Prayer of Praise: –

from Uniting in Worship Red Book p290, An Aust Prayer Book p184, The Book of worship pp35 to 38, Invocations & Benedictions p106, Opening Prayers p9, A Year of Prayer pp244 to 245) 

All Nations sing your praise, Almighty God, all Peoples sing of your merciful kindness, because of the great hope that is represented in the incarnate Jesus Christ, your Word clothed in our likeness.

For in Christ we see the brightness of your glory and the fullness of your love for your Creation.  For in Christ we see the blessing that is ours because you walk with us and share every minute of our lives.

We praise you God that you are in control.  You are in control of the future, of our futures. 

We praise you because you continue to call each one of us to come, to come to you in love, to come with you as you lead us into the dark and unknown future. 

We praise you because you are the one person in whom we can put our whole trust, knowing that you will never leave us nor allow us to feel alone nor unwanted.

We worship you today, Almighty God, and offer to you our utmost praise and thanks.  May you be glorified and honoured all the days of our life and for Time everlasting.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession

 (from Uniting in Worship Red Book p290, An Aust Prayer Book p184, The Book of worship pp35 to 38, Invocations and Benedictions p106) 

Merciful God, we remember at this time your purpose in sending the Light upon the Earth, to open the eyes of the sinful to your condemnation of their words and actions and intent, and to reveal to those living in the darkness of sin the despair of continuing in such a lifestyle. 

We too acknowledge that we are no different to those of the World.  We confess that we too transgress your Law of Love and Obedience. 

Merciful God, we humble ourselves before you, knowing how prone we are to wander away from your pathway, knowing how easily we let go of your hand and seek to go our own way.

There are so many things in life that we allow to clamour for our attention and to distract us.  But we fail to hear the soft calling of your voice, seeking us to come and sit quietly beside you.  We confess our neglect and ask for your forgiveness.

We rush about with our daily tasks.  We hurry to do the things that we feel need to be finished, or the things that give us excitement.  But we fail to heed the call to spend time with others. 

We fail to recognise the need in another’s life, the need for comfort, for companionship, for a hand to hold theirs.  We confess our neglect and ask for your forgiveness.

Merciful God, our guilt and disgrace before you are without question, and you stand in judgement before us. 

Take away our sins and renew our souls, so that we may know the joy of sins forgiven and of our spirits being in fellowship with You. 

Have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to listen to your voice and to follow your commands.  May our lives thus honour you better than our tongues are able. 

May we know with assurance the righteousness that is ours because you have loved us so dearly and have bought our reconciliation by the cross and death of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Ephesians 3: 11 & 12) 

The Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus that God achieved His secret Plan for the World through Jesus Christ, in that, in union with Christ and through our faith in him, we can boldly seek to be in the very presence of God, with our sins having been forgiven and having been cleansed of all unrighteousness.  Let us accept what Paul says at face value and with total confidence, and we should act upon Paul’s words, for indeed, God has forgiven our sins and God has cleansed us of all that is unrighteous and displeasing to Him

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

Loving God, we pray that you will come with power into your World to make your loving kindness and peace known and honoured in every land.  We pray for peace across the Nations of the World, especially those traumatised by violence and civil war.  Shine your love on the waste of our conflict and sorrow and give peace among the Nations and peace in our hearts.

Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the sick, those who are disabled, those in hospital, those facing death.  Show them the light of the Gospel, provide helpers and carers and medical resources, and bring healing and wholeness to both body and soul.

Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the lonely, the lost, the housebound, and the vulnerable that, in the midst of their suffering, they will experience the loving arms of Christ.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those in need, those who are struggling because of domestic violence and break-down, those who are suffering from harmful behaviour and hurting relationships. Heal, restore, and renew their lives, now and into the future.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, you anointed Jesus at his baptism with the Holy Spirit, and revealed him as your beloved Son; grant that we who are baptised into his name may give up our lives to your service, and be found worthy of our calling.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Prayers for the baptism of Christ January 12th 2014

Other Prayers (not included in the Church service)

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may recognize our calling to be your daughters and sons and empowered by the Holy Spirit manifest your love and compassion through our words and deeds.

We pray for understanding, that we may learn from Jesus how to be fully human and place all our gifts and talents into your service.

We pray for a renewal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, that you will stir up the gift of Spirit within us, make us strong in our faith and dynamic in love.

We pray for a deepening of prayer in our lives, that, like Jesus, we may grow in our relationship with you through prayer and listening.

We pray for courage, that you will strengthen us to bear the challenges of daily life and thus give witness to your faithfulness.

We pray for all who have been baptized in our community, particularly those during this last year, that they may be faithful disciples of Jesus and continue to grow in their knowledge and your love.

We pray for all who need a shepherd’s care, that you will provide for those lacking food or heat, guide refugees and those fleeing violence, and bring freedom to those unjustly detained.

We pray for all who have experienced abuse or discrimination: that they may hear your affirmation that they are beloved and experience healing for their bodies, minds, and spirits.

We pray for all who are sick, that you will heal those who are ill, bring an end to the recent flu pandemic, and sustain all who care for the sick.

We pray for a new dawning of peace and reconciliation, that those who strive for peace may not tire and that you will open new opportunities for opponents to recognize the good in one another.

(Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/BapLordC011225/ideas_other.html)

Almighty God, we pray for the peoples of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

We are thankful for lands and monuments sacred in the origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, for those who unceasingly work for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land, for the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, and for those who continue to welcome the multitudes of refugees in their lands.

We pray for an ending to the violence racking this region, that the people might live together in peace, security and respect for each other, for those who have grown weary and disillusioned in searching for solutions,  for an end to religious differences being exploited to perpetuate conflict and further displacement of people, and for political leaders who will courageously bring about justice and reconciliation for the sake of all.

A Prayer for Jerusalem

O God of Sarah and Abraham, our tears are mixed with yours, weeping for the cities in the world.

We weep for the holy cities and especially for Jerusalem: where brothers and sisters kill each other, where hatred feeds and nourishes anger, where animosity blinds mercy,

where religions divide, as children learn to hate and the elderly nurse old grudges.

We weep for oppressed cities, and in particular for Jerusalem: where rigid laws imprison freedom, where thinking is confined and conscience is abated, where those who question are branded as traitors, where creativity and righteousness are beaten, where pluralism is chained.

With Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, we pray:

Teach us to walk the way that leads to life.  Transform our grief into determination, our tears into action, and our acts into a just peace.  Amen.

(From “Jerusalem: The City of Justice and Peace,“ a worship liturgy prepared by Palestinian theologians and laity for World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel 2013, available at www.worldweekforpeace.org; adapted)

An excerpt from the Coptic anaphora

O King of peace, give us your peace, establish for us your peace, and forgive us our sins.
Bless us all, purify our hearts.
Heal the sickness, of our souls and our bodies.
We worship you, O Christ, with your good Father, and the Holy Spirit, for you have come to save us.
Have mercy on us.

(Coptic hymn in the form of prayer from the Coptic Anaphora)

A prayer by Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy

Eternal God, Creator of the universe, there is no God but you.
Great and wonderful are your works, wondrous are your ways.
Thank you for the many splendored variety of your creation.
Thank you for the many ways we affirm your presence and purpose.
Thank you for the freedom to do so.
Forgive our violation of your creation.
Forgive our violence toward each other.
We stand in awe and gratitude at your persistent love for each and all of your children: Christian, Jew, Muslim, as well as those with other faiths.
Grant to all our leaders attributes of the strong; mutual respect in word and deed, restraint in the exercise of power, and the will for peace with justice, for all.
Eternal God, creator of the universe, there is no God but you. Amen.

(Excerpted from Current Dialogue 24/93, p.36)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/egypt-israel-jordan-lebanon-palestine)

Almighty God, we pray for the Arab Israeli Bible Society (AIBS), for the AIBS staff to remain steadfast, bringing hope and healing through God’s word, and for their ministry of making God’s word available to families and communities, to be a light amid challenging times.

We praise you God for the Bible Society of the South Pacific’s (BSSP) outreach during Bible Month on Taveuni, Yacata, and Qamea Islands in Fiji, for the successful events, including Trauma Healing Training and Hermeneutics Seminars.  We pray for lasting impact in these remote communities and for continued unity among churches spreading God’s word.  We pray too for BSSP as they plan outreach events in 2025.

We pray for churches and ministries across Australia in 2025 to be beacons of hope and truth, for unity among believers, strengthened passion for discipleship, and creativity in outreach, for leaders to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and for communities to experience transformation through the love and power of Christ.

We pray for the United Bible Society China Partnership as they produce affordable Bible study resources for poor preachers.  We ask for your guidance in equipping lay preachers, seminary students, and teachers to correctly handle your Word, shepherd believers, and teach effectively, strengthening the growing Church in China.  We pray too for smooth project implementation and strengthened relationships with provincial and national partners.

We pray for our 2025 Tasmania Bike for Bibles ride happening from the 11th – 15th of January starting in Marrawah, Tasmania, as the team rides 330kms over 5 days, fundraising for Bible Society’s literacy project in Rwanda.  We pray for safety and good weather for our Bike for Bibles champions.

We thank you God for the member of an Anglican Church in northern Israel who said of a Bible Society Family Conference, “this time and activity was a healing time for many of us.” Despite initial hesitations, the participants were amazed by how much the workshops on ‘Family Altar’ and ‘Unity’ deeply impacted them. Please continue to pray for the work of Arab Israeli Bible Society, making various Bible engagement activities available for families and communities during a time of war.

(BibleSocietyJanuary2025PrayerLetter.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray that The Leprosy Mission Trust India can find well-qualified staff to fill a variety of positions across the organisation. 

We pray that new supporters come forward to fund TLMTI projects. 

We pray for the staff, that they will be able to comply with frequently changing Indian statutes. 

We pray for the Audit & Risk Management teams, as they audit and identify risks.  May they give wise recommendations to manage risks and ensure the safety of TLMTI.  We pray that the recommendations from our audits will help in making our processes more efficient and effective in all aspects.  We pray for wisdom and guidance as TLMTI strive to create a work environment that reflects our organisation’s values, promoting unity, respect, and compassion among our staff and stakeholders. 

We pray for the well-being and safety of our staff, that they may be empowered to serve with excellence, integrity, and dedication, ultimately contributing to the fulfilment of our

mission.

(TheLeprosyMissionPrayerDiary2025.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray for FEBC listeners to be inspired to follow Jesus, and for churches to be strengthened through Ethnic Languages in South-East Asia’s broadcasts, listener groups, and training events.

We praise you God for Hmong listeners!  From one: “We have listened to Hmong Radio FEBC for over a year.  It is a friend that goes everywhere with us, a pastor that is always near.”

We thank you God for the thousands of Khmu Christians who have grown spiritually and shared Jesus with their remote communities.

We pray for the unreached Bouyei in Southeast Asia, population: 76,700*, language: Bouyei, and religion: Animism and ancestral worship.  We pray for successful outreach to them and for the holy spirit to move in the hearts and minds of FEBC listeners

We give you thanks for the skilled and passionate staff in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.

(FEBCPraisePrayerDiaryJanuarytoMarch2025.pdf)

The 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.