How should I pray? The best prayers and simple brief and modest. Try to use language which can be understood by everyone. Try to be inclusive and avoid praying for a list of people. Try not to be political – it is ok to pray for the government, but avoid opinion. Please avoid using long passages of the Bible, and avoid telling God about events in the world. It might seem obvious prayers starting with Merciful Father will often get the congregation saying ‘Accept these prayers….’ Intercessions for a Sunday Holy Communion should ideally last 2- 3 minutes, and can include periods of silence. There is no right or wrong format for the prayers and there as many ways of praying as there are people. Don’t be afraid to offer a time of silence, however it is useful to say ‘we will now have (a specific time) of silence for our own prayers’