ONLINE HELP TO PRAY

So we're at home and aren't sure when we'll be able to go to church again?

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Online, there's a lot of prayers and praying happening, which we can use and join in.

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ATTENDING CHURCH TOGETHER EACH SUNDAY is what we're likely to miss greatly. The worship of the Church continues though. We can join in from home by reading the Sunday Bible readings and praying familiar prayers. Our diocesan website has links to resources for this, at

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https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/coronavirus/prayer-and-spiritual-resources/

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A list of the Sunday Bible readings is at the link below, for which we'll need our own Bible to look them up. We can read them perhaps at the same time we would normally be in church, and know that others are reading them and praying at the same time

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https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Sunday-Readings-March-May.pdf

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In the next booklet we can find the readings collected together and printed in full - just look at page 4 contents to find the page you need (page 25 onwards for each Sunday)

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https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/praying-at-home-4.pdf

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Also in that same booklet (page 24) is An Act of Spiritual Communion. When we are missing being able to receive Communion in church, this is a helpful form of prayer to make. It also has daily prayer and other ways of praying included. There is a link to another fuller version of Spiritual Communion here

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https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/documents/757/An-Act-of-Spiritual-Communion_1.docx

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Bishop Gregory's prayer in response to the coronavirus crisis is at this link, which we can pray with him:

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https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Coronavirus-diocesan-prayer-200316.pdf

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Different ways of joining in with others praying might be through radio and television programmes. Our diocesan and provincial websites have details of some of these regularly happening:

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https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/coronavirus/prayer-and-spiritual-resources/

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https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/prayers/

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FOR DAILY PRAYER (including Sundays of course), our Church in Wales daily services of Morning and Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer, are almost the same as those of the Church of England. The CofE has daily prayer all sorted for us to use on its website, with everything included. They are at this link:

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https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer

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Just scroll down to the link for the service you want.

If you'd like some guidance about how to pray, and an idea for using your own hand as a model, then this link to the same website may be useful:

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https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/learning-pray

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Reading the Bible regularly is a practice done by many. Some of us may want to try using the Bible as a way of praying as well as studying. The ancient Christian practice known as lectio divina (holy reading) is helpful to many. Advice for using it can be found all over the internet; here's one link from the Anglican Communion:

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 https://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/253799/1-What-is-Lectio-Divina.pdf

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There's so much out there on the internet. Two sites I visit for encouragement are that of the Brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, who offer weekly sermons, daily meditations if you sign up for them, and the Lent course we've been following this Lent: https://www.ssje.org/

 

and the writer and blogger Ann Voskamp, who I follow on social media, and who will send regular emails if you sign up for them: https://annvoskamp.com/