Prayer of Praise

Lord, we come to worship you, the firstborn of all creation.
For in you and for you, all things in Heaven and on Earth were created.
You are the head of the Church.

Speak to us today and draw us closer to you,
that we may be transformed by your power and love –
so unexpected… so amazing… so humbling.

May we give you first place in everything.
We worship you, our King and our Lord.

Speak to us today and draw us closer to you,
that we may be transformed by your power and love –
so unexpected… so amazing… so humbling.

Lord Jesus, King of kings, yet nailed to a cross;
Son of God, yet with time for criminals;
We offer you our lives, our successes and our failures,
our excuses and our honesty, our desire to change and our reluctance.

Speak to us today and draw us closer to you,
that we may be transformed by your power and love –
so unexpected… so amazing… so humbling.

Prayer of Praise

L: We begin our worship in the name of God the Father
C: who has chosen us to be the channels of blessings;
L: in the name of the Son,
C: who became one like us;
L: in the name of the Holy Spirit,
C: who has given us wisdom and strength.
L: Creator of the Cosmos, of eternity and time:
C: Be with us in this time.
L: Saviour of the world,
healer of the nations:
C: Be with us in this place.
L: Breath of all that lives,
of people near and far:
C: Be with us in our hearts.
L: Creator-Redeemer-Sustainer,
God of here and now:
C: Stir within our lives.
Amen.

Prayer of Confession:

Dear God, when we are reluctant to accept responsibility for our mistakes:
Forgive us.
When we expect others to dig us out of a hole of our making:
Forgive us.
When we are complacent and do little to change:
Forgive us.
When our life is only about us and not others:
Forgive us.
Forgive us and change us through your Son, Jesus,
in whose name we pray.
Amen.

Prayers Of The People

Loving God, knowing your love for all of Humanity, especially your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We pray for the Church, that we may cooperate in the ministry of Jesus in offering forgiveness and accepting suffering in being disciples each day.

We pray for the grace of forgiveness, that we may be moved to forgive all who have injured us and show concern and compassion for them.

We pray for greater integrity, that we may both speak and live the virtues that are planted deep within our hearts so that we may be authentic witnesses to your reign.

We pray for a transformation of our hearts, that through the Cross of Christ, our understandings of power, success, and glory may be changed and that we may place ourselves more fully in the service of you.

We pray for each of us, that we may live our lives fearlessly while recognizing that our goal is union with Christ in paradise.

We pray for Christian unity, that Christ will shepherd us into one family where we can work together to bring forth Christ’s reign and defeat the powers of darkness in society.

We pray for all leaders of the Christian community, that they may be both effective leaders and wise shepherds of your people.

We pray for the leaders of nations, that they may recognize the source of their authority and be guided by your wisdom in promoting justice and advancing the well-being of all members of society.

We pray for healing of our nation, that you will heal the divisions within our nation, guide us toward a greater respect for one another, and a renewed commitment to our common values.

We pray for all who are imprisoned, that the Holy Spirit will lead them to conversion and an inner change of heart and soul.

We pray for all who will be traveling this week, that you will guide them safely on their journeys and that their visits with family and friends will strengthen and renew them.

We pray for a renewed reverence for your Creation, that we may respect and care for all that you have created so that all of your people may be blessed by your handiwork.

We pray for all who struggle with life’s demands, particularly the poor, the homebound, and those with mental illness, that you will sustain them and touch the hearts of many to be compassionate friends.

We pray for all who are grieving, that they may know your presence with them and experience the love and compassion of others.

Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  –  https://liturgy.slu.edu/

We pray for the peoples of East Timor, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

We are thankful for the vital witness of churches in this region, the diversity of ethnicities, and cultures, and especially those who have built bridges between them, for those who have resisted bravely and worked for human rights, justice, peace and reconciliation, especially the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and for those who protest exploitative mining, deforestation and other environmental damage.

We pray for governments in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, that they will eradicate corruption, establish justice and peace, and work effectively for the wellbeing of all their people; for victims of violence, torture, drug and human trafficking, and human rights violations, that those responsible might be held accountable; for those affected by earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters, and for the rebuilding of communities afterwards; for ecumenical and interfaith cooperation to bring justice, peace and sustainability to these lands.

(from WCC AGAPE meeting, closing prayer, 2012, Jakarta/Indonesia)

Lord, make us realize that our Christianity is like a rice field: when it is newly planted the paddies are prominent, but as the plants take root and grow taller, these divided paddies gradually vanish, and soon there appears only one vast continuous field.  So, give us roots that love, and help us grow in Christian fellowship and service, that your will be done in our lives, through our Saviour, your Son, Jesus Christ.

(From the Philippines. A Procession of Prayers: Meditations and Prayers from around the World, comp. John Carden, WCC and Cassell, London, UK, 1998, p. 174.)

Prayer in remembrance of the victims of the 2004 tsunami

Stay with us, Lord, in the devastating moment
when waters roll above our heads,
smashing trees, destroying houses,
flooding rice fields, swallowing cattle herds,
chasing people running to save their lives.

Stay with us, Lord, in the dark moments,
open our eyes that we may recognize you as the risen One,
who has defeated death and its sting;
who has come by water and blood;
who has been baptized with water by John;
who has changed water into wine;
who has calmed the stormy sea;
who has given living water;
who wipes away our tears.

Stay with us, Lord, in the uncertain moments.
With your Holy Spirit raise us from our hopelessness,
wipe away our disbelief and strengthen our faith,
so that our hearts will burn to proclaim your resurrection,
the water of life springing forth and bringing hope.

© 2005 Ester Pudjo Widiasih, Jakarta Theological Seminary, Jakarta, Indonesia.

East Timor (Timor Leste), Indonesia, Philippines | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray that all existing Scripture Union school chaplaincy programs will be funded for 2023 and beyond.  We pray for the Scripture Union run Young Adults Ningaloo Camp that starts Saturday 26^th November, that this would be a pivotal time for the Western Australian Young Adult community, and that all who attend would grow and be strengthened by you.

  (SU Prayer-Guide-November-2022-BRIS.pdf) 

We pray for the Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, that your Holy Spirit may be at work in the minds and hearts of the children who attend.  Please encourage Ian and those who lead the classes as they strive to present the Good News of the Gospel in interesting and attractive ways.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, that you will guide her as her interacts with the pupils and children at the School, that she will be aware of needs and of how to respond, that she is refreshed physically and spiritually so as to cope with what each day presents.

  We pray for the residents at PM Village, that they will find comfort and fulfillment during their time under care.  We pray for the staff, that they will have patience and compassion as they fulfill their roles and responsibilities for the residents.  We pray especially at this time when they have detected Covid among the residents.  Please bring a quick end to the illness among the residents so that they can recommence community meals and activities.

We pray for those who we have not seen for some time and who are unable to attend worship.  Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings.

Eternal God, you know our problems, and have promised that you will help us to solve them.  You know what we lack, and have promised to meet our needs.  Help us to depend upon you day by day and to call upon you when life gets hard.  Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  To your glory we pray.

Lord’s Prayer

 Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your Kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

now and forever.  Amen