These prayers have been supplied for use in our Diocese and beyond by the Reverend Edrick Corban-Banks.

Intercessory Prayer for the People of Iran

Loving and righteous God,
we come before you with heavy hearts
and with sorrow too deep for easy words.

We hold before you the people of Iran —
men and women, young and old —
who long simply to live without fear,
to speak freely, to work, to love,
and to hope for a future shaped by dignity and peace.

God of justice,
we grieve the violence that has been unleashed against them:
the imprisonments, the silencing of voices,
the lives cut short, and the families left broken.
You see what is hidden.
You know the truth when power seeks to obscure it.

Be near to those who suffer.
Strengthen those who stand with courage,
even when standing places them in danger.
Be close to those who protest knowing they may never return home,
and to those who mourn loved ones taken from them.

Where fear rules and cruelty is justified,
we ask that your light would expose what is done in darkness.
Where authority is used to harm rather than to serve,
bring restraint, accountability, and change.

We pray for all who are imprisoned unjustly:
give them endurance, protect them from harm,
and remind them that they are not forgotten.

And we pray for ourselves, O God —
for the Church and for all who claim your name.
Give us courage to pray faithfully,
to speak truth with humility,
and to stand with those who suffer,
trusting that faithfulness matters, even when it is costly.

We place the people of Iran into your loving care,
trusting that no suffering is unseen by you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord
who stood with the poor, the persecuted, and the powerless.
Amen.

A shorter version

God of mercy and justice,
we pray for the people of Iran,
for all who long to live without fear.

Be near to those who suffer:
the injured, the grieving, the imprisoned, and the silenced.
Strengthen those who act with courage
and protect the vulnerable.

Comfort families who mourn,
heal those who are traumatised,
and keep hope alive where it feels fragile.

Give us compassion, courage, and faithfulness in prayer.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Responsive Prayer

Leader: God of mercy and truth, we pray for the people of Iran.
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: For those who are afraid, and for families living under threat.
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: For those who are injured, detained, silenced, or grieving.
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: For courage for the vulnerable and hope for the weary.
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: For peace, justice, and restraint where there is violence.
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: We entrust all who suffer into your care, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: Amen.

These prayers have been supplied for use in our Diocese and beyond by the Reverend Edrick Corban-Banks.