Here’s another new coronavirus prayer, to help support and encourage you during the continuing crisis.
Lord,
so many people have fallen victim to coronavirus,
the majority thankfully recovering,
but countless others having lost the battle,
leaving loved ones in a state of shock,
mourning a wife,
husband,
son,
daughter,
brother,
sister,
or other relation,
unexpectedly and cruelly taken from them.
We pray for those who are grieving,
and for those who, even now, are fighting this horrible illness,
their lives so swiftly turned upside down.
Minister your love to them all,
and bring comfort,
strength,
hope
and support.
Hear our prayer also, today,
for victims of this pandemic in another sense:
those whose jobs have been lost or are under threat;
those whose business ventures and entrepreneurial schemes have collapsed:
those who have had important medical treatment postponed;
young people whose education has been disrupted,
and whose futures may be shaped by that for years to come;
those experiencing hardship and poverty,
relying on food banks and handouts to feed themselves and their family;
those with mental health issues,
troubled and confused by what’s happening,
and in danger of regressing from their path to recovery.
You know, Lord, that so many are affected –
these and countless others –
and we’re all too aware that, in years to come,
the lives of us all will continue to be profoundly changed
by the crisis we have experienced.
Help us somehow,
as a nation,
to recover not only from the physical effects of this disease,
but also from the economic and social consequences;
to pay off the mountain of debt,
preserve and create jobs,
stimulate the economy,
and to create a sustainable world that offers dignity and hope to all.
Amen.