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Prayers
This page includes a number of set prayers that we hope you might find helpful. | | 
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The prayers are organised under the following headings:
For the Queen
For the Royal Family
For those who Govern
For guidance by the Holy Spirit
For social justice and responsibility
For the peace of the world
At the beginning of the day
For family life
For farmers
For the Earth
For Perseverance
For each nation
Please scroll down the page to find each emboldened heading.
But first the prayers emailed to members on 5th April 2002:
Please thank God for the life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Ask that the funeral service next Tuesday will help bring the nation to a clearer understanding of Christian truth.
We are very thankful to the Fellowship's members for the generous response so far to our recent extraordinary appeal for funds. This will help our work to continue fully in the coming months.
In the coming months, CCF staff will be heavily involved in the planning of the Conservative Party's One Nation Hearings, a series of visits and meetings to enable the party to understand in detail the problems facing vulnerable communities and how best they can be helped. These visits will obviously be even more heavily scrutinised after Iain Duncan Smith's commitment to champion the vulnerable at Harrogate recently. Please pray for wisdom in the preparations for these hearings and that the Leader and members of his Shadow Cabinet will meet the most helpful, insightful people, including those of Christian faith, during these visits.
We are also very thankful for the opportunity that has arisen this week to work with the Scottish Conservatives to take forward the social justice agenda north of the border. Please pray that our efforts will help the Scottish party establish credibility in this territory in the run-up to the elections for the Scottish Parliament in May next year.
Preparations are now well underway for the evangelistic event with Jonathan Aitken we are holding on Thursday 9 May. We have had a good response thus far. Please pray that more non-Christians will be invited along by CCF members. Places are still available.
Andrew Rosindell is speaking to a discussion supper of the Fellowship next Tuesday. Again, places are still available.
Below is reprinted the prayer read by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the Lying-in-State of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
"O Lord, our Heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, we remember before thee our sister, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. We give thanks for her example of faithful duty and unwearied service, and for the loyalty and love which she inspired. Hear Lord, the prayers of thy people, and grant that we who confess thy name on earth with her may be made perfect in the kingdom of thy son, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: deal graciously, we pray, with these who mourn, that casting all their care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
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Key:
Unless prayers are deliberately attributed to a person they will come from one of these two sources:
CW : prayers taken from Common Worship
ASB : prayers taken from the Alternative Service Book
For the Queen (CW)
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness,
bless our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth,
and all who are in authority under her;
that they may order all things
in wisdom and equity, righteousness and peace,
to the honour of your name,
and the good of your Church and people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For the Royal Family (CW)
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness,
bless, we pray,
Philip Duke of Edinburgh, Charles Prince of Wales,
and all the Royal Family.
Endue them with your Holy Spirit;
enrich them with your heavenly grace;
prosper them with all happiness;
and bring them to your everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For those who Govern (CW)
Eternal God,
fount and source of all authority and wisdom,
hear our prayer for those who govern.
Give to Elizabeth our Queen grace
as the symbol of loyalty and unity
for all our different peoples;
give to the parliaments in these islands,
and especially to our own Government,
wisdom and skill, imagination and energy;
give to the members of the European institutions
vision, understanding and integrity,
that all may live in peace and happiness, truth and prosperity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Related scripture for meditation:
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2 1-4)
For guidance by the Holy Spirit (CW)
God, who from of old
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Amen
O heavenly Father,
the author and founder of all truth,
the bottomless sea of understanding,
send, we beseech thee,
thy Holy Spirit into our hearts,
and lighten our understanding
with the beams of thy heavenly grace.
We ask this, O merciful Father,
For thy dear Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen
(Nicholas Ridley c. 1500 to 1555)
For social justice and responsibility (CW)
Eternal God,
in whose perfect realm
no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness,
and no strength known but the strength of love:
so guide and inspire the work of those who seek your kingdom
that all your people may find their security
in that love which casts out fear
and in the fellowship revealed to us
in Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen
Give ear, O Lord, unto our prayer,
And attend to the voice of our supplication.
Make us poor in spirit: that ours may be the kingdom of heaven.
Make us to mourn for sin: that we may be comforted by thy grace
Make us meek: that we may inherit the earth.
Make us to hunger and thirst after righteousness:
That we may be filled therewith.
Make us merciful: that we may obtain mercy.
Make us pure in heart: that we may see thee.
Make us peacemakers: that we may be called thy children.
Make us willing to be persecuted for righteousness' sake:
That our reward may be great in heaven.
Amen
(Book of Common Order, 1562)
For the peace of the world (CW)
Almighty God,
from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed:
kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace
and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth
that in tranquillity your kingdom may go forward,
till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen.
At the beginning of the day
This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Let us sing to the Lord, for he is our strength and our song.
He has become our salvation.
Let us give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures for ever.
Let us praise the Lord, for he is our mighty God.
Let us trust in the Lord, for he is with us, today and for ever.
Let us walk this day in his truth, in his light, in his peace and in his joy.
Let us live and work to his praise and glory.
In the name of Christ.
Amen
(Derived from Psalm 118)
For family life (ASB)
Heavenly Father
Whose blessed son shared at Nazareth
The life of an earthly home:
help us to live as the holy family,
united in love and obedience,
and bring us at last to our home in heaven;
though Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen
For farmers (ASB)
Almighty God,
whose will it is that the earth
should bear its fruits in their seasons:
direct the labours of those who work on the land,
that they may employ the resources of nature
to your glory,
for our own wellbeing,
and for the relief of those in need;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
For the Earth
Creator of Earth
And of all earth's children,
Creator of soil and sea and sky
And the tapestries of stars,
We turn to you for guidance
as we look on our mutilated planet,
and pray it is not too late for us
to rescue our wounded world.
We have been so careless.
We have failed to nurture the fragile life
You entrusted to our keeping.
We beg you for forgiveness
And we ask you to begin again.
Be with us in our commitment to earth.
Let all the earth say: Amen
Miriam Therese Winter
For Perseverance
O Lord God, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same to the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory: through him who for the finishing of thy work laid down his life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Amen
(Sir Francis Drake)
For each nation
(this was originally written for South Africa, but is of universal application)
Bless our beautiful land, O Lord,
With its wonderful variety of people,
Of races, cultures and languages.
May we be a nation
Of laughter and joy,
Of justice and reconciliation,
Of peace and unity,
Of compassion, caring and sharing.
We pray this prayer for a true patriotism,
In the powerful name of Jesus or Lord.
Amen
(Desmond Tutu)
Fighting for the family
Conservative whip, Julian Brazier MP, focuses on the family in this week's Westminster Comment (19.4.02)
Angela Watkinson MP pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Taken from the CCF's Westminster Comment slot of 11.4.02
The Liberal Democrats use Easter Sunday to attack church schools and biblical account of Creation
Phil Willis, Lib Dem Education spokesperson, reveals secular extremist tendencies of the LibDems (2.4.02)
How Conservatives should respond to Labour's decision to stop funding pro-marriage groups
David Lidington, CCF Governor, encourages Conservatives to seek practical ways of supporting marriage and the family (21.3.02)
Conservative Party Vice Chairman, Gary Streeter MP, on the party's programme of reaching out to ALL of British society
Gary talks about the Party's dialogue with Britain's faith communities (14.3.02)
Caroline Spelman MP supports Fair Trade Fortnight
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development endorses Fair Trade Fortnight (5.3.02)
David Willetts MP focuses Conservative policy renewal on hard-pressed communities
Beginning the One Nation Hearings - Willetts acknowledges 'The Reality of Poverty' (28.02.02)
CCF honours William Hague's support for Christian causes
On Monday 25th February the Fellowship held a reception for the former Conservative leader (28.2.02)
Broken Hearts: Jill Kirby charts the consequences for children of broken families
The key points from a recent Centre for Policy Studies report by Conservatism columnist Jill Kirby (11.2.02)
Related links
The late Dr John Blackburn MP on the importance of prayer
The 'Dynamic Prayer' site
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