Prayers for COVID-19

FOR THE RE-OPENING OF OUR NATION

O God, the Source and Presence of all wisdom: we pray for our nation, and for each state and community, as we strive to re-open the countless activities of daily life though we continue to be afflicted with the COVID-19 virus. As human beings, we confess to you the challenges of the orders by health professionals and government leaders to stay at home, to practice social distancing, and to cover our faces with masks. We admit to the challenges of isolation, lack of work for some and too much work for others. We bring before you the anxiety and impatience of our desires to return to life as we have known it and to the human contact and interaction that have been restricted.

Above all, we confess to You our moral and spiritual divisions between the health and preservation of human life, and the need to generate income to support our families and to help us live with access to our personal comforts and pleasures that we have been unable to pursue in these last three months.

And we are mindful, O God of glory, that we have not been able to come together in worship as the Church in our local congregations, or that we have had to become accustomed to electronic and virtual ways of coming together in Jesus’ Name. Pour out your blessing upon these efforts, that many who are unchurched and in spiritual search can access these services and come to know Jesus Christ.

As You have delivered your people from past pandemics, we now commit to You this effort to move into life in ways that show care and compassion for our neighbors near and far. We pray in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Name of the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

FOR THE UNEMPLOYED DUE TO COVID-19

O God, you provide for the needs of every living creature: we bring before you those who have become unemployed or are out of work due to the COVID-19 virus and the restrictions on commerce and transaction. We pray especially for those who work in small business retail, the hospitality and travel industry, and other sectors of our national economy who have been deeply affected by closure. We pray for those known to us, especially [NN. and NN.] who struggle to meet their own living expenses, and to feed their families.

We pray also for those whose jobs will be slow to begin again, and for those whose jobs may have disappeared forever in the new way of life we must practice. May you guide these workers to new ways to earn a good living and for a willingness to be re-trained for new careers. We pray also for those who have been deemed essential workers, who have worked harder than they ever imagined and who are weary. Bless, preserve and keep them in health and well-being.

In our anxiety, almighty God, may we know your mercy and steadfast love, and trust in your provision for all of our needs. Inspire the faithful of your Church to reach out in love and concern, in generosity and in joy, reminding all that God never will fail nor forsake us, even in our darkest hours. We offer this prayer, and these people, in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR GOD’S HEALING GRACE

O Almighty God, Ruler of all creation and Source of all life and health: we beseech our Great Physician, Jesus Christ to sustain the people of this and every nation with your presence and healing grace to drive away all sickness of body and spirit. Especially in the challenges we face in dealing with the Coronavirus, we pray that you will give us that victory of life and peace which will enable us to serve you both now and evermore. We pray for all who have become ill from this virus (especially N), and for all who have been in direct contact with them. Bless, preserve, and keep in your care all medical professionals and political leaders, and give them wisdom, courage, and clarity as they fulfill their obligations to all sorts and conditions of people. Sustain us, strengthen us, and move us by the Holy Spirit to healing and renewal of faith and the power of prayer; in the holy name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

God of all mercy, you are the source of grace, wisdom and compassion, and you desire the health of every human being. We ask your presence and protecting hand on all healthcare workers treating those who are afflicted with COVID-19 virus.

We pray for those on the front lines of care: for doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, those who assist them in offices, hospitals, and in communities where the virus is spreading. We bring before you also all work in residential facilities for the aged and the infirm, and for those centers housing those who are poor and abused, and those with special needs. We pray for all nursing assistants, those who work in hospital and care facility kitchens, for those with responsibilities for cleaning, laundry and maintenance. Finally, we bring before you all in our communities who are first responders to calls for help: our paramedics, police officers and firefighters.

Guard them and keep them as they carry out their responsibilities. Provide opportunities for rest and refreshment even amid urgent situations. Grant them grace to be present to their families. Supply them with the greatly needed medical items: beds, ventilators, masks, devices that provide IV medications and, if needed, equipment for hospitals on ships and in the field. Through their efforts, we pray that the effects of this virus will be relieved, and that, through their efforts, those who are sick may be restored to fullness of health with a thankful heart, through the Great Physician and Healer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR THOSE IN FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

Generous God, Creator of all and gracious provider of all that sustains us and all life that surrounds us: among the many changes and chances of this world, our hearts must surely be fixed only where true joy and hope are to be found. We confess our anxieties and fears as so many suddenly are without work and an income due to the coronavirus pandemic. The familiar fabric of our daily life is torn. Our wages and profits have vanished as customers have disappeared and earnings have turned into financial losses, all through no fault of our own.

We pray for those who now are unemployed, with lost wages and little hope of finding work at this time. We pray for small business owners whose stores, restaurants and businesses struggle to stay in operation or who may have had to close, perhaps not to re-open. We pray for elected officials and spiritual leaders who seek a way through these difficult days. May the comfort of your loving hand guide all people through the shadow of the valley of death. We bring before you all who are employed and who face enormous stress and weariness with the demands of their jobs.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, may we find hope in your Word, which reminds us of many generations who have come before who have faced wars, sicknesses and plagues, famines and personal losses, yet who have rejoiced in your presence and promise that you will be with them in all of prosperity and peril. Build in us a sense of steadfast hope, unfailing endurance, and lively faith in what you can accomplish even when all seems to be lost.

Make us mindful, almighty God, that your grace precedes and follows us, and that all shall be made well. In the meantime, give us wisdom to make sound decisions and to receive the generous help of neighbors and friends. Give us a voice to cry out, “Our God will provide!” In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

A LITANY FOR HEALING

God the Creator, Ruler of heaven and earth:

Have mercy on us.

Jesus Christ, the Healer and Redeemer of this broken world:

Have mercy on us.

O Holy Spirit, Giver of life and breath:

Have mercy on us.

O glorious Trinity, whose presence fills all of creation:

Have mercy on us.

We confess to You, O God, our anxiety at this time of an infection that afflicts the peoples of the world, the lack of a cure in this time, which ravages the body and challenges the soul: