I’ve come to the end of the prayers published in my free ebook For Such a Time as This: Prayers in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, but the crisis continues, and so, for as long as I feel able to continue, my prayers for the situation continue too. I hope they help a little, as we continue to face this hugely demanding time for all.
Lord,
it is hard enough to face death;
harder still to face it alone,
yet too many have endured just this over recent months,
and many more continue to endure it still.
We understand it has to be;
that there is no other way to protect loved ones from infection,
that social distancing,
and, if necessary, isolation,
are essential for people’s safety,
even at these most heard-rending of times,
but we pray for those forced to go through it:
for the dying, separated from their nearest and dearest;
for families longing to hold, hug and comfort one last time;
and for medical staff,
offering what support, care and reassurance they can.
Thank you for the ministry doctors and nurses have offered,
going beyond the care of body,
to care, as far as they are able –
through a calming voice,
a compassionate presence,
a supportive touch –
for the mind as well.
Grant that it may mean more to those who are dying than we might imagine,
offering at least a measure of hope, comfort, strength and peace.
May it give the sick, in their final hours,
the knowledge that someone is still there with them,
even as life slips away;
the assurance that they are not abandoned,
neither by you,
nor by others.
Amen.