60 MINUTE PRAYER GUIDE: PRAYING FOR THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
This is taken from 24/7 prayer website
You’ll need: A Bible, Worship music, Water, Soap, Tissues, Pens, Pack of plasters / band aids, Hand sanitizer
PAUSE (5 minutes)
PRAY Psalm 46 aloud
BE STILL
Breathe deeply, and welcome the Holy Spirit
REJOICE (5 minutes)
PRAY Psalm 91 aloud
SING a song of worship about the greatness of God
ASK (30 minutes – 5 minutes per topic)
PRAY FOR THE CONTAINMENT OF THE VIRUS
Using water and soap, thoroughly wash your hands. Ask God to slow and halt the spread of the Covid 19 Coronavirus. Take a moment to pray for God’s particular intervention in the nations most affected.
PRAY FOR THE ILL AND ISOLATED
Using a pen and a tissue, write the names of the people you know who are selfisolating or who have contracted the virus.
Ask God to make His presence felt in solitude and to protect, strengthen and heal them.
PRAY FOR PROTECTION OF THE VULNERABLE
Take a pen and a packet of plasters / band aids. Write on plasters the names of the people you know who are elderly or have an under-lying condition that may make them susceptible to the Coronavirus. Ask God to protect them from infection.
PRAY FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS
Place your hands on your head and ask God to give wisdom to national and local political leaders as they make decisions to protect people. Cup your hand over your ear and ask God to bring excellent advisers to guide them. Open your hands in front of you and ask God to give them the ability to communicate clearly to the public.
PRAY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Rub sanitiser into your hands as you ask God to protect the health professionals (doctors, nurses, ambulance crews and more) caring for those affected by the virus. Ask God to give them peace, wisdom, to anoint them for their jobs and to protect them from infection.
PRAY FOR THOSE AFFECTED IN OTHER WAYS BY THE PANDEMIC
There are many of people who will be indirectly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Ask God to comfort those grieving the loss of loved ones, to provide for those in financial difficulty because they are unable to work, and for business leaders as they face such unprecedented disruption to life. Pray the blessing of Numbers 6:24-26 over each group.
YIELD (10 minutes)
Pray this prayer of yielding, written by Pete Greig:
Lord Jesus Christ, we ask you to protect us from the spread of the coronavirus. You are powerful and merciful; let this be our prayer –
“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wing s until the disaster has passed.” (Psalm 57:1)
Jehovah Shalom, Lord of Peace, we remember those living in coronavirus hotspots and those currently in isolation. May they know your presence in their isolation, your peace in their turmoil and your patience in their waiting. Prince of Peace, you are powerful and merciful; let this be their prayer –
“May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Saviour, for the glory of your name.” (Psalm 79:8)
God of all Comfort and Counsel, we pray for those who are grieving, reeling from the sudden loss of loved-ones. May they find your fellowship in their suffering, your comfort in their loss, and your hope in their despair. We name before you those known to us who are vulnerable and scared – the frail, the sick and the elderly. [pause] God of all Comfort, you are powerful and merciful; may this be our prayer –
“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.” (2 Corinthians 1:10)
Jehovah Rapha, God who heals, we pray for all medical professionals dealing daily with the intense pressures of this crisis. Grant them resilience in weariness, discernment in diagnosis, and compassion upon compassion as they care. We thank you for the army of researchers working steadily and quietly towards a cure – give them clarity, serendipity and unexpected breakthroughs today. Would you rise above this present darkness as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in your rays. May this be our prayer –
“ Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)
God of all Wisdom, we pray for our leaders: the World Health Organisation, national governments, and local leaders too – heads of schools, hospitals and other institutions. Since you have positioned these people in public service for this hour, we ask you to grant them wisdom beyond their own wisdom to contain this virus, faith beyond their own faith to fight this fear, and strength beyond their own strength to sustain vital institutions through this time of turmoil. God of all Wisdom and Counsel, you are powerful and merciful; may this be our prayer –
“God is our refuge and s trength, an ever – present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (Psalms 46:1 – 2)
I bless you with the words of Psalm 91:“Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” (Psalm 91:3-7)
“ Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 4:1)
May El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty who loves you protect you. May Jesus Christ, His Son who died for you save you. And may the Holy Spirit who broods over the chaos and fills you with his presence, intercede for you and in you for others at this time.
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18)
BE STILL
Breathe deeply, thank God for His presence and release into His hands all you’ve prayed this past hour.