A warm welcome to
St Cuthbert Church and Home Prayer Group,
whether at Home or in Church.
Our Prayers this December are for
Advent
This December our prayers centre on Advent the beginning of the Christian calendar year, a time when as St Paul stresses writing to the Church in Rome, we need to constantly be aware that Jesus could return at any minute, and so to ask how prepared we would be? Whilst we also think about and make our preparations for celebrating God’s coming into our world in human form as baby Jesus on Christmas day
Our reading is from Romans chapter 13 verses 11-14.
St Paul writes And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[a
Shall we commence our Prayer time together with the Lord’s Prayer in the traditional form.
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.
Preparation for our prayers
Lord hear our prayers not according to the poverty of our asking, but according to the richness of your Grace, so that our lives may conform to those desires which accord with Your will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen.
A prayer for Christmas
God of majesty and power
Who spoke and this world was
Who breathed and this world lived
Who counts the hairs upon our head
Who sees our thoughts and reads our hearts
Who loves us more than we deserve
How can we not bring today
Our sacrifice of praise?
For in the child at Bethlehem
Lies the promise of intimacy
With a Saviour who would die even for me
And the promise of an eternity
In which to praise you more each day
God of promise we praise your name, Amen
An Advent prayer from Sr Bridgetta Rooney and CAFOD
Christ, come into our world of darkness
Light up our lives with your coming.
Fulfil all our longings with the joy of your birth
Strengthen our resolve to work for change in our world
And to share the hope of your birth that each Advent brings.
Amen.
An Advent prayer from Llewellyn Cumings.
O God who sent your Son into the world
To be the saviour of all who believe,
And promised that He would come again to be our judge:
increase in us the attitude of watchfulness and prayer,
so that we will be always ready to meet Him,
with our lamps trimmed and burning
and our lives active in service,
to the glory of your name. AMEN
An Advent Prayer 10th Century,
Lord by your first coming make us righteous, at your second coming set us free:
So that, when the world is filled with light , and You judge all things, that we may be clad in spotless robes, and follow in Your steps O King, into the heavenly hall. AMEN.
A Prayer reminding us of our perpetual preparedness need, from Richard Baxter
Keep us O Lord, while we tarry on this earth, in a serious seeking after Thee, and in an affectionate walking with Thee, every day of our lives, that when Thou comest, we may not be found hiding our talent, nor serving the flesh, nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished, but waiting and longing for our Lord, our gracious King for ever and ever. Amen
Waiting for Jesus’ second coming; a prayer based on Psalm 130, in the Celtic tradition.
Dark through the night,
The watchmen wait,
For hint of light,
For morning’s cue.
Dark through my soul,
I also wait,
To make me whole,
I wait for you.
For you O God,
I long and pray,
And wait,
As watchmen wait for day,
I wait for you,
O God, my stay. Amen
An Advent prayer from the Church of England.
Father in heaven, the day draws near when the glory of your Son will make radiant the night of the waiting world. May the lure of greed not impede us from the joy which moves the hearts of those who seek him. May the darkness not blind us to the vision of wisdom which fills the minds of those who find him. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. AMEN
An Advent prayer from the Rt Rev. Michael Perham.
May God the Father, who loved the World so much that He sent His only Son; give us grace to prepare for eternal life.
May God the Son, who comes to us as Redeemer and Judge, reveal to us the path from darkness to light.
May God the Holy Spirit, by whose working the Virgin Mary conceived the Christ, help us bear the fruits of holiness. AMEN
The Advent Collect
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. AMEN
Shall we say the Grace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.
Thank you for being with us whether at home or in Church and so contributing to our prayers for ‘ADVENT.’
Our next Church and Home prayer group will be on Wednesday 7thJanuary 2026
Roger
Church and Home prayer group meetings are usualluy held on the first Wednesday of each month and are advertised on our website and in our church magazine.
After the prayer meeting in church, there is a short Holy Communion service which begins at 10.30am and lasts about half an hour. There is no pressure to stay, but you would be most welcome! There is also the added bonus of coffee and fellowship in a local cafe after the Holy Communion service!
We would very warmly welcome your support.
