At her Coronation on 2 June 1952, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was asked:
“Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?”
Her answer: “All this I promise to do.”
70 years later, as we come to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, we praise God for sustaining the Queen, give thanks for her Christian faith and service, and pray for God’s guidance in the next years of her reign.
As Christians, we have the great privilege and responsibility of prayer. Please join us at Christian Concern as we praying for our Queen as the nation celebrates her Platinum Jubilee.
Below, we have provided many points to help guide your prayers, along with Bible passages to meditate on.
We would love you to join us – individually, with family members, or with your church – as we dwell on God’s word and celebrate the Jubilee.
In Christ,
Andrea Williams and Ade Omooba MBE
“O LORD, our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies; and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Book of Common Prayer, The Order for Morning Prayer)
For the Queen and her family
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour.”
(1 Timothy 2:1-3)
- Give thanks for the Queen’s 70-year reign over this nation and the Commonwealth.
- Give thanks for the Queen’s faith and her willingness to share it publicly, particularly in her Christmas Messages.
- Pray for continued long life for our monarch, that the Lord would bless her with more years to rule and good health.
- Pray for wisdom for the Queen, particularly as she prepares for her successor to take over the throne.
- Pray for the wider Royal Family – that they would know the Lord and support the Queen her in public service.
- Pray for Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and others in line to the throne – that they would lead the nation and the commonwealth wisely, giving glory and honour to God.
For the Commonwealth and international relations
“He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.’
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
(Psalm 46:9-11)
- Pray for good relations between the UK and other countries, in particular those in the Commonwealth.
- Pray for a strong Christian influence across the Commonwealth, that more people would find faith in Christ and know his blessing.
- Pray for Christians in countries where they are persecuted, especially in the Commonwealth, but also beyond. Pray for their protection and that the UK and the Commonwealth would be effective in addressing international persecution.
- Pray for the UK’s involvement in Nato and in Ukraine, that our nation would be effective in securing justice and peace for all affected.
- Give thanks for the service of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces – for those who have sacrificed their lives to protect our nation, and those continuing to serve in other countries.
For the United Kingdom
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20)
- Pray for repentance and spiritual revival in the nation, that many would come to faith in Christ, following him wholeheartedly in their lives.
- Pray that our nation would be faithful to its Christian roots, rejecting the influence of other religions and atheistic secularism, which lead to destruction. Pray that the monarchy would be a Christian influence, faithful to the gospel.
- Pray that the Queen and her family give glory to the only true God, rather than describing commemorations as ‘multi-faith’.
- Pray for the most vulnerable in our nation, including the poor, the elderly, those with health problems and unborn children at risk through abortion. Pray for a nationwide culture of life and generosity that supports people with compassion.
- Pray for the economy, industry and agriculture to be ethical and productive, to bear good and righteous fruit.
- Pray that the freedom to share the gospel and to be consistently Christian would be upheld in our nation.
- Pray for strong families that are places of safety that would strengthen and support young people and others who need help and encouragement.
- Pray that ungodly divisions in society would be healed – that people would be able to live peacefully alongside others who have different beliefs or backgrounds to them.
For her government
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
(Romans 13:1)
- Pray that the political leaders of our nation act justly and righteously.
- Pray for the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, that he would know the God’s guidance to lead the country.
- Pray Her Majesty’s Government, that it would lead our nation in a way that honours and glorifies the Lord.
- Pray for Her Majesty’s Opposition, particularly Leader Keir Starmer, to rightly keep the government accountable, bringing glory and honour to God.
- Pray for Her Majesty’s Privy Council, and all those who advise and serve the Queen, that they would give wise counsel.
- Pray for leaders in other parts of the UK – including Nicola Sturgeon, Mark Drakeford, Jeffrey Donaldson and Mary Lou McDonald – to act with wisdom and integrity.
- Pray for those making decisions on abortion, particularly DIY abortion and buffer zones, that the value of life would be protected and upheld.
- Pray for those deciding policy on banning ‘conversion therapy’ – that people’s freedom to choose to seek prayer, counselling and advice would be protected.
- Pray for those in positions of authority, making decisions about gender and sexuality, that the God’s pattern for sex, sexuality and gender would be upheld.
- Pray that attempts to stop children accessing internet pornography would be successful.
- Pray for the education system, and for those in the government deciding education policy. Pray that children would be protected from harm and that Christian schools would be free to be distinctively Christian.
For the justice system
“Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.”
(Psalm 72:1-2)
- Pray for all those who work in the justice system, to uphold righteousness and justice.
- Pray for judges, that they would judge wisely and fairly, upholding real justice.
- Pray for those serving on juries, to be wise, impartial and discerning as they come to verdicts.
- Pray that the police would be effective in keeping the peace, limiting crime and finding those who are guilty of wrongdoing.
- Pray that evildoers would be punished justly and effectively rehabilitated
- Pray for Christian chaplains in prisons, to be effective evangelists and sources of spiritual guidance to those in prisons.
- Pray that victims of evil would find timely justice for the wrong done to them – that there would be effective support and restitution.
For the Church
“An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
(Titus 1:6-9)
- Pray for the leaders of church denominations across the UK – particularly the Archbishops of Canterbury and York as they wield particular influence and serve under the Queen. Pray that they would be faithful to the gospel, repenting of areas where they may have gone astray. Pray they would be faithful shepherds of those in the Church, leading people to Christ.
- Pray for those in the Church of England’s General Synod, that they would make wise decisions that help the Church pursue holiness and evangelism.
- Pray that the national churches would be faithful to Scripture and Biblical doctrine, having confidence in the Word of God, leading rather than following the wider culture.
- Pray for free and independent church leaders of all denominations to follow Christ faithfully and be effective in pastoring and evangelism.
- Pray that the Church in this nation would set an example of how to follow Christ, being salt and light to those who are perishing.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Extracts from The Book of Common Prayer, the rights in which are vested in the Crown, are reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and use these prayer points without restriction.
