Prayers for Other People

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It’s time for us to bring our prayers to Jesus, who loves us.

Invite the children to sit in a circle for a moment of quiet.

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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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If you’re using Option 1:

Jesus Hands together, cupped

hear our prayer Hands opened upwards to God

Let’s pray . . .

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Prayers for Other People: Option 1

➜Song: ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’ © Sharon Moughtin-Mumby

➜Tune: 'Brown girl in the ring' (traditional)

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For the world:                             Jesus, hear our prayer.

Make a circle shape                   Open hands upwards to God

For the Church:                          Jesus, hear our prayer.

Praying hands                             Open hands upwards to God

For our place, Walworth*:         Jesus, hear our prayer.

Hands down moving out in       Open hands upwards to God

a semi-circle to indicate the place around us

Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Amen.

Open hands upwards to God

* Insert the name of your local area/school/church/community/parish.

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For the sick and lonely:              Jesus, hear our prayer.

Fingers showing tears falling    Open hands upwards to God

down cheeks

For our friends and family:        Jesus, hear our prayer.

Arms around yourself                Open hands upwards to God

For ourselves:                             Jesus, hear our prayer.

Both hands on heart                  Open hands upwards to God

Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Amen.

Open hands upwards to God.

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Let’s close our eyes for a moment.

I wonder if there’s someone special you’d like to pray for?

Let’s imagine them now.

Let’s imagine Jesus coming to them.

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Does Jesus say anything?

Does Jesus do anything?

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Let’s open our eyes.

You may like to 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.

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Take our prayers:                       Jesus, hear our prayer.

Hands together gently            Open hands upwards to God

Make them holy:                       Jesus, hear our prayer.

Hands together gently             Open hands upwards to God

Make them beautiful:               Jesus, hear our prayer.

Hands together gently             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 1b

➜Song: ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’, alt. words © Sharon Moughtin-Mumby

➜Tune: 'He's got the whole world' (traditional)

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For the world and all people:      Hear our prayer.

Make a circle shape                     Open hands upwards to God

For all Christians in all places:    Hear our prayer.

Praying hands                               Open hands upwards to God

For the place that we live in:      Hear our prayer.

Hands down moving out in        Open hands upwards to God

a semi-circle to indicate the place around us

Lo-rd Jesus, hear our prayer. 

Open hands upwards to God

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For the sick and lonely:              Hear our prayer.

Fingers showing tears falling    Open hands upwards to God

down cheeks

For our friends and family:        Hear our prayer.

Arms around yourself                Open hands upwards to God

Fo-r ourselves:                            Hear our prayer.

Both hands on heart                  Open hands upwards to God

Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. 

Open hands upwards to God.

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Let’s close our eyes for a moment.

I wonder if there’s someone special you’d like to pray for?

Let’s imagine them now.

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Now let's imagine Jesus coming to them.

Does Jesus say anything?

Does Jesus do anything?

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Let’s open our eyes.

You may like to continue with one of the Prayer Action options. For this alternative tune, amend 'Jesus, hear our prayer!' to 'Hear our prayer!' in the refrain sung during the action.

 

Once the Prayer Action has been completed, you may like  to use the following verse to close this time of prayer.

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Jesus, take our prayers:               Hear our prayer.

Hands together gently                Open hands upwards to God

Jesus, make them holy:               Hear our prayer.

Hands together gently                Open hands upwards to God

Jesus, make them beautiful:       Hear our prayer.

Hands together gently                Open hands upwards to God

Lord Jesus, hear our prayer! 

Hands together gently, then open hands upwards to God.

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Prayers for Other People: Option 2

➜Philippians 4.6

➜Song: ‘Diddy Disciples Little Prayers song’. © Sharon Moughtin-Mumby

➜Tune: 'Frere Jacques' (traditional)

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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.

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Ask the children to suggest actions for the prayers. You will need two different ‘thank you’ suggestions and two different ‘hear our prayer’ suggestions. Try to encourage the offering of at least one prayer for people outside the group.

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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! But it’s really valuable to do so where possible, resisting the urge to try and ‘tidy up’ their suggestions.

 

For example:

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!

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For Nancy’s Nanny,

For Nancy’s Nanny,

Hear our prayer!

Hear our prayer!

Fo-r people with no homes,

Fo-r people with no homes,

Hear our prayer!

Hear our prayer!

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At this point, 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).

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For toda-ay,                   Point hands down for ‘now’

For toda-ay,                   Point hands down for ‘now’

Thank you, God!            Open hands upwards or together in prayer

Thank you, God!            Open hands upwards or together in prayer

Fo-r yo-ur lo-ve,          Cross hands on chest

Fo-r yo-ur lo-ve,          Cross hands on chest

Thank you, God!           Open hands upwards or together in prayer

Thank you, God!            Open hands upwards or together in prayer

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