Evening Intercessions and Closing Prayers

O God make speed to save us . O Lord, make haste to help us . Blessed are you, Lord God, Creator of day and night. To you be praise and glory for ever . As darkness falls, you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. By the light of Christ, your living word, dispel the darkness of our hearts, that we may walk as children of light, and sing your praise throughout the world. Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever . That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, let us pray with one heart and mind . As our evening prayer rises before you, O God, so may your mercy come down upon us to cleanse our hearts and set us free to sing your praise now and for ever . Amen . Psalm 1 4 5 . Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised . I will exalt you, O God my King, and bless your name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless you and praise your name for ever and ever . Great is the Lord and highly to be praised . His greatness is beyond all searching out . One generation shall praise your works to another, and declare your mighty acts . They shall speak of the majesty of your glory , and I will tell of all your wonderful deeds . They shall speak of the might of your marvellous acts , and I will also tell of your greatness . They shall pour forth the story of your abundant kindness , and joyfully sing of your righteousness . The Lord is gracious and merciful , long suffering and of great goodness . The Lord is loving to everyone , and his mercy is over all his creatures . All your works praise you, O Lord , and your faithful servants bless you . They tell of the glory of your kingdom, and speak of your mighty power , to make known to all peoples your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom . Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Your dominion endures thro ughout all ages . The Lord is sure in all his words, and faithful in all his deeds . The Lord upholds all those who fall , and lifts up all those who are bowed down . The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord , and you give them their food in due season you open wide your hand and fill all things living with plenty . The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving in all his wor ks. The Lord is near to those who call upon him , to all who call upon him faithfully . He fulfills the desire of those who fear him . He hears their cry and saves them . The Lord watches over those who love him , but all the wicked shall he destroy . My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord , and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever . Great is the Lord and highly to be pra ised . Let us pray . King of the universe, you show the bright glory of your reign in acts of mercy and enduring love , raise the spirits of the downcast, and restore those who have fallen away , that we may sing for ever of your love through Jesus Christ our Lord . Amen . The first reading is from the second book of Chronicles, beginning at chapter twenty-two, verse ten . Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, saw that her son was dead, she set about to destroy all the royal family of the house of Judah. But Jehoshaphat , the king's daughter, took Joash, son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's children who were about to be killed. She put him and his nurse in the bedroom. Thus Jehoshabiath , daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada , because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athal iah, so that she did not kill him. He remained with them for six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land . But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage, and entered into a compact with the commanders of the hundreds, Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Ma'assea son of Adiah, and Elishapad, son of Zikri . They went about through Judah and gathered the Levites from all the towns of Judah and their heads of families of Israel and they came to Jerusalem. Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God . Jehoiada said to them, Here is the king's son. Let him reign as the Lord promised concerning the sons of David . This is what you are to do. One third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall be gatekeepers. One third shall be at the king's house, and one third at the gate of the foundation, and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. Do not let anyone enter the house of the Lord except the priests and ministering Levites. They may enter for they are holy, but all the other people shall observe the instructions of the Lord. The Levites shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand, and whoever enters the house shall be killed. Stay with the king in his comings and goings . The Levites and all Judah did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded. Each brought his men who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to go off-duty on the Sabbath, for the priest Jehoiada did not dismiss the divisions . The priest Jehoiada delivered to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God, and he set all the people as a guard for the king, everyone with weapon in hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house . Then he brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant . They proclaimed him king , and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, Long live the king! When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their mus ical instruments leading in the celebration . Athalia tore her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason ! Then the priest Jehoiada brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them, Bring her out between the ranks, anyone who follows her is to be put to the sword . The priest said, Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord. So they laid hands on her. She went into the entrance of the horse gate of the king's house, and there they put her to death. Jehoada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be the Lord's people . Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down. His altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mata and the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Jehoidah assigned the care of the house of the Lord to the Levitical priests whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejo icing and with singing, according to the order of David. He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. And he took the cap tains, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the upper gate to the king's house. They set the king on the royal throne . So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, after Athaliah had been killed with the sword. Lord I can s light us close to me have for Christmas hand Since we are justified by friends , we are peace with God for Through the Christ we have gained access to the grace we saw We were starting our sufferings for suffering gorgeous into Because God's love has been called into through the Holy Spirit Why do we send us thy four ? Since we have been justi fy my wisdom , how much more shall we stay from God's love We are glory to our con ce pt . Glory to the Father to the song and to the As it was now . I shall be Oh please water The second reading is from the letter of Paul to the Romans, beginning at chapter three, verse one . Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way . For in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God . What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means . Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written, so that you may be justified in your words and prevail in your judging . But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say ? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us, I speak in a human way. By no means . For then how could God judge the world . But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner ? And why not say, as some people slander us by saying that we say, Let us do evil so that good may come. Their condemnation is deserved . What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written . There is no one who is righteous, not even one . There is no one who has understanding . There is no one who seeks God . All have turned aside. Together they have become worthless . There is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one . Their throats are opened graves, they use their tongues to deceive . The venom of vipers is under their lips, their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness . Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silence, and the whole world may be held accountable to God , for no human being will be justified in his sight by deeds prescribed by the law , for through the law comes the knowledge of sin . Forsake me not, O Lord, be not far from me , O my God . Forsake me not, O Lord. Be not far from me, O my God . Make haste to help me, O Lord of my salvation . Be not far from me, O my God . Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit . Forsake me not, O Lord . Be not far from me, O my God . You have scattered the proud in their conceit, and lifted up the lowly. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour . He has looked with favour on his lowly servant . From this day all generations will call me blessed . The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him , from generation to gener ation . He has shown strength with his arm , and has scattered the proud in their conceit, casting down the mighty from their th ron es, and lifting up the lowly . He has filled the hungry with good things , and sent the rich away empty . He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, to remember his promise of mercy , the promise made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever. As it was in the beginning, is now and shall be for ever . Amen . You have scattered the proud in their conceit, and lifted up the lowly . On this day that the Lord has made, let us pray for the people he has redeemed . For the King, Members of Parliament, and the armed forces, let us pray to the Lord . Almighty God the fountain of all goodness , bless our sovereign Lord, King Charles, and all who are in authority under him , that they may order all things in wisdom and equity, righteousness and peace, to the honor and glory of your name, and the good of your church and people , through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen . For peace and justice in the world, and those who work for reconciliation, let us pray to the Lord . In whose perfect realm no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, and no strength known but the strength of love . So guide and inspire the work of those who seek your kingdom, that all your people may find their security in that love which casts out fear, and in the fellowship revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Saviour . Amen . For all whose lives are devastated by war and civil strife, and for refugees and those held captive, let us pray to the Lord . Heavenly Father, you are the source of all goodness, generosity and love . We thank you for opening the hearts of many to those who are fleeing for their liv es , help us to open our arms in welcome and reach out our hands in support , that the desperate may find new hope, and lives torn apart be restored . We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who fled persecution at his birth, and at his last triumphed over death . Amen . As we approach the end of this day, let us pray for inner peace . O Lord, your way is perfect. Help us, we pray, always to trust in your goodness, that walking with you in faith and following you in all simplicity, we may possess qu iet and contented minds, and leave all our worries with you, because you care for us . For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord . Amen . O Lord, from whom all good things come, grant to us your humble servants, that by your holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by your merciful guiding may perform the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever . Amen . As our Saviour taught us, so we pray 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 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 . Let us bless the Lord . Than to God