Prayers

		Prayers for Readiness to Live in the Light of Eternity

49		Support us, O Lord, all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, Lord, in your mercy grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last; through Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

50		Grant us, Lord, the wisdom and the grace to use aright the time that is left to us on earth. Lead us to repent of our sins, the evil we have done and the good we have not done; and strengthen us to follow the steps of your Son, in the way that leads to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

51		God, our Father, we thank you that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die for us and rise again. His cross declares your love to be without limit; his resurrection, that death our last enemy is doomed. By his victory we are assured of the promise that you will never leave us or forsake us; that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All		Amen.

52		Almighty God, we pray that, encouraged by the example of your saints, we may run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith; so that at the last we may join those whom we love in your presence where there is fullness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

53		Almighty God, you have surrounded us by a great cloud of witnesses. As you strengthened them, inspire us to throw off all that weighs us down and the sin that clings so closely. As you sustained them, keep us running in the race that lies ahead, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Hear us as we offer with them, in the power of the eternal Spirit, the unending song of praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

54		Father, your Son has become the source of eternal salvation for all who follow him. When we are tempted to turn from your way: form in us the obedience of Christ, our brother. When our consciences are stained by sin: cleanse us with the sacrifice of Christ, our priest. When we fear our death and the death of those we love: strengthen us in the knowledge that Christ has gone before us and entered your holy presence, crowned with glory and honour, where he is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All		Amen.

55		Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ said, 'Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid', take away our fear of death; bring us to the place he has gone to prepare for us; and give us his peace for ever.
All		Amen.

56		Living God, you have lit the day with the sun's light and the midnight with shining stars. Lighten our hearts with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness risen with healing in his wings, Jesus Christ our Lord. And so preserve us in the doing of your will, that at the last we may shine as the stars for ever; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

57		Intimate God, you are able to accept in us what we cannot even acknowledge; you have named in us what we cannot bear to speak of; you hold in your memory what we have tried to forget; you will hold out to us a glory we cannot imagine. Reconcile us through your cross to all that we have rejected in ourselves, that we may find no part of your creation to be alien or strange to us, and that we ourselves may be made whole, through Jesus Christ, our lover and our friend.
All		Amen.

58		Eternal God, you give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; let your light shine on those who mourn that they may rejoice in your holy comfort and live in the light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

59		Father of all, by whose mercy and grace your saints remain in everlasting light and peace: we remember with thanksgiving those whom we love but see no longer; and we pray that in them your perfect will may be fulfilled; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

60		Eternal Lord God, you hold all souls in life: shed forth, we pray, upon your whole Church in paradise and on earth the bright beams of your light and heavenly comfort; and grant that we, following the good example of those who have loved and served you here and are now at rest, may at the last enter with them into the fullness of your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

		Litanies and Responsive Prayers

61		In peace let us pray to the Lord. Jesus, bread from heaven, you satisfy the hungry with good things: grant us a share with all the faithful departed in the banquet of your kingdom.

		Hear us, risen Lord,
All		our resurrection and our life.

		Jesus, the light of the world, you gave the man born blind the gift of sight and opened the eyes of his faith: bring those in darkness to your eternal light and glory.

		Hear us, risen Lord,
All		our resurrection and our life.

		Jesus, Son of the living God, you summoned your friend Lazarus from death to life: raise us at the last to full and eternal life with you.

		Hear us, risen Lord,
All		our resurrection and our life.

		Jesus, crucified Saviour, in your dying you entrusted each to the other, Mary your mother and John your beloved disciple: sustain and comfort all who mourn.

		Hear us, risen Lord,
All		our resurrection and our life.

		Jesus, our way and truth and life, you drew your disciple Thomas from doubt to faith: reveal the resurrection faith to the doubting and the lost.

		Hear us, risen Lord,
All		our resurrection and our life.

		May God in his infinite love and mercy bring the whole Church, living and departed in the Lord Jesus, to a joyful resurrection and the fulfilment of his eternal kingdom.
All		Amen.

62		Let us turn to Christ Jesus with confidence and faith in the power of his cross and resurrection. Risen Lord, pattern of our life for ever: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Promise and image of what we shall be: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Son of God who came to destroy sin and death: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Word of God who delivered us from the fear of death: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Crucified Lord, forsaken in death, raised in glory: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Lord Jesus, gentle shepherd who brings rest to our souls, give peace to N for ever: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Lord Jesus, you bless those who mourn and are in pain. Bless N 's family and friends who gather around him/her today: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

63		The Lord Jesus is the lover of his people and our only sure hope. Let us ask him to deepen our faith and sustain us in this dark hour. You became a little child for our sake, sharing our human life. To you we pray.
All		Bless us and keep us, O Lord.

		You grew in wisdom, age and grace and learned obedience through suffering. To you we pray.
All		Bless us and keep us, O Lord.

		You welcomed children, promising them your kingdom. To you we pray.
All		Bless us and keep us, O Lord.

		You comforted those who mourned the loss of children and friends. To you we pray.
All		Bless us and keep us, O Lord.

		You took upon yourself the suffering and death of us all. To you we pray.
All		Bless us and keep us, O Lord.

		You promised to raise up those who believe in you, just as you were raised up in glory by the Father. To you we pray.
All		Bless us and keep us, O Lord.

64		Dear friends, our Lord comes to raise the dead and comforts us with the solace of his love. Let us praise the Lord Jesus Christ. Word of God, creator of the earth to which N now returns: in baptism you called him/her to eternal life to praise your Father for ever: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Son of God, you raise up the just and clothe them with the glory of your kingdom: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Crucified Lord, you protect the soul of N by the power of your cross, and on the day of your coming you will show mercy to all the faithful departed: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		Judge of the living and the dead, at your voice the tombs will open and all the just who sleep in your peace will rise and sing the glory of God: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

		All praise to you, Jesus our Saviour, death is in your hands and all the living depend on you alone: Lord, have mercy.
All		Lord, have mercy.

65		We pray with confidence to God, the almighty Father, who raised Christ his Son from the dead for the salvation of all. For N who in baptism was given the pledge of eternal life, that through faith he/she may now rejoice with the saints in glory. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

		For our brother/sister who shared the bread of life, that in Christ he/she may be raised up on the last day. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

		For those who have fallen asleep in the hope of rising again, that they may see God face to face. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

		For the family and friends of our brother/sister N, that they may be consoled in their grief by the Lord, who wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

66		We give you thanks and praise, almighty Father, that you sent your Son to die, and raised him from the dead for the salvation of all. Lord, hear us.
All		Lord, graciously hear us.

		We thank you for N who in baptism was given the pledge of eternal life, and now through faith rejoices with the saints in glory. Lord, hear us.
All		Lord, graciously hear us.

		We thank you for our brother/sister who shared the bread of life, a foretaste of the eternal banquet of heaven. Lord, hear us.
All		Lord, graciously hear us.

		We thank you for our deceased relatives and friends, who have helped us in the faith and now find rest from their labours. Lord, hear us.
All		Lord, graciously hear us.

		We thank you that the family and friends of our brother/sister N may be consoled in their grief by the Lord, who wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. Lord, hear us.
All		Lord, graciously hear us.

		We pray for all of us assembled here to worship in faith, that we may be gathered together again in God's kingdom. Lord, hear us.
All		Lord, graciously hear us.

67		Let us pray with confidence to God our Father, who raised Christ his Son from the dead for the salvation of all. Grant, Lord, that your servant may know the fullness of life which you have promised to those who love you. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

		Be close to those who mourn: increase their faith in your undying love. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

		May we be strengthened in our faith, live the rest of our lives in following your Son, and be ready when you shall call us to eternal life. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

		Show your mercy to the dying; strengthen them with hope, and fill them with the peace and joy of your presence. Lord, in your mercy
All		hear our prayer.

		Lord, we commend all those who have died to your unfailing love, that in them your will may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with them in your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

		Prayers of Entrusting and Commending

68		Lord Jesus, our redeemer, you willingly gave yourself up to death, so that all might be saved and pass from death to life. By dying you unlocked the gates of life for all those who believe in you. So we commend N into your arms of mercy, believing that, with sins forgiven, he/she will share a place of happiness, light and peace in the kingdom of your glory for ever.
All		Amen.

69		N has fallen asleep in the peace of Christ. We entrust him/her, with faith and hope in everlasting life, to the love and mercy of our Father and surround him/her with our love and prayer. [In baptism, he/she was made by adoption a child of God. At the eucharist he/she was sustained and fed. God now welcomes him/her to his table in heaven to share in eternal life with all the saints.]
All		Amen.

70		Heavenly Father, your Son Jesus Christ is the firstborn from the dead. We believe that he will raise up the bodies of his faithful people to be like his in glory. We commend N to your mercy and pray that as you gather him/her to yourself, you will give to us your blessing of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who died and rose again to save us, and is now alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit in glory for ever.
All		Amen.

71		Heavenly Father, you have assured us that everyone who looks to your Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. Trusting in your faithfulness, we commend N to your mercy as we await that great day when you raise us with him/her to life in triumph and we shall stand before you, with all your whole creation made new in him, in the glory of your heavenly kingdom.
All		Amen.

72		God our creator and redeemer, by your power Christ conquered death and returned to you in glory, bearing in his body the marks of his passion. Confident of your victory and claiming his promises, we entrust N into your keeping in the name of Jesus our Lord, who, though he died, is now alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All		Amen.

73		Almighty God, as you bring us face to face with our mortality, we thank you for making each one of us in your own image and giving us gifts in body, mind and spirit. We thank you now as we honour the memory of N , whom you gave to us and have taken away. We entrust him/her to your mercy, and pray that you will show us the path of life, and the fullness of joy in your presence through all eternity.
All		Amen.

74		Almighty God, in your great love you crafted us by your hand and breathed life into us by your Spirit. Although we became a rebellious people, you did not abandon us to our sin. In your tender mercy you sent your Son to restore in us your image. In obedience to your will he gave up his life for us, bearing in his body our sins on the cross. By your mighty power you raised him from the grave and exalted him to the throne of glory. Rejoicing in his victory and trusting in your promise to make alive all who turn to Christ, we commend N to your mercy and we join with all your faithful people and the whole company of heaven in the one unending song of praise: glory and wisdom and honour be to our God for ever and ever.
All		Amen.

		At the time of death

75		Into your hands, Lord, our faithful creator and most loving redeemer, we commend your child N , for he/she is yours in death as in life. In your great mercy fulfil in him/her the purpose of your love; gather him/her to yourself in gentleness and peace, that, rejoicing in the light and refreshment of your presence, he/she may enjoy that rest which you have prepared for your faithful servants; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

76		Into your hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend your servant N . Acknowledge, we pray, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Enfold him/her in the arms of your mercy, in the blessed rest of everlasting peace and in the glorious company of the saints in light.
All		Amen.

77		N , go forth from this world: in the love of God the Father who created you, in the mercy of Jesus Christ who redeemed you, in the power of the Holy Spirit who strengthens you. May the heavenly host sustain you and the company of heaven enfold you. In communion with all the faithful, may you dwell this day in peace.
All		Amen.

78		N , go forth upon your journey from this world, in the name of God the Father almighty who created you; in the name of Jesus Christ who suffered death for you; in the name of the Holy Spirit who strengthens you; in communion with the blessed saints, and aided by angels and archangels, and all the armies of the heavenly host. May your portion this day be in peace, and your dwelling the heavenly Jerusalem.
All		Amen.

79

All		Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with the saints: where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.
		You only are immortal, the creator and maker of all: and we are mortal, formed from the dust of the earth, and unto earth shall we return. For so you ordained when you created me, saying: 'Dust you are and to dust you shall return.' All of us go down to the dust, yet weeping at the grave, we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
All		Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with the saints: where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

		Blessings and other Endings

80		And now to him who is able to keep us from falling, and lift us from the dark valley of despair to the bright mountain of hope, from the midnight of desperation to the daybreak of joy; to him be power and authority, for ever and ever.
All		Amen.

81		God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in my eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and at my departing.
All		Amen.

82		May Christ the good shepherd enfold you with love, fill you with peace, and lead you in hope, to the end of your days; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
All		Amen.

83		The Lord is here, his Spirit is with us. We need not fear, his Spirit is with us. We are surrounded by love, his Spirit is with us. We are immersed in peace, his Spirit is with us. We rejoice in hope, his Spirit is with us. We travel in faith, his Spirit is with us.

84		May the eternal God bless and keep us, guard our bodies, save our souls and bring us safe to the heavenly country, our eternal home, where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reign, one God for ever and ever.
All		Amen.

		For a Memorial Service

85		The love of the Lord Jesus draw you to himself, the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen you in his service, the joy of the Lord Jesus fill your hearts; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
All		Amen.

86		May the infinite and glorious Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, direct our life in good works, and after our journey through this world, grant us eternal rest with the saints.
All		Amen.

87		The Lord God almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the holy and undivided Trinity, guard us, save us, and bring us to that heavenly city, where he lives and reigns for ever and ever.
All		Amen.

88		The Lord God almighty is our Father:
All		he loves us and tenderly cares for us.

		The Lord Jesus Christ is our Saviour:
All		he has redeemed us and will defend us to the end.

		The Lord, the Holy Spirit is among us:
All		he will lead us in God's holy way.

		To God almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
All		be praise and glory today and for ever. Amen.

		Prayers for Use after Psalms

		For use after Psalm 6

		Our eyes, Lord, are wasted with grief; you know we are weary with groaning. As we remember our death in the dark emptiness of the night, have mercy on us and heal us; forgive us and take away our fear through the dying and rising of Jesus your Son.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 32

		Lord, our hiding place in times of trouble, you bring our guilt to mind. Your hand seems heavy; our tongues dry up and we openly confess our guilt. Embrace us with your mercy. Teach us to trust you, and bring us at the last to rejoice in your presence for ever and ever.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 38

		Lord, have mercy on those who go about in mourning all the day long, who feel numb and crushed and are filled with the pain of grief, whose strength has given up and whose friends and neighbours are distant. You know all our sighing and longings: be near to us and teach us to fix our hope on you alone; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 39

		Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, grant that we may ever seek you and feed on you all our days, for you are in all and with all and through all, now and for ever.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 90

		Teach us, Lord, to number our days; to see the span of our life in the light of eternity. Reveal your splendour to us. Give us the wisdom and grace to know your love and to rejoice in your forgiveness and life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 116

		Lord of life, we walk through eternity in your presence. Lord of death, we call to you in grief and sorrow: you hear us and rescue us. Watch over us as we mourn the death of your servant, precious in your sight, and keep us faithful to our vows to you.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 120

		God of mercy, we are in trouble and we call to you. Deliver us from lies and deceit and the pain of the enemy's attack. And give us peace, the peace Christ won upon the cross.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 121

		Faithful Lord, lift us up when we are down. Watch over us and keep us safe. Be with us in our going out and in our coming in, now and for ever.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 130

		Lord of mercy and redemption, rescue us, we pray, from the depths of sin and death; forgive us what we do wrong, and give us grace to stand in your presence, to serve you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 138

		Lord, do not abandon us in our desolation. Keep us safe in the midst of trouble, and complete your purpose for us through your steadfast love and faithfulness, in Jesus Christ our Saviour.
All		Amen.

		For use after Psalm 139

		Lord, you created and fashioned us, you know us and search us out, you abide with us through light and dark: help us to know your presence in this life and, in the life to come, still to be with you; where you are alive and reign, God, for ever and ever.
All		Amen.

© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
All of the official Common Worship publications are being published by Church House Publishing.