Do pray for:

• a halt to the spread of the coronavirus
• comfort and healing for all those who are currently suffering from coronavirus
• strengthening and encouragement and wisdom for all doctors, nurses, lab technicians, ambulance crew, and other medical staff
• protection for all those who work in the many essential industries - healthcare, farmers, food supply, pharmaceutical supply, police, taxi drivers, garbage collectors, etc.
• success for researchers who seek to find a vaccine for this virus
• wisdom for governments as they seek to minimise the spread of the virus
• patience for all those who struggle with self-isolation - may we all learn to live within the restrictions for the good of all
• patience and kindness for those who share their isolation space with others
• peace for all those who are anxious at this time
• provision for those who face economic hardship at this time
• comfort for those who are separated from loved ones
• comfort for all who grieve for the loss of a loved one
• an assurance of God's love for those who struggle with being in isolation alone
• Jesus to guide us in our use of time in this new situation we find ourselves in
• a strong sense of community within churches and the flourishing of new ways of connecting and worshipping together
• us to be alert to ways we can help others - through prayer, email, a phone call, a text, a card or a letter.

There is also much to give thanks for:

• The steadfast love of God
• The connections that we have with one another
• The shelter and food that we enjoy
• The technology that allows us to connect with others
• The sun that warms us and the rain that waters our gardens and lawns and farms
• The recent encouragements to us all to show kindness and patience to others
• ...

20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic

As COVID-19 sends the globe into crisis, it also sends us to our knees.

(Jen Pollock Michel, 18 March 2020, Christianity Today)

1. For the sick and infected: God, heal and help. Sustain bodies and spirits. Contain the spread of infection.
2. For our vulnerable populations: God, protect our elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Provide for the poor.
3. For the young and the strong: God, give them the necessary caution to keep them from unwittingly spreading this disease. Inspire them to help.
4. For governments: God, help them as they allocate the necessary resources for combating this pandemic. Help them to provide more tests.
5. For our scientific community, leading the charge to understand the disease and communicate its gravity: God, give them knowledge, wisdom, and a persuasive voice.
6. For the media, committed to providing up-to-date information: God, help them to communicate with appropriate seriousness without causing panic.
7. For consumers of media, looking to be well-informed: God, help us find the most helpful local information to equip us to be good neighbors. Keep us from anxiety and panic, and enable us to implement the recommended strategies, even at a cost to ourselves.
8. For those with mental health challenges who feel isolated, anxious, and helpless: God, provide them every necessary support.
9. For the homeless, unable to practise social distancing in the shelter system: Protect them from disease, and provide isolation shelters in every city.
10. For international travellers stuck in foreign countries: God, help them return home safely and quickly.
11. For Christian missionaries throughout the world, especially in areas with high rates of infection: God, provide them with words of hope, and equip them to love and serve those around them.
12. For workers in a variety of industries facing layoffs and financial hardship: God, keep them from panic, and inspire your church to generously support them.
13. For families with young children at home for the foreseeable future: God, help mothers and fathers to partner together creatively for the care and flourishing of their children. For single mothers and fathers, help them to find support.
14. For parents who cannot stay home from work but must find care for their children: God, present them with creative solutions.
15. For those in need of regular therapies and treatments that must now be postponed: God, help them to stay patient and positive.
16. For business leaders making difficult decisions that affect the lives of their employees: God, give these women and men wisdom, and help them to lead self-sacrificially.
17. For pastors and church leaders faced with the challenges of social distancing: God, help them to creatively imagine how to pastor their congregants and love their communites well.
18. For school and university students, whose courses of study are changing or put on hold: God, show them that while life is uncertain, their trust is in you.
19. For Christians in every neighbourhood, community, and city: May your Holy Spirit inspire us to pray, to give, to love, to serve, and to proclaim the gospel, that the name of Jesus Christ might be glorified around the world.
20. For frontline health care workers, we thank you for their vocational call to serve us. We also pray:

• God, keep them safe and healthy. Keep their families safe and healthy.
• God, help them to be knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, as well as the changing protocols.
• God, help them to stay clear-minded in the midst of the surrounding panic.
• God, deliver them from anxiety for their own loved ones (aging parents, children, spouses, roommates).
• God, give them compassion for every patient in their care.
• God, provide for them financially, especially if they fall ill and are unable to work.
• God, help Christians in health care to exhibit extraordinary peace, so that many would ask about the reason for their hope. Give them opportunities to proclaim the gospel.

God, we trust that you are good and do good. Teach us to be your faithful people in this time of global crisis. Help us to follow in the footsteps of our faithful shepherd, Jesus, who laid down his life for the sake of love. Glorify his name as you equip us with everything needed for doing your will. Amen.

Resources for Prayer from the Scottish Church can be found here