Remembrance Day prayers 2014


PoppyTraditionally, the MP for Wycombe leads prayers in All Saints High Wycombe on Remembrance Day. Here are mine for 2014:

O LORD our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who from your throne beholds all the dwellers upon earth, heartily we rejoice in your Lordship over all creation, as we remember in humility and penitence those failures of humanity which cause war.

We give thanks and praise for the men and women of our armed forces and all those who, in the day of decision, sacrificed themselves for the peace, liberty and justice we now enjoy.

[Bidding – “May God give peace”]

LORD God our Father, on this centenary of the beginning of the Great War, we remember before you “the war to end all wars”:

We remember the 70 million people who were mobilised to fight.

We remember the 9 million combatants and 7 million civilians who died.

We remember the 8 million prisoners of war.

We remember those who were killed in war crimes on land and at sea. The use of chemical weapons, genocide and ethnic cleansing. The enduring misery of the trenches.

We remember the revolutions and radicalism which followed and the subsequent greater catastrophe of the Second World War.

We give thanks for the League of Nations which was created so hopefully and the United Nations which followed it.

Bless, we pray, those who endeavour to guide the powers of the world towards harmony and prosperity.

[Bidding – “May God give peace”]

We place before you the strife and pestilence of the world today and especially:

The civil wars in Syria, Iraq and Libya

Israel and Palestine

Ukraine and Crimea

May Afghanistan find stability.

We pray for the people of Africa who suffer Ebola, HIV/Aids, Malaria, hunger and TB.

May good governance and aid rescue these people and nations from their plight.

[Bidding – “May God give peace”]

Let us remember before God those who suffer as a result of war:

Those injured and disabled, both physically and mentally,

The homeless and the hungry,

The angry and disaffected,

All who have lost their livelihood and security,

Those who mourn the loss of husband or wife, children or parents, friends and comrades,

And especially we pray for those who have no faith in God to sustain them in their grief.

[Bidding – “May God give peace”]

Let us pray for all men and women, that their hearts may be turned to God in the search for righteousness and truth;

That we may learn to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds and with all our strength;

That we may learn to love our neighbours, even our enemies, as ourselves, so that we may live in peace.

[Bidding – “May God give peace”]

Merciful LORD, the God of righteousness and truth, grant to our Queen and her government, to members of Parliament, to councillors, candidates, officials and all in positions of responsibility, the guidance of your Spirit.

May they never lead the nation wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideals; but laying aside all private interests and prejudices keep in mind their responsibility to seek to improve the condition of all mankind; so may your kingdom come and your name be hallowed.

[Bidding – “May God give peace”]

Lord God our Father, grant our prayers in the power of your Spirit;

Replenish us that we may strive to preserve and extend freedom and justice in our nation, in Europe and in the world, and to safeguard the peace which was won at such cost,

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Tags: , ,

Comments & Responses

Comments are closed.