Church groups across Scotland are asking Christians to join in prayer at 7pm on 24th May 2020.

This is now the ninth week of joint calls by Scottish churches to pray at the same time in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. A Gaelic version is available here.

At this present time, we are especially conscious of the need to protect and to be protected. Indeed, our collective awareness of the need to protect life and the lives of those whom we love has perhaps never been so heightened. In response to the threat posed by Covid 19, we seek to protect and shield those whom we care for most deeply.

In the Gospel of John (17: 1-11), Jesus prays for his disciples in anticipation of the time when he will no longer be with them. What is it that he prays for? Jesus asks the Father to 'protect' his friends. Whilst he was with them, Jesus protected and shielded the disciples and later in his prayer he prays for each one of us. The ascended Lord Jesus continues to pray for us and assures us that his presence will be renewed through the gift of the Holy Spirit."

We pray:

Living God and gracious Father,
Protect and shield us.
Living God, protect and shield
All whom we love,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Living God, your Son now sits in your presence
And shares in your glory and honour.
We thank you for the promise
That his presence shall be renewed for us,
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Living God, we thank you that Jesus prayed for us
And that he continues to intercede for us.
We thank you that he continues to pray
For us and for our protection,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Signed by:

Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland.

Most Rev Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church.

Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church.

Rev John Fulton, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland.

Rev Dr David Pickering, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)

Rev Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland.

Rev Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)

Rev May-Kane Logan, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland.

Lt Col Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army.

Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Rev Jim Ritchie, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene.

Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)

Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)