Prayers for Other People
It’s time for us to bring our prayers to God the Maker,
who made the whole world and everything in it.
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Prayers for Other People: Option 1
âžœ Song: ‘Jesus, hear our prayer!’ Words: © Sharon Moughtin
âžœ Tune: ‘Brown girl in the ring’ (traditional).
Invite the group to sit in a circle in a moment of quiet.
Let’s imagine holding our prayer gently,
Hands together gently in traditional prayer gesture, but cupped so you can imagine a prayer inside
and then let it go up in prayer to God.
Hands opened upwards to God
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Jesus hands together, cupped
hear our prayer. Hands opened upwards to God
Let’s pray . . .
For the world:
Make a circle shape
Jesus, hear our prayer
Open hands upwards to God
For the Church:
Praying hands
Jesus, hear our prayer!
Open hands upwards to God
For our place, London*
Hands down moving out in a semi-circle to show the land around us. * Insert local area/school/church/community/parish.
Jesus, hear our prayer!
Open hands upwards to God
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Amen.
Open hands upwards to God
For the sick and lonely:
Fingers showing tears falling down cheeks
Jesus, hear our prayer!
Open hands upwards to God
For our friends and family:
Arms around yourself
Jesus, hear our prayer!
Open hands upwards to God
For ourselves:
Both hands on heart
Jesus, hear our prayer!
Open hands upwards to God
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Amen.
Open hands upwards to God
Let’s close our eyes for a moment.
I wonder if there’s someone special
you’d like to pray for?
Let’s imagine that person now.
Now, let’s imagine Jesus coming to them.
Does Jesus say anything?
Does Jesus do anything?
Let’s open our eyes.
Continue with one of the Prayer Action options. ​​
Once the Prayer Action has been completed, you may like to use the following verse to close this time of prayer.
Take our prayers: Hands together gently
Jesus, hear our prayer! Open hands upwards to God
Make them holy: Hands together gently
Jesus, hear our prayer! Open hands upwards to God
Make them beautiful: Hands together gently
Jesus, hear our prayer! Open hands upwards to God
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer! Amen.
Hands together gently, then open hands upwards to God
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Prayers for Other People: Option 2
âžœ Song: ‘The Sowing Seeds little prayers song’. Words © Sharon Moughtin
âžœ Tune: ‘Frère Jacques’ (traditional).
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These prayers are especially suited to churches that prefer less traditional prayer forms.
Either:
Choose what you’d like the group to pray for before the session.
Or:
Ask the children at this point if there is anything or anyone that they’d like to pray for. Ask them or others to suggest actions.
You will need two different ‘thank you’ suggestions and two different ‘hear our prayer’ suggestions. Try to encourage at least one prayer for other people outside the group.
Invite the children to sing after you, repeating your words and their actions. Sometimes it might be almost impossible to fit the child’s own words in! It’s really valuable to do this where possible, resisting the urge to try and ‘neaten’ their suggestions.
For our foo-ood,
For our foo-ood,
Thank you, God!
Thank you, God!
Fo-r our teachers,
Fo-r our teachers,
Thank you, God!
Thank you, God!
For Rachel’s Nanny,
For Rachel’s Nanny,
Hear our prayer!
Hear our prayer!
For people with no homes,
For people with no homes,
Hear our prayer!
Hear our prayer!
Having sung your prayers, you could insert a Prayer Action, repeat the process or move straight on to close with the following (or other words that remain the same each week).
For today, Point hands down for ‘now’
For today, Point hands down for ‘now’
Thank you, God! Open hands upwards to God or hands together in prayer
Thank you, God! Open hands upwards to God or hands together in prayer
Fo-r your love, Cross hands on chest
Fo-r your love, Cross hands on chest
Thank you, God! Open hands upwards to God or hands together in prayer
Thank you, God! Open hands upwards to God or hands together in prayer