Prayer of Praise: –

(from Psalm 27 and 63) 

Almighty God, you are the light of our lives,

the One who provides clarity in times of our uncertainty,

the One who shows to us what is good and right when we earnestly seek direction,

the One who reveals the true nature of the World around us and who makes us aware of its snares for the unwary. 

Almighty God, it is to you that we come seeking refuge in our times of distress. 

It is upon your strength that we depend, to provide relief from the stress and the concerns of our life. 

Though we may feel besieged by our worries, though we are afraid lest we stumble and fall because of our anxieties,

we know, with confidence, that your love for us is constant, that you are holding us, and that you will keep us secure all the days of our life. 

Of what, then, can we ever fear? 

Of what can people do to us that we can ever dread?

  Almighty God, in a ‘dry and weary’ World, it is you who provides the ‘life-giving water’ for our thirsty souls,

it is you who provides the nourishment of our spirits that no-one and nothing else can give to us,

it is you who provides the help in our times of trouble,

it is you who makes us feel safe, as if we are being covered by your wings over us. 

We know that your love is better than life itself,

we know that we can cling to you and be upheld by you.

We know that you are our salvation, we acknowledge with everlasting thanks that you are the One who forgives and forgets,

the One who purifies, the One who provided the sacrifice so that our sins can be removed, and our souls cleansed in your sight.

  Almighty God, we look upon you and see your power and glory. 

We look at the World around us and see your control and authority over all things. 

In response we humble ourselves before your greatness,

we sing your praises to Heaven and Earth, we offer to you our adoration, and we dedicate ourselves to your worship and service, now and always.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession

(from Psalm 27 and 63) 

Merciful God, we come before you remorseful and repentant.

We come before you knowing that we have often neglected the standards by which you seek for us to live our lives, we come before you knowing that we have often deliberately disobeyed your call to follow.

Your light shines into the darkest corners of our hearts to reveal our hidden faults, and to reveal those parts of our being which we have sought to hide from you.

Merciful God, in our anger we have not mirrored your compassion for others, in our prejudice, we have turned away those whom you have called us to serve.  Forgive us for our neglect.

Merciful God, in our greed and desire for what the World offers to us, we seek satisfaction and happiness from owning and doing things.

In our seeking ease and excuses from responsibilities, we have forsaken your calling for us to be a light for others, your calling for us to be a clear voice of witness to your mercy and grace.  Forgive us for our neglect.

Merciful God, in our anxiousness, we have looked within us, we have looked only at ourselves.

We forget to look outwardly to you, we forget to see that you are always looking at us, holding your hand out to us, ever ready to pull us up and close.  Forgive us for our neglect.

  Merciful God, in our pride we boast of what we have achieved all by ourselves, we seek to draw attention to our abilities and our capabilities, we rest assured on our strengths. 

Yet, in so doing, we fail to acknowledge that it is you who have walked beside us all of our lives, that it is you who have carried us in our times of need, that it is through your provision for us that we find real satisfaction and deliverance.  Forgive us for our neglect.

Merciful God, forgive our sins, and take away from us all that is not true and good, all that is not pure and holy.

Teach us your way, O God, and lead us in your straight path, so that we may follow faithfully and take courage in our trust and obedience.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Genesis 15: 6) 

Abram believed God and put his trust in God’s promise to bless his descendants and to grant them a rich inheritance, and God called him righteous.  We, too, have put our trust in God’s promise to listen to our cries of repentance and to forgive our sins.  Let us be assured then that God has seen our faithfulness, that He has listened to our prayers, and that He has answered them by cleansing us of all that is unworthy and shameful.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

God of love, hear the cry of those who yearn for love; fractured families, broken homes, neglected, unwanted, alone.

God of love, hear our prayer.

God of justice, hear the cry of those who yearn for justice; persecuted and oppressed, exploited, ill-treated, broken.

God of justice, hear our prayer.

God of peace, hear the cry of those who yearn for peace; in battle zones and broken states, frightened, fearful, anxious.

God of peace, hear our prayer.

God of healing, hear the cry of those who yearn for healing; physical and spiritual hurting, weakened, depressed.

God of healing, hear our prayer.

God of mercy, hear the cry of those who yearn for mercy; convicted, in need of your Grace, contrite, humble, bowed down.

God of mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, you were tried and tempted by the forces of evil. May we never be ashamed of temptation, but save us from the weakness of giving way to it.

Help us choose the way of faithfulness rather than popularity, service rather than fame, sacrifice rather than power.  In time of need reassure us that your support is close at hand.  Lord in your mercy, Hear our Prayer.

(©John Birch · Prayers written by the author may be copied freely for worship.

(Intercessions for Lent 1 by Mrs Mary Stubbs – 2010© Copyright ThisisChurch.com.

http://www.thisischurch.com/prayer_worship/intercession/lent12007marystubbs.htm)

Other Prayers (Not included in the service in the Church)

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may listen with both our minds and hearts to your beloved Son and be transformed by his words.

We pray for a spirit of gratitude, that we may look beyond our daily routines and like Abraham see your blessings that are as numerous as the stars of the sky.

We pray for a deepening of hope, that even though negative and doubting messages abound in our society, we may be confident that you will never abandon us.

We pray for all members of all levels of Government, that you will inspire them with ways to work together to meet the needs of people and advance the common good.

We pray for all who are sick, that your healing love will restore those who have cancer or are recovering from surgery, give good rest to those who are anxious or worried, and strength to those who are experiencing the weaknesses of advancing age.

We pray for all refugees and displaced people, that you will guide them to places of safety, help them to find welcome and new homes, and open the hearts of many to provide the

resources that they need.

We pray for peace, that you will bring an end to the violence and warfare, protect the innocent from harm, open channels for food and medicine, and guide the peace negotiations.

(Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/2LentC031625/ideas_other.html)

  Almighty God, we pray for the peoples of Ireland; United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

We give thanks for the many distinct cultures in these islands and how literature, music, dance, and other traditions rooted here, have enriched people around the World, for the economic and other aid that consistently have come from the area to those in the World who are most in need,  for the many who have emigrated to other parts of the World, and in turn, the immigrants from these lands who are now turning the United Kingdom and Ireland into increasingly multi-ethnic, multireligious societies, and for the positive contributions Great Britain has made in World history and that Church leaders have played in the ecumenical and interfaith movements.

We pray for the healing of scars and memories that linger after times of colonization, for overcoming barriers so that all might experience welcome as these countries become more genuinely multi-ethnic and multi-faith, for resolving differences and political tensions over how Great Britain should relate to the rest of Europe, and for dealing with the challenges of increasing secularism and the emergence of new ways of expressing religion and spirituality.

Prayers

God of passion and power, insistent, immediate, challenging, compelling us with your story’s breathless beginning.
Walk us into the wilderness to hear your voice where silence reigns.
Give us insight, the vision beyond all seeing, so we may look upon heavens torn open
and know that the time of good news for all Creation is always now.  Amen.

(© Claire Amos)

For Christian Unity

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace,
give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions.
Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly union and concord: that, as there is but one Body, and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may henceforth be all of one heart, and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(The Church of Ireland, the Book of Common Prayer 2004)
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/book-of-common-prayer/accession-services.aspx

A Litany: Make straight the way for the Lord

L: God, how good it is to raise our voices
and to welcome your presence among us,
a stream in the desert, a rose in the wilderness!
All: Make straight the way for the Lord!

L: From our slumbers we rise to praise you.
All that demeans and belittles us we shrug off,
as we stand strong and confident before you.
All: Make straight the way for the Lord!

L: From all we do to keep you from us,
from all the evil that is in us,
from the gloom that would overwhelm us
and from all that would harm us, set us free!
All: Make straight the way for the Lord!

L: We share our hope together,
that you will come to us as prophets tell,
bringing peace and justice to a tired and twisted world.
All: Make straight the way for the Lord!

L: God, come to us in Jesus and save us!
Let the waste places of the world be made new again!
Let the wicked be routed and the righteous shout with joy!

(In: For the love of God, Prayer Handbook 1996, Michael and Susan Durber)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/ireland-united-kingdom-england-northern-ireland-scotland-wales)

Almighty God, we pray for the United Bible Societies’ Global Literacy Coordination Project as it continues to strengthen Bible engagement through literacy.  We pray that you would grant wisdom to the Literacy Officers in defining and implementing their new Literacy Position Paper and that their efforts will empower Bible Societies worldwide.  We pray that you would meet the needs and inspire more supporters for the literacy initiatives, especially in underfunded regions.

We pray for the Colombian Bible Society as they partner with local churches and ministries to offer 120 literacy training sessions each year for non-literate Nasa Yuwe speakers.  The Nasa community is the second largest indigenous population in Colombia and 20% of the community are non-literate.  We pray that the literacy training will reach and bless many this year, improving lives and equipping them with the ability to read the Bible in their language.

We pray for Bible Society Australia’s new Big Rescue Easter resource going out to churches across Australia this month, that it will feed the understanding of those children and families already in church and welcome those who aren’t.  We pray that it will proclaim the amazing truth about our Saviour and his resurrection.

We pray for the Bible Society of Myanmar and their mission to make the Scriptures available to every language group in Myanmar.  We praise you God that this mission is advancing and that classes for the Sgaw Karen people are continuing.  We thank you for the five storybooks which were completed and published in 2024.  We pray for a smooth operation of the classes as well as stability and safety in Myanmar.

We pray for ongoing excellent opportunities to Open The Bible with seafarers, whose work takes them out at sea for many months and away from their loved ones.  We pray for Bible Society Australia’s partnership with seafarer ministries, and for ways to engage sailors with the Bible.  We pray for more gospel-hearted workers in this needy mission field.

We praise you God for 14-year-old Sai*, who is a student in the Bible-based literacy program in her native language in Myanmar.  She shares, “I have learned many new things, including the names of various objects, animals, and fruits in my language.  Since the book is based on the Bible, we not only get to hear captivating stories from the Bible but also improve our ability to read it more effectively.  This experience has deepened my understanding of both my language and the Bible.”

(Bible Society March 2025 Prayer Letter.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray for the safety and security of Ethiopia.  We pray for better livelihoods for persons affected by leprosy in Ethiopia and that the programmes of The Leprosy Mission might help to make that possible.  

We pray that The Leprosy Mission will find ways to access new funding opportunities so that they can narrow the big demand for leprosy services in Ethiopia.  We pray for the laws that protect the rights of persons affected by leprosy to be well implemented and that The Leprosy Mission will make good use of these legal protections in their work.

We pray for their partnerships with the government, other NGOs, faith-based organisations, youth volunteers, and academics, that these partnerships will grow in strength, expertise and skills. 

We pray that the government will move forward with a programme to distribute rifampicin, an antibiotic that can prevent leprosy.

We pray for good health and your guidance for Beletshachew Tadesse – Country Leader, for Solomon Getahun – Programme Coordinator, for Birhanu Engida – Finance and Admin Coordinator, for Abebech Lemma – Finance and Admin Officer, for Gudeta Ayele – Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Officer, for Natnael Mesfin – Project Coordinator, and for Dr Ruth Likassa – Advisory Board Chair.

(The Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary 2025.pdf)

We praise you, Almighty God, for the new station Radio Bharosa in Dang, Nepal.  We pray for a wide listenership and for listeners’ lives to be transformed by Christ.  As radio plays a key role in reaching remote mountain dwelling Nepalese communities, we pray for your support and protection for our Partner providing radios to many mountain dwellers living in physical and spiritual poverty.

We pray for FEBC Partners in India who will be distributing listener boxes to rural families with programs in their heart languages.  In conjunction with International Women’s Day, we pray for FEBC India’s ‘Women at Risk’ project aiming to raise the value and equality of women, reduce infanticide, and enable women to influence their communities.

We pray for FEBC Pakistani Partner’s ‘Bright Home’ project to reduce family violence and improve health through changes driven by women and girls.  We pray for your support and protection for the team, who consults rural communities, then provides relevant media training and health and family programs.  One listeners states, “What I have learned [from FEBC] has motivated me to share the truth about the Christian faith with others.”  We pray that more will hear, receive, and share about Jesus in Pakistan.  12 95% of the 1.9 billion people within 3,516* people groups across South Asia have not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.  We pray for all to hear, such as the unreached of Adi Dravida, Population: 9,646,000*, Language: Tamil, and Religion: Hinduism.

(FEBC Praise Prayer Diary January to March 2025.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.