Prayer of thanksgiving for the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 

Lord God, we give You thanks for the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

We remember with grateful thanks someone whom everyone could identify with. Lord, we give You thanks that Your love and presence were at work through our Queen. Thank You for giving her the ability to identify with people, whether meeting a prime minister or a taxi driver, a head of state or a shopkeeper. We thank You that everyone was made to feel special.

We thank You, Lord, for the anointing that You gave to our Queen, who was able to capture our imagination by being a shining example of how life should be lived. Our memories of her will always include her sense of humour and quick-wittedness which was so disarming amongst people from all walks of life. We thank You that her warmth and confidence brought trust, friendliness and a sense of family to so many.

We ask for Your comfort and strength as we all grieve the passing of someone who has been respected and honoured by the people of our nation, the Commonwealth and countries worldwide.

We are sad at such a significant loss but grateful for the outstanding faithfulness and total dedication that the Queen has shown over the 70 years of her reign. Her example is a challenge to all of us.

Lord, we also give You thanks for the leadership of the Queen as Defender of the Faith. Our hearts warm at the memory of the Christmas messages she shared and that declared the love and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank you for the steady hand and decisiveness in decision-making, but also for compassion and understanding in times of challenge.

Lord, as a whole nation, we are heartbroken at the passing of our Queen but give thanks for a fitting tribute to her service from the God she served. A double rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace around the time of her passing.

We ask that You give strength, wisdom and courage to the new King Charles III. May he know Your presence and guidance as he takes on this role for which he has been prepared.

Lord, please release Your anointing on Him. We ask that the Holy Spirit comfort, empower and fill our new sovereign and his consort and all of the royal family. Please provide them with strength and protection both now and in the future.

We ask Lord, that You use our Churches to bring hope and reassurance to communities across the country at this very difficult time.

We remember Queen Elizabeth II with great love and affection and give You thanks for her sacrificial life of dedication and service.

We say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, we honour you and thank you for all you have done.”

In Jesus' name. Amen.
 

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