The prayer has been written to offer comfort to those who have been sacked as the economy heads into recession, by recognising their fears and suggesting that belief in God can help them cope. It includes the verse: "Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul."
The Church has written a second prayer from the viewpoint of someone who has kept their job while others in the same office or factory have lost theirs, describing their feelings of sadness, guilt and worries about the future.
It asks of God: "In the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going: to work to the best of my ability, taking each day at a time."
The two prayers have been published on the Church of England's website and are also being printed in a leaflet to be handed out in churches.
The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, said the prayers show that the Church is there for people in times of crisis.
He said: "This is a pastoral initiative. We need to be on the look out to support those facing redundancy. Neighbourliness is so important in crisis situations, whether it's offering people new prayers to God, or by simply being there with a listening ear."
Official figures show that 1.8million people are currently unemployed in Britain but experts fear the number of jobless could hit 3 million next year as the banking crisis and falling consumer spending drives more firms to the wall.
As many as 600,000 jobs – equivalent to one every 52 seconds – are predicted to go during 2009.
The "Prayer on Being Made Redundant" and "Prayer for Those Remaining in the Workplace" are the latest attempt by the Church of England to respond to the deepening economic crisis.
An earlier "Prayer for the Current Financial Situation", published online during September's crash in the finance world, has been viewed more than 30,000 times.
Meanwhile senior clerics within the Church have made a series of high-profile condemnations of the excesses of capitalism.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that the crisis shows that Karl Marx was partly right, and has likened Gordon Brown's plan for Britain to spend its way out of recession to "an addict returning to a drug".
Several senior bishops have also delivered a damning assessment of Labour's record, the growing gap between rich and poor and the false dream of an endless economic boom.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, has declared that "capitalism died" last year because of the credit crisis.
Prayer on being made redundant
'Redundant' – the word says it all -
'useless,
unnecessary,
without purpose,
surplus to requirements.'
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that in the middle of
the sadness,
the anger,
the uncertainty,
the pain,
I can talk to you.
Hear me as I cry out in confusion,
help me to think clearly,
and calm my soul.
As life carries on,
may I know your presence with me
each and every day.
And as I look to the future,
help me to look for fresh opportunities, for new directions.
Guide me by your Spirit,
and show me your path,
through Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. Amen.
Prayer for those remaining in the workplace
Life has changed:
colleagues have gone – redundant, out of work.
Suddenly, what seemed so secure is now so very fragile.
It's hard to know what I feel:
sadness, certainly,
guilt, almost, at still having a job to go to,
and fear of the future:
who will be next?
how will I cope with the increased pressure of work?
Lord Jesus, in the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going:
to work to the best of my ability,
taking each day at a time,
and taking time each day to walk with you
for you are the way, the truth and the life. Amen.
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(Source: TTUK)