Resources for prayers at home - Lent 5 (29.03.2020)


I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14
Silence

Confession
If you O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who can stand.
Silence
We confess our sins and our failures
-          To fear the Lord
-          To wait for the Lord
-          To hope in the word of the Lord
In the Lord there is forgiveness for with the Lord is unfailing love.                                        Psalm 130

Collect
Most merciful God, by the passion, death and resurrection of your Only-Begotten Jesus Christ, you created humanity anew. Breathe upon us the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to a new life in Christ and serve you in the right way all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament                  Ezekiel 37:1 - 14
New Testament:              Romans 8:6 - 11               
Gospel:                                 John 11: 1- 45

In the midst of fear, suspicion, uncertainty and frustrations, our Gospel reading for this Sunday once again gives us hope, when Jesus says “I am the resurrection and the life”. We have Jesus at the funeral house of his friend and Martha and Mary encounter Jesus in the midst of their sorrow of the loss of their brother.
In the midst of their sorrow we see the faith of the two sisters, Mary and Martha in Jesus. A frequent visitor to their home, Jesus is Lord and teacher to them.  
Lord is a person who owns absolute ownership rights. Hence it is a title that carries respect and honour. In the midst of their sorrow and tears, Mary and Martha by calling Jesus Lord, shows that they belonged to Jesus and they trusted him.
Teacher is a person who is acknowledged for their competency and knowledge in their field of learning. Through Jesus their teacher they had learned that, as Lord, Jesus is life.
As Lord of life Jesus assures us life and teaches us that life can be found only in him. That is the assurance we all need in this hour of pandemic. Jesus our healer, Jesus Lord of life, is bigger than the pandemic and our trust must continue to be in him.
Isn’t it wonderful to be owned by Jesus, the Lord of life?

For further study
1.       What can you learn about Jesus from this portion of scripture?
a.       His coming late.
b.       His going to the tomb
c.       His emotions - crying

2.       If you compare your life with Mary and Martha
a.       …..where do you go first in times of trouble?
b.       …..who is Jesus to you in difficult moments?
c.       …..how is your faith in such moments?



a.       …..how hard is it to follow Jesus?

3.       How does this story give you hope in the situation of the Corona Virus?

4.       As a family note down the ways in which Jesus has cared for you during this period of curfew

  
Thanks & Praise
Praise the Lord. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Psalm 150:1a, 2

·         For those who are being healed of the virus.

·         For the commitment and sacrifices of doctors and all medical staff

·         For those who provide essential services that the needs of the people will be met.

Intercessions
Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1

We prayer for all affected by the Corona Virus. That God’s healing hands will be upon them, making them whole and restoring them to good health.

We pray for the families of the affected and for families who have lost loved ones. For God’s love and comfort in times of fear, concern, and uncertainty. That they will be spared from discrimination and isolation by those around them.


We pray for the doctors and medical staff and all others involved in the care of the affected; That they may continue to serve with dedication, courage and strength and that God’s presence will also be with their families.

We pray for all the daily wage earners, the poor, small businesses, those who provide other essential services, that their needs will be

met and they will be protected from the pandemic.

We pray for the general public; that they may be responsible and follow the right procedures that they too will be instruments of healing;

that they will be mindful of the needs of others and be kind and generous in this time of needs.

We pray for the leaders of our nations and the leaders of the world; for right decisions to be taken as they keep at heart the citizens of their nations, and work for the benefit of all. 

We pray for the church and its witness in this time of pandemic; that the church will walk in the path of Jesus, giving courage and strength to a world that is affected, living in fear and uncertainty, that through it’s actions the world will know Jesus as the Lord of life.

Daily prayer during this period of pandemic
Liberating God, who broke into human history with compassion and healing for all, give to the world at this time a sense of neighborliness so that we may turn fear and anxiety into patient listening, isolation and social distancing to the healing of memories of hurt and an assurance of a social embrace through our presence, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit One God forever and ever. Amen  

Living in confidence
Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25a

May God who made both heaven and earth bless us. Amen. 

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