Night Prayer for Holy Week
In preparation
For this service if available, you will need a Bible, 3 candles and if you have a cross that you can place where it will be seen during this time that would be appropriate.
The readings given are the Eucharistic readings set for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy week and are as follows:
Monday: Isaiah 42.1-9
Psalm 35.5-11
Hebrews 9.11-15
John 12.1-11
Tuesday: Isaiah 49.1-7
Psalm 71.1-14
1 Corinthians 1.18-31
John 12.20-36
Wednesday: Isaiah 50.4-9
Psalm 70
Hebrews 12.1-3
John 13.21.32
If you have 3 candles, please light them as you begin.
I will light a light in the name of the Maker,
who lit the world and breathed the breath of life for me.
I will light a light in the name of the Son,
who saved the world and stretched out his hand to me.
I will light a light in the name of the Spirit,
who encompasses the world and blessed my soul with yearning.
We will light three lights for the trinity of love.
God above us, God beside us,
God beneath us
the beginning, the end,
the everlasting one.
We will wait for the Lord, our souls wait,
and in his word do we hope.
A period of silence for reflection on the past day.
Before God, with the people of God,
we confess to our brokenness:
To the ways we wound our lives,
the lives of others and the life of the world.
We offer to you the troubles of this day,
we lay down our burdens at your feet.
May God forgive us, Christ renew us and
the Spirit heal us. Amen.
Psalm & Bible Readings
You may wish to hold a time of silence for reflection after each reading.
The Psalm can be followed with:
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning
is now and shall be forever. Amen.
We pray
You may wish to use the following prayers or make a prayer of your own.
We bring to God someone whom we have met or remembered today and for whom we want to pray.
We bring to God someone who is hurting tonight and needs our prayer.
We bring to God a troubled situation in our world tonight.
We bring to God, silently, someone whom we find hard to forgive or trust.
We bring ourselves to God
that we might grow in generosity of spirit, clarity of mind,
and warmth of affection.
Intercessions
You may also pray set intercessions which can be found at the end of this service sheet
Closing prayers
Standing at the foot of the cross,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Almighty God, thank you for the love
you have shown in Jesus Christ,
a love that sees us as we are,
with all our faults and weaknesses,
and goes on caring,
that knows the worst about us,
coming up against, rejection, denial, betrayal
yet goes on accepting us,
faithful to the last.
Thank you that your nature is always to have mercy,
to forgive and restore.
With grateful hearts we give you our praise.
Amen
In peace we will lie down and sleep; for you alone, Lord, make us dwell in safety.
Abide with us, Lord Jesus, for the night is at hand and the day is now past.
As the night watch looks for the morning,
so do we look for you, O Christ.
We are called and loved by God the Father
and kept safe by Jesus Christ.
Mercy, peace and love be ours in abundance,
from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Materials in this booklet are drawn from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, Common Worship: Pastoral Services, and Common Worship: Daily Prayer, all of which are copyright © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England.
©The Iona Community from The Iona Abbey Worship Book
Reproduced under CCLI No. 39465
Prayers of Intercession
In this holy week we pray that we may take up our cross and follow daily in the footsteps of Christ, however difficult the path may be:
Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer
In this holy week we pray for all who stumble on the way and cry out in pain. May our hands and hearts reach out in love to lift their burdens and raise them up: Lord, give us the courage to be cross-bearers Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer
In this holy week we pray for all who suffer in body, mind or spirit. May we be mindful of their needs and find ways to walk alongside them: Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer
In this holy week we pray for all who are approaching death and for those who grieve. Give us the grace to know when to listen and when it is appropriate to speak. Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer
In this holy week we give thanks for our loved ones, families and neighbours, and ask that you be with us as we journey the way of the cross together: Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer
In this holy week, as we look beyond Good Friday to the joy of Easter Day, we know that after death there is new life and new hope and a new beginning, and we give you thanks. and praise your holy name
Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer
Merciful Father, accept these prayersfor the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray to God, who alone makes us dwell in safety:
For all who are affected by coronavirus, through illness or isolation or anxiety, that they may find relief and recovery: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For those who are guiding our nation at this time, and shaping national policies, that they may make wise decisions: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For doctors, nurses and medical researchers, that through their skill and insights many will be restored to health: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For the vulnerable and the fearful, for the gravely ill and the dying, that they may know your comfort and peace: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, to the mercy and protection of God.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray to the Lord, who is our refuge and stronghold.
For the health and well-being of our nation, that all who are fearful and anxious may be at peace and free from worry: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For the isolated and housebound, that we may be alert to their needs, and care for them in their vulnerability: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For our homes and families, our schools and young people, and all in any kind of need or distress: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For a blessing on our local community, that our neighbourhoods may be places of trust and friendship, where all are known and cared for: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, to the mercy and protection of God.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
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