collected prayers for Lent holy week and Easter for public worship NICK FAWCETT
First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Kevin Mayhew Ltd Buxhall, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 3BW Tel: +44 (0) 1449 737978 Fax: +44 (0) 1449 737834 E-mail: info@kevinmayhew.com www.kevinmayhew.com Copyright 2015 Nick Fawcett The right of Nick Fawcett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 ISBN 978 1 84867 798 2 Catalogue No. 1501495 Cover design by Rob Mortonson Image used under licence from Shutterstock Inc. Typeset by Angela Selfe Printed and bound in Great Britain
Contents About the author page 9 Introduction page 11 Prayer Numbers Lent Ash Wednesday Approach 1 Praise Discipleship, journey of 2 Confession Grace and mercy 3-5 Thanksgiving Growth in grace 6 Petition Growth in grace 7 Temptation 8-10 Intercession Guilt and wrongdoing 11 Closing prayers 12-13 Sundays of Lent Approach Following Jesus 14 Grace and mercy 15-16 Growth in grace 17-23 Time and space for God 24-26 Praise Awe and wonder 27 Love of God, in Christ 28-30 Strength, God s 31 Worshipping Jesus 32-33 Worth of all 34 Confession Convictions, courage of 35 Examination and soul-searching 36-47 Faults, recognising 48-51 Flawed commitment 52 Grace and mercy 53-56 Self-denial 57-58 Selfishness 59 Temptation 60-66 True penitence 67-68 3
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter Prayer Numbers Thanksgiving Grace and mercy 69 Love of God, in Christ 70-75 Time and space for God 76 Petition Action, faith shown in 77 Commitment 78-84 Decisions 85-87 Grace and mercy 88 Growth in grace 89-97 Judging others 98-101 Love of God, in Christ 102-103 Peacemakers, living as 104 Personal response 105-107 Questions of faith 108-112 Relationships 113-114 Riches, true nature of 115 Service and self-denial 116-126 Strength, God s 127 Temptation 128-142 Time and space for God 143-150 Trouble, times of 151 Unanswered prayer 152 Witnessing to Christ 153-156 Intercession The hungry 157 Purpose, God s 158 The sick and suffering 159 Social and world justice 160 Trials and temptations 161 Poetic prayers Action, faith shown in 162 Commitment 163 Confession 164-170 Love of God, in Christ 171 Closing prayers 172-176 The Transfiguration 177-179 Holy Week Palm Sunday Approach Acclaiming Christ 180 Commitment 181 4
Contents Prayer Numbers Praise Acclaiming Christ 182-185 Personal response 186 Time and space, for God in Christ 187 Transforming power of God 188 Confession Commitment 189-193 Thanksgiving 194 Petition Commitment 195-198 Glory of God, in Christ 199 Humility 200-205 Strength, in weakness 206-207 Walking the way of Christ 208 Intercession A broken world 209 Peace and harmony 210-211 Poetic prayer Commitment 212 Closing prayers 213-114 Holy Monday to Wednesday Approach 215-217 Praise Acclaiming Christ 218 God s costly love in Christ 219-225 Grace and mercy 226 Transforming power of God 227 Confession Costly commitment 228-230 Faithlessness 231-237 Grace and mercy 238-241 Judging others 242 Thanksgiving Faithfulness, of God in Christ 243-244 Love of God, in Christ 245-249 Transforming power of God 250 Petition Action, faith shown in 251 Costly commitment 252-265 Grace and mercy 266 Humility 267 Injustice, anger over 268 Love of God, in Christ 269-274 Personal response 275-276 5
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter Prayer Numbers Trouble, times of 277 Truth 278 Walking the way of Christ 279-281 Intercession All those in need 282-283 Maundy Thursday Approach 284 Praise Faithfulness of God in Christ 285 Love of God, in Christ 286-289 Purpose, God s 290-291 Confession Commitment 292 Division 293-294 Faithlessness 295 Thanksgiving Bread and wine 296-301 Love of God, in Christ 302-305 Petition Bread and wine 306-308 Faithfulness of Christ 309 Growth in grace 310 Love of God, in Christ 311 Personal response 312 Purpose, God s 313 Questions of faith 314 Trouble, times of 315-317 Intercession A needy world 318-320 Poetic prayers Approach 321 Costly commitment 322 Closing prayers 323-326 Good Friday March of Witness 327-329 Approach 330 Praise Costly commitment 331-332 Grace and mercy 333-334 Love of God, in Christ 335-336 Transforming power of God 337-339 6
Contents Prayer Numbers Confession Commitment 340 Faithlessness 341-342 Personal response 343-345 Walking the way of Christ 346 Thanksgiving Costly commitment 347-348 Grace and mercy 349 Love of God, in Christ 350-355 Transforming power of God 356-357 Petition Costly commitment 358 Grace and mercy 359 Love of God, in Christ 360-361 Personal response 362-364 Transforming power of God 365 Witnessing to Christ 366 Intercession A needy world 367-370 Poetic prayer Love of God, in Christ 371 Closing prayers 372 Holy Saturday Approach 373 Praise 374-375 Confession 376 Thanksgiving 377 Petition 378 Intercession 379-380 Closing prayer 381 Easter Approach 382 Praise Death, life beyond 383-385 God s transforming power 386-400 God s triumphant purpose 401-404 Victory, of good over evil and love over hatred 405-409 Confession Doubt and disbelief 410-411 Failure and forgiveness 412-416 Hope and trust 417-418 Truth and falsehood 419 7
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter Prayer Numbers Thanksgiving Faith, conquering doubt 420 Faithfulness, God s 421 Grace and mercy 422 Guidance 423 Light in our darkness 424-425 Personal experience of the risen Christ 426-428 Purpose, God s 429-431 Transforming power of God 432-439 Trouble, help in times of 440-442 Petition Death, life beyond 443-451 Discipleship, cost of 452-453 Doubt and questions 454-459 Good news, celebrating 460-462 Growth in grace 463 Guidance 464 New beginnings 465-470 Personal experience of the risen Christ 471-473 Present moment, celebrating 474 Sharing our faith 475-476 Time and space for God 477 Transforming power of God 478-483 Trouble, times of 484-490 Trust 491-493 Truth 494 Victory of God in Christ 495-496 Intercession A divided world 497 Hope and despair 498 New beginnings 499 Sorrow and suffering 500-502 World, change in 503-504 Poetic prayers Death, life beyond 505-507 Transforming power of God 508 Closing prayers 509-510 Index page 321 8
About the author Brought up in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, Nick Fawcett trained for the Baptist ministry at Bristol and Oxford, before serving churches in Lancashire and Cheltenham. He subsequently spent three years as a chaplain with the Christian movement Toc H, before focusing on writing and editing, which he continues with today, despite wrestling with cancer. He lives with his wife, Deborah, and two children Samuel and Kate in Wellington, Somerset, worshipping at the local Anglican church. A keen walker, he delights in the beauty of the Somerset and Devon countryside around his home, his numerous books owing much to the inspiration he unfailingly finds there. 9
Introduction Hi Nick. Do you have something among your many prayers on the subject of Lenten reflection... of the Lord s Supper... of sacrifice and self-denial... of Palm Sunday... of the empty tomb? So I could continue. I ve lost count of the number of phone calls, letters or emails I ve received along just such lines from friends, colleagues or readers seeking inspiration concerning a particular theme. And it s always good being able to help if I possibly can. The trouble sometimes, though, is knowing where to look. Yes, I find myself thinking, I m sure I wrote something on that somewhere, but where was it exactly? With numerous prayer and study books now in print, it s difficult to remember in which of them a particular prayer appears, so I end up thumbing through one after another before I finally track it down. What I really needed, I decided, was all my prayers of a certain kind, or for a particular time of the year, organised in one place, and so was born the series of which this book is the third, alongside collected intercessions and collected prayers for Advent, Holy Week and Easter. Here you will find in a single volume all of the prayers for Lent, Holy Week and Easter that I ve written over the years, many of them revised and adapted for public worship through the addition of congregational responses. They are arranged under the themes of Approach, Praise, Confession, Thanksgiving, Petition and Intercession, with the addition of closing prayers, and various poetic prayers for reflective use. These, in turn, are arranged under subthemes for example, Commitment ; Grace and mercy ; Love of God, in Christ ; Time and space for God ; Witnessing to Christ etc. each of these being arranged alphabetically. Many of these subthemes are repeated within different categories; so, for example, you will find prayers concerning grace and mercy, or God s love in Christ, under prayers of praise, thanksgiving and petition, and within each of the sections devoted to Lent, Holy Week and Easter respectively. The aim is to offer an easy-to-use resource that will offer help and inspiration to all those entrusted with leading public prayer during these special seasons of the Christian Year. If this compilation helps you to articulate more fully something of the wonder of these much-loved seasons, then it will more than have served its purpose. Nick Fawcett 11
LENT
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter Ash Wednesday Approach 1 Living God, we thank you for this day you have given us, a day that reminds us of your mercy, your forgiveness, your offer of a new beginning for all who truly seek it. Search us, O God, and lead us in the way of life eternal. We thank you for this time you have given us, this season of Lent that reminds us of the need for prayer and reflection, discipline and self-examination. Search us, O God, and lead us in the way of life eternal. We thank you for all this season leads towards, the days of Holy Week and Easter that speak of your awesome love shown in Christ, and your great victory won through him. Search us, O God, and lead us in the way of life eternal. Living God, help us to use this day wisely and this season fully, so that our faith may be deepened, our horizons stretched, and our love for you increased. Search us, O God, and lead us in the way of life eternal. Cleanse us of all that is wrong, put a new heart and a right spirit within us, and prepare us to rejoice again at the wonder of your love revealed in Christ crucified and risen. Search us, O God, and lead us in the way of life eternal. Amen. 14
lent Praise Discipleship, journey of 2 Almighty God, we praise you for your love, grace and goodness revealed in Christ, for having shared our humanity through him, experiencing first-hand our joys and sorrows, hopes and fears. As we reflect today on the path of his ministry and his faithfulness to your call, equip and inspire us to walk his way in turn. Renew our faith, restore our vision and renew our commitment, so that we may live and work for him. matching our footsteps to his until our journey s end. Amen. Grace and mercy Confession 3 Redeemer God, we come at the start of this season of Lent, conscious of our weakness, dismayed by the feebleness of our faith, and yearning to show penitence at our inability to serve you as we would and as we should. Cleanse us, and make us new. But we come also gladly and with confidence, knowing that you are a gracious God, slow to punish and swift to forgive, always looking to bless, restore and renew. Cleanse us, and make us new. 15
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter Remind us of that truth as we worship you, both now and in the days ahead, so that true repentance may be matched by true thanksgiving, and sorrow at our many faults be balanced by rejoicing at your inestimable love and mercy. Cleanse us, and make us new. Amen. 4 Gracious and merciful God, we come together to worship you, to praise and thank you, to seek your forgiveness and to ask for renewal. Create in us a clean heart, O Lord, and put a right spirit within us. We come in the name of Christ, remembering his lonely days in the wilderness, his time wrestling with temptation, and the ministry that followed, restoring and transforming so many lives. Create in us a clean heart, O Lord, and put a right spirit within us. Help us to learn from his example to search our hearts as he did, to consider our calling, to reflect on our faith, to resist temptation, and to commit ourselves more wholly to you. Create in us a clean heart, O Lord, and put a right spirit within us. Help us to recognise all Jesus has done for us through his life, death and resurrection; and so may we come gladly to you, confessing our sins, acknowledging our faults, accepting our weaknesses, and receiving your forgiveness. Create in us a clean heart, O Lord, and put a right spirit within us. 16
EASTER
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter Approach 382 Living God, we are here in the name of Christ. We are here to celebrate once more his resurrection, to rejoice once more at his victory over evil, hatred and death, to give thanks once more for his living presence with us now and always. Lord of life, we worship you. Receive our praise, our thanksgiving, ourselves as we come before you. Lord of life, we worship you. Fill us with joy and wonder as we hear again the message of the risen Christ, and as we recognise his presence among us now. Lord of life, we worship you. Amen. Death, life beyond Praise 383 Lord Jesus Christ, it seemed like the end of everything the hope you had brought apparently having been extinguished for you were dead, laid in a tomb, a stone sealing the entrance. Your followers had watched you suffer, heard you draw your last breath, watched as a spear was thrust into your side and sobbed as your body was taken down from the cross, limp and lifeless. It was over, finished, no possibility of change. Except suddenly the stone was rolled away, 234
easter the tomb was empty, you were there speaking words of peace, you were alive! Risen Lord, lead us from death to life. For us, too, death can seem the end of everything the end of all our hopes, all our striving, all our dreams; the last enemy that one day each of us must face, no matter who we are or what we do. Risen Lord, lead us from death to life. For many, the death of someone close to them seems the end of everything the joy they had known, the love they shared, the life they had built together, all being lost for ever. The present seems devoid of meaning, the future empty of hope, while the past serves only to remind them of their pain. Risen Lord, lead us from death to life. We praise you that, despite appearances, death is not the end of everything for the victory you won was not just for you but for all, the enemy defeated, the grave conquered, the future assured. You are the resurrection and the life, the one who leads us not just now but throughout eternity, nothing in heaven or earth, in this world or the next, being able to separate us from your constant love. Risen Lord, lead us from death to life. Lord Jesus Christ, we praise you for the message of Easter, the assurance that life is not in vain, that love is not blotted out, that faith is not futile. We praise you that death is not the end but a new beginning, 235
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter a gateway to heaven, a door on to untold blessings you hold in store for us. Receive the worship we offer you this day, and teach us to live each day in the light of your Easter triumph. Risen Lord, lead us from death to life. Amen. 384 Risen Lord, you promise new life to those who follow you not just a different quality of life here and now, but life beyond the grave: life eternal. Saviour Christ, the resurrection and the life, we praise you. We thank you for the way you foreshadowed that promise during your earthly ministry, demonstrating your sovereign, life-giving power as you raised Lazarus, raised the daughter of Jairus, raised the son of a widow, and finally, after three days in the tomb, rose yourself! Saviour Christ, the resurrection and the life, we praise you. Through word and deed you have given us the assurance that nothing, in life or in death, can ever separate us from your love. Saviour Christ, the resurrection and the life, we praise you. Amen. 385 Lord Jesus Christ, we praise you that we can worship you not simply as the crucified Christ but as our risen Lord and Saviour; that death was not the end but a new beginning, not simply for you but also for us! We praise you for this time of joy, thanksgiving and rejoicing; a time that speaks of victory, renewal and hope. 236
easter For the great message of Easter that has spoken to countless people across the years, and that continues to speak to us today, receive our joyful and grateful worship. Come among us now, in your risen power, and send us out to proclaim your name and live to your glory. Amen. God s transforming power 386 Lord Jesus Christ, we are reminded today of how your followers must have felt as Easter dawned women walking sadly to the tomb, disciples trudging wearily home along the Emmaus Road, apostles gathered together behind locked doors all of them, to a man or woman, devastated, stunned by what had taken place, overwhelmed by sorrow and confusion. Gracious Lord, sovereign yet servant, in weakness you are our strength: receive our Easter praise. We recall how your followers had looked forward to the coming of your kingdom, convinced that the day was near, refusing to believe, despite your warnings, that any harm could befall the Messiah. We think of their sense of helplessness as they saw you taken before Pilate, whipped and ridiculed, nailed to a cross, laid in a tomb. We recall how it seemed you were powerless to resist, as though faith in you had been misguided and trust misplaced, for instead of glory they saw only humiliation, instead of a crown of victory, a crown of thorns. Gracious Lord, sovereign yet servant, in weakness you are our strength: receive our Easter praise. 237
Collected Prayers for Lent, holy week and easter We praise you that at the empty tomb, on the Emmaus Road and in that room locked against the world you demonstrated that you were not defeated but victorious, your purpose not destroyed but gloriously fulfilled. The events of Good Friday were seen for what they were: not a hideous mistake or an unseen catastrophe but an integral part of your sovereign plan, the ultimate expression of your love through which you brought life to all. Gracious Lord, sovereign yet servant, in weakness you are our strength: receive our Easter praise. We recall, finally, how your followers must have felt on the day of resurrection: women running back to tell the news, disciples returning from Emmaus rejoicing, apostles gazing in wonder as you stood there among them. We recall how tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy, how eyes closed to the truth were opened at the breaking of bread, how minds clouded by doubt were illuminated by faith. We rejoice that new purpose, new confidence, new faith emerged in lives that had seemed broken; your triumph complete. Gracious Lord, sovereign yet servant, in weakness you are our strength: receive our Easter praise. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified yet risen, servant of all yet King of kings and Lord of lords, hear our prayer and accept our joyful worship. Amen. 387 Sovereign God, this is the day of victory a day on which we celebrate the triumph of good over evil, truth over falsehood, light over darkness, life over death. Glory, praise and honour be to you this and every day! 238
easter This is the day that changes every day that brings joy out of sorrow, hope out of despair, faith out of doubt, love out of hatred. Glory, praise and honour be to you this and every day! This is the day that makes every day an Easter Day, and every moment a new beginning; a day that speaks, as no words can begin to, of your transforming power and renewing grace. Glory, praise and honour be to you this and every day! Amen. 388 Loving God, we praise you once more for the good news of Easter, the triumphant message of resurrection new hope, new joy, new life! Christ is risen, he is risen indeed! We praise you for what we see in the Easter stories your love that could not be kept down, your purpose that could not be defeated, your goodness that could not be destroyed. Christ is risen, he is risen indeed! Teach us that what was true then is true now that resurrection is not just about life after death but about constant new beginnings, the way you are able to transform every part of our lives, the way you are always bringing renewal and may that truth inspire us to keep on following you not only through the good but also through the bad. Christ is risen, he is risen indeed! 239
Index (numbers refer to prayer rather than page numbers) Acclaiming Christ 180, 182-185, 218 Action, faith shown in 77, 162, 251 Awe and wonder 27 Bread and wine 296-301, 306-308 Broken world, a 209 Commitment 78-84, 163, 181, 189-193, 195-198, 212, 292, 340 Costly 228-230, 252-265, 322, 331-332, 347-348, 358 see also Discipleship: Cost of Flawed 52 Convictions, courage of 35 Death, life beyond 383-385, 443-451, 505-507 Decisions 85-87 Discipleship Cost of 452-453 see also Commitment: Costly Journey of 2 Division 293-294 Divided world, a 497 Doubt and disbelief 410-411 and questions 454-459 Examination and soul-searching 36-47 see also Faults, recognisingfailure and forgiveness 412-416 Faith, conquering doubt 420 Faithfulness of Christ 309 of God in Christ 243-244, 285 God s 421 Faithlessness 231-237, 295, 341-342 Faults, recognising 48-51 see also Examination and soulsearching; True penitence Flawed commitment 52 Following Jesus 14 see also Walking the way of Christ Glory of God, in Christ 199 Good news, celebrating 460-462 Grace Growth in 6, 7, 17-23, 310, 463, 89-97 and mercy 3-5, 15-16, 53-56, 69, 88, 226, 238-241, 266, 333-334, 349, 359, 422 Guidance 423, 464 Guilt and wrongdoing 11 Hope and despair 498 and trust 417-418 Humility 200-205, 267 Hungry, the 157 Injustice, anger over 268 Judging others 98-101, 242 321
Light in our darkness 424-425 Love of God in Christ 28-30, 70-75, 102-103, 171, 245-249, 269-274, 286-289, 302-305, 311, 335-336, 350-355, 360-361, 371 Costly nature of 219-225 March of witness 327-329 Need, those in 282-283 Needy world 318-320, 367-370 New beginnings 465-470, 499 Peace and harmony 210-211 Peacemakers, living as 104 Personal experience of the risen Christ 426-428, 471-473 Personal response 105-107, 186, 275, 312, 343-345, 362-364 Power of God, transforming nature of 188, 227, 250, 337-339, 356-357, 365, 386-400, 432-439, 478-483, 508 Present moment, celebrating 474 Purpose, God s 158, 290-291, 313, 429-431 Triumph of 401-404 Selfishness 59 Service and self-denial 116-126 Sharing our faith 475-476 see also Witnessing to Christ Sick and suffering, the 159 Social and world justice 160 Sorrow and suffering 500-502 Strength God s 31, 127 in weakness 206-207 Temptation 8-10, 60-66, 128-142 Transfiguration, the 177-179 Time and space for God 24-26, 76, 143-150, 187, 477 Transforming power of God 188, 227, 250, 337-339, 356-357, 365, 386-400, 432-439, 478-483, 508 Trials and temptations 161 Trouble, times of 151, 277, 315-317, 440-442, 484-490 True penitence 67-68 Trust 491-493 Truth 278, 494 and falsehood 419 Questions of faith 108-112, 314 and doubt 454-459 Relationships 113-114 Riches, true nature of 115 Self-denial 57-58 Service and 116-126 Unanswered prayer 152 Victory of God in Christ 495-496 of good over evil and love over hatred 405-409 322
Walking the way of Christ 208, 279-281, 346 see also Following Jesus Witnessing to Christ 153-156, 366 see also Sharing our faith World Change in 503-504 Divided 497 Needy 318-320, 367-370 Social and world justice 160 Worshipping Jesus 32-33 Worth of all 34 323