Prayer diary written by Hilary Prescott

MON 1  Heavenly Father, we commit to you our vicar and the other ministers in the Offa Mission Area, and pray that they will remain in health and, empowered by your Holy Spirit, have the wisdom and energy to continue to promote and practice the worship and witness of their churches.

TUES 2  Lord God, we pray for our local hospitals and Health Centre- their staff and the patients. Grant the former the energy, skill and compassion they need to cope under stress, and we also ask that the patients in the hospitals, who might be feeling lonely and anxious, are given the comfort and reassurance they need.

WED 3  O Lord, we pray for all parents coping with children at home, especially if they are trying to work from home themselves, feel they cannot cope with home-schooling, or live in cramped accommodation or experience tense family situations.

THURS 4  Almighty God, we bring before you the distribution of the Covid vaccines and the administering of them. We pray for a fast and smooth management of the situation. Thank you for all the people involved in the scheme, bringing hope to so many people: may your blessing rest upon them and the recipients.

FRID 5  Be Thou between me and all things grisly, be Thou before me in all things mean, Be Thou between me and all things gruesome Coming darkly towards me. (Ancient Celtic prayer)

SAT 6 Let us give thanks for all in our churches who have been working hard to ensure that they are clean and safe for worship. May these people be kept safe and know your blessing upon them.

SUN 7  Lord, we pray that however people in our churches will be participating in worship today, they will know your presence with them and your blessing. Thank you for those who are responsible for the acts of worship.

MON 8   Jesus Christ is waiting,/waiting in the streets;/no-one is his neighbour,/all alone he eats./Listen, Lord Jesus,/I am lonely too;/make me, friend or stranger,/fit to wait on you.    Jesus Christ is calling,/calling in the streets,/’Come and walk faith’s tightrope,/I will guide your feet.’/Listen, Lord Jesus,/let my fears be few;/walk one step before me,/I will follow you.’

TUES 9  Let us remember before God all the people who would normally have been attending  Mini Lunches or Markets at this time. We pray particularly for those who have perhaps been feeling isolated or sad because of the lack of such familiar links with friends and neighbours.

WED 10  Heavenly Father, we pray for the mothers and their toddlers who belong to St Mary’s Toddlers Group; may they receive the support and friendship they need despite the current closure of the scheme.

THURS 11  Thank you, Lord, for the people in our area who would normally be planning for Chirk pantomime or the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen and so enrich the lives of so many people. We pray that these events will happen in the future.

FRID 12 Lord, we ask for your blessing on all who live in Maes Y Waun in Chirk.

SAT 13 Tomorrow is Racial Justice Sunday. Let us pray for all people in the world whose lives are badly affected by racism and discrimination and who suffer because of their colour, race or religious beliefs. May the Church, in reflecting God’s love for all his children, be of comfort and support to all who are victims of such prejudice.

 SUN 14 Let us give thanks to God for the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist which reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice of His life on the cross for our salvation. May God help us to truly appreciate all that Our Lord has done for us – and still does, not just experienced in a service but throughout our lives.

MON 15 Loving Lord, we pray that you will comfort and strengthen all who at this time are newly bereaved and who are feeling sorrowful and alone. May they receive the help they need and know hope for the future .

TUES 16 SHROVE TUESDAY  As we prepare to enter the period of Lent, let us pray that this year it will be a time which will bring us ever closer to God, using the extra time that many of us will have for prayer and attention to The Bible. During lockdowns we have had to give up many things which have brought us joy and satisfaction, so let us offer to God any deprivations or difficulties this time of Lent may bring us, while giving thanks for all that we do have.

WED 17  ASH WEDNESDAY  Lord, who for our sake did fast forty days and forty nights: give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen (Collect Book of Common Prayer)

THURS 18 During Lent we have often had ecumenical discussion groups, so let us spend more time not only in prayer for our fellow Christians in Chirk, but in spiritual reading which will challenge and enlighten us.  Thank you, O Lord, for all the opportunities you give us to get to know you and our fellow Christians better.

FRID 19 Loving Lord God, we pray for the staff and children of our local schools as they cope with the demands of new ways of teaching and learning.  We also pray for young people whose secondary school or college education is disrupted and affecting their future.

SAT 20  Heavenly Father , we commit to you Gregory our Bishop and all who work for the diocese.

SUN 21  Today is Church Action on Poverty Sunday , so let us pray for the poor in our own country and throughout the world, and ask God to bless them and to empower all organisations and individuals doing their best to alleviate poverty and its effects. Let us give thanks for such groups, thinking especially of our local Foodbanks and people working with the homeless and people affected by loss of income because of the virus.

MON 22  Fairtrade Fortnight begins today. Lord, we give thanks for all firms which belong to the Fairtrade scheme and pray that more will join in the fight to help people exploited and ill paid by their employers.

TUES 23  Let us ask God to bless all who live along Greenfields in Fron.

WED 24  He (Jesus) called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake and the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?’ Mark 8 34-6

THURS 25 Almighty God, we commit to you the residents and staff of Chirk Court and pray that the months ahead will bring health and hope to them and restore the joy of personal contact with family and friends.

FRID 26  O  Lord God whose care and love are ever present , be with us as we cope with the constant uncertainty and fear we have experienced and will still know in the year ahead.  We give thanks for all the people who have continued to work and support us throughout the situation, often at risk to themselves. Please guide them and send your blessing on them.

SAT 27  At this time we usually begin to think of preparing to  welcome visitors to our area and to our local tourist attractions. Let us pray for the people and places involved and for hope for the future for the tourist industry in the UK.

SUN 28  Almighty God our Father, we bring before you for your blessing all members of our church congregations; help us to keep up our links with each other so that our church family is constantly strengthened and enriched by our love and concern for each other.