church, St. Andrews. We hope you will find it helpful.

Please remember to pray for us too.

The Lord's Prayer

which Jesus taught his disciples when they didn't know how to pray:

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 them that 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.

Nunc Dimittis

(St. Luke chapter 2, verse 29)
The elderly priest Simeon's song of joy when he sees the infant Jesus and knows that now he can die in the knowledge of God's love and faithfulness:

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people:
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles:
And to be the glory of thy people Israel.

23rd Psalm

A picture of how God cares for us through good and bad times bringing us to safety:

The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture: and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul: and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me: thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full. But thy loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

A Blessing

which has often been sung at Baptisms, but which can bring comfort and strength at other times, right through life:

The Lord bless thee and keep thee
The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace.

The Apostles Creed

The Faith of the Church

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the Holy Catholic Church;
the Communion of Saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the Resurrection of the body,
and the Life everlasting.
Amen.

Words of a hymn which joins us with those who have died:

Let saints on earth in concert sing
With those whose work is done;
For all the servants of our King
In earth and heaven are one.

One family, we dwell in him,
One Church, above, beneath;
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.

One army of the living God,
To his command we bow;
Part of his host has crossed the flood,
And part is crossing now.

E'en now to their eternal home
There pass some spirits blest,
While others to the margin come,
Waiting their call to rest.

Jesu, be thou our constant Guide;
Then, when the word is given,
Bid Jordan's narrow stream divide,
And bring us safe to heaven.

Charles Wesley (1707-88) and others

A Prayer for Evening

We will lay us down in peace
and take our rest:
For it is thou Lord only
that makest us to dwell in safety.

Let us bless the Lord:
thanks be to God

May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the tender mercy of God,
rest in peace and rise in glory.

0 Lord support us all the day long
of this earthly life,
Until the shades lengthen
and the evening comes,
The fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then Lord, in thy mercy,
grant us safe lodging,
a holy rest and peace at the last:
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The following prayers have been suggested for this site by members of the congregation.

Prayer of Charles de Faucald

Father I Abandon myself into Your Hands.
Do with me what You will.
Whatever You may do I thank You -
- I am ready for all - I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me as in all Your creation
I desire no more that this O Lord.
Into Your Hands I commend my soul I surrender
it to You with all the love of my heart -
- for I love You Lord and so need to surrender -
- to abandon myself into Your Hands -
-without reserve and with boundless confidence -
For you are my Father - Abba.

A Prayer for Healing and Reconciliation

Spirit of God - sure consolation of the pilgrim people
guide our steps on our journey through life -
- so that we may walk along paths of peace and
harmony of progress - justice and freedom.
Reconcile sisters and brothers.
Make rancour and hatred disappear
May divisions and barriers be overcome
May rifts be closed - wounds be healed
May Christ be our peace
May His pardon renew our hearts today and always.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord - The Prince of Peace

A Prayer for Healing.

Lord Jesus Christ Son of God
Let your healing flow down upon us/me
Lord Jesus Christ Son of God
Let Your Healing spring up within us/me.
Lord Jesus Christ Son of God
Let Your Healing Love enfold us/me

A Prayer for Mission and Ministry

May the Light of Christ Guide us/me
May the Life of Christ Strengthen us/me
May the Love of Christ Enfold us/me

Prince of peace : A poem by Clare M Ashton

Prince of Peace, Son of God
War dwells in the land you trod
Your chosen people, torn apart,
A peaceful man, it breaks Your heart

Why, oh, why, can we not learn
You have the peace for which we yearn
We turn our backs and walk away
Facing our conflict for one more day

The peace of God is what we desire
Your flame of peace sets us on fire
With love for a God
whom we cannot see
And for his Son
who sets us all free

Show us lord, your waters are calm
Your voice is so gentle, your presence so balm
Lead us out of this eternal strife
And show us the special things in life

And maybe, just maybe, we will see
The peace which we seek
can set us all free
On that happy day, all fighting will cease
And Your Kingdom on earth
will be a kingdom of peace

A prayer by St Anselm

God of love, whose compassion never fails;
we bring before thee
the troubles and perils of peoples and nations,
the sighing of prisoners and captives,
the sorrows of the bereaved,
the necessities of strangers,
the helplessness of the weak,
the despondency of the weary,
the failing powers of the aged,
O Lord, draw near to each;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

A prayer by St Clement of Rome

O Lord almighty, Father of Jesus Christ our Lord,
grant us, we pray thee,
to be grounded and settled in thy truth
by the coming down of thy Holy Spirit in our hearts.
That which we know not, do thou reveal;
that which is wanting in us, do thou fill up;
that which we know, do thou confirm;
and keep us blameless in thy service;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.


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