Prayer During the Day on Friday
    Friday, 18 July 2025
Elizabeth Ferard, first Deaconess of the Church of England , Founder of the Community of St Andrew, 1883 [Commemoration]
     
     
      Preparation  
     
    O God, make speed to save us.
All
   O Lord, make haste to help us.
     
    Make me a clean heart, O God,
All
   and renew a right spirit within me.
   
Psalm 51.11
     
   
Praise
  
     
    A hymn, song, canticle, extempore praise, or
     
    Jesus, Saviour of the world,
      come to us in your mercy:
we look to you to save and help us.
     
    By your cross and your life laid down,
      you set your people free:
we look to you to save and help us.
     
    When they were ready to perish, you saved your disciples:
we look to you to come to our help.
     
    In the greatness of your mercy, loose us from our chains,
forgive the sins of all your people.
     
    Make yourself known as our Saviour and mighty deliverer;
save us and help us that we may praise you.
     
    Come now and dwell with us, Lord Christ Jesus:
hear our prayer and be with us always.
     
    And when you come in your glory:
make us to be one with you
      and to share the life of your kingdom.
     
   
The Word of God
  
     
   
Psalmody
     
    Either, on any Friday Psalm 23
     
    Or, Week 3 Psalm 123
     
    Alternatively, when Morning and Evening Prayer are also celebrated, one of these cycles may be followed.
     
   

Psalm 23

1  The Lord is my shepherd; ♦
   therefore can I lack nothing.

2  He makes me lie down in green pastures ♦
   and leads me beside still waters.

3  He shall refresh my soul ♦
   and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4  Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
      I will fear no evil; ♦
   for you are with me;
      your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5  You spread a table before me
      in the presence of those who trouble me; ♦
   you have anointed my head with oil
      and my cup shall be full.

6  Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me
      all the days of my life, ♦
   and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Refrain: I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

O God, our sovereign and shepherd,
who brought again your Son Jesus Christ
from the valley of death,
comfort us with your protecting presence
and your angels of goodness and love,
that we also may come home
and dwell with him in your house for ever.
     
    (or)
     
   

Psalm 123

Refrain: Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God.

1  To you I lift up my eyes, ♦
   to you that are enthroned in the heavens.

2  As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, ♦
   or the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

3  So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, ♦
   until he have mercy upon us.

4  Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, ♦
   for we have had more than enough of contempt.

5  Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of the arrogant, ♦
   and of the contempt of the proud.

Refrain: Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God.

Sovereign God, enthroned in the heavens,
look upon us with your eyes of mercy,
as we look on you with humility and love,
and fill our souls with your peace
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
     
    Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
     
All
   Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
     
   
Short readings
  
     
     
    Week Three
    Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
   
Ephesians 2.13-18
    Or, on any Friday
    Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.’
   
Luke 6.27b,28
     
     
   
Response
  
     
    Silence, study, song, or words from Scripture, such as
     
    Jesus said, I am the good shepherd.
All
   The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
   
John 10.11
     
   
Prayers
  
     
    Prayers may include these concerns:
     
    The King, members of parliament and the armed forces
    Peace and justice in the world
    Those who work for reconciliation
    All whose lives are devastated by war and civil strife
    Prisoners, refugees and homeless people
     
    A form of intercession found here may be used.
     
    Either, the following prayer is said
     
    Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you
for all the benefits you have won for us,
for all the pains and insults you have borne for us.
Most merciful redeemer,
friend and brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day.
All
   Amen.
   
After Richard of Chichester (1253)
     
     
    Or, the Collect of the day is said
     
    O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler and guide
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
grant this, heavenly Father,
for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
     
    The Lord’s Prayer is said.
     
    (Either)
     
    As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
     
All
  Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
     
    (or)
     
    Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
     
All
  Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
     
   
The Conclusion
  
     
    May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
All
   Amen.
     
   

© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
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The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Implemented by Simon Kershaw at Crucix.
Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.