Prayer of Praise    

Gracious God, we come celebrating the awesomeness of your love and the wonder of your grace.

Even though we fail you time and time again, you never walk away and you never fail us. 

Undeserving though we are, you show us mercy.

You do not turn away in the moments our faith is feeble, in the moments when we doubt, or when we are hesitant disciples.

God of never-ending patience, even in the times we fail you, you understand our weaknesses and help us to put our faults behind us.

You dust us off when we have fallen from grace and help us to start again.

We offer so little,

yet you give us so much.

Our love is so weak,

yet you respond richly.

Your grace defies expression too wonderful for us to fully comprehend, and though we fail you, you never fail us. 

Lord, continue to grant us your grace, unworthy as we are.

God of all Creation, you have given us so much and we are truly blessed. 

We thank you for your constant guidance throughout our lives, for your wisdom in all things, for the way your Word encourages us, inspires us, feeds us and sustains us in our daily spiritual lives.

For all the ways you have guided us and supported us, and for all the ways you continue to lead in our lives,

we give you our heartfelt thanks.  For this and a whole lot more, we are truly humbled and thankful.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(Psalm 51: 3 to 12 and 1 and 2) 

I recognise my faults, O God, I am always conscious of my sins.

I have sinned against you – only against you – and have done what you consider evil. 

So you are right in judging me;

You are justified in condemning me.

Sincerity and truth are what you require; fill my mind with your wisdom.

Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; and though you have crushed me and broken me, I will be happy once again.

Close your eyes to my sins and wipe out all my evil.

Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.

Do not banish me from your presence; do not take your Holy Spirit away from me.

Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love.

Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins!

Wash away all my evil and make me clean from my sin!  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from 1 Corinthians 15: 57) 

The Apostle Paul reminds us that God gives us victory over sin through His son, Jesus Christ.  Having confessed our sins before God, let us hold onto that promise with thanks in our hearts, trusting that God has listened to our prayers, that God has forgiven us and that He has cleansed us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

We pray for all who are hungry, who do not have enough to live with dignity.  May they find generosity and inclusion in their local Christian communities.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for all who live in loneliness or isolation.  May they know friendship and community.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer

We pray for all who are abused in any way, whose homes or neighbourhoods or places of work or study are places of fear, not of safety.  May they be strengthened and freed from abusers and fear.  May they find your good plans for them and hope in you.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those with disabilities and those who feel alone.  We pray too for all who are shunned, from whom people turn away.  Please help them to be included and to know that they are loved by you and that you have good plans of hope for them

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for all who have been displaced, who live in exile and in fear of losing everything they have ever known.  May they know your peace and strength in their lives

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are ill and need care, for those who have been disabled through injury.  May they experience your complete healing, and again have wholeness of body and mind.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Other Prayers

(Not included in the service in the Church)

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that the Spirit will lead us closer to you and help us remain your faithful children.

We pray for the gift of listening, that we may be open to your Word, allow our hearts to be stretched and transformed, and be enlightened by its wisdom.

We pray for wisdom, that you will lead us to freedom of spirit and inspire our choices as we face trials and temptations in life.

We pray for a spirit of gratitude, that we may recognize and give thanks for all of your gifts to us and place them in the service of the Gospel.

We pray for all who are estranged from the Church, that the Holy Spirit will heal their wounds, give them a new understanding, and help them find a welcoming community to support them on their faith journey.

We pray for all who hunger each day, particularly children, that our hearts may be open to sharing our bounty with all who are in need during this Lenten season.

We pray for all who exercise power, that World leaders will remain committed to the values of Human dignity and the common good and be united against falsehood and violence.

We pray for all who are struggling with life, that you will assist and support those struggling with addictions, who have lost meaning and purpose in life, and those who are considering suicide.

We pray for the Church in Ukraine, that they may experience your presence with them, hold fast to Christ in their suffering, and draw closer together as they give witness to the Gospel.

We pray for the healing of racial, ethnic, and religious divisions, that you who is Lord of all the Human family will break down the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding so that we may work together for your glory.

We pray for Peace, that you will bring an end to violence in so many countries throughout the World, protect the innocent, and help us care for the refugees of the war.

(Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/1LentC030925/ideas_other.html)

Almighty God, we pray for the peoples of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

We give thanks for the important roles political leaders here have played in European integration, for how people here have led in creative solutions to environmental, economic, and cultural challenges, for how churches here have overcome barriers and reached out to assure a good life for all, and for the ecumenical contributions that have come from this area, and their continuing support.

We pray for the overcoming of cultural, linguistic and political barriers and suspicions that remain divisive, for the overcoming of the haunting legacies of colonization and quests for economic gain, for the well-being of immigrants who are alienated or marginalized in these societies, and for greater tolerance and solidarity with all in these societies and around the world.

Prayer for Faith, Hope and Love

Let us pray for Faith:
That it will be the fruit of right hearing.
That at all times there will be people with an open mind and open ears
who will listen sharply to your word and pay attention to the needs around them.
We pray:
Let us be such people.  

Let us pray for Hope:
That it will be the fruit of a living faith.
That at all times there will be people growing towards the light,
continuously filled with courage and never cease being hopeful.
We pray:
Let us be such people.  

Let us pray for Love:
That she is the fruit of a living faith and hope.
That at all times there will be people never giving up being alarmed
about the continuing existence of the earth:
The care for animals and entire environment that lend assistance in friendship,
that abolish loneliness, that help working out sorrow and grieve,
that show sympathy with joy.  

We pray to you, O Lord.
Let us recognize one another in deeds of faith, hope and above all through love.

(© Rev. Pieter Post)

Prayer for people in need

Dear God,
there are so many people in need!
Like everyone in this world,
refugees are in need of a place to live, a warm bed, food, clothing, a decent wash.
Dear God, you know that we need all those things, but, most of all, we need people who care, to share our love, our hope and our future.
We need to be needed.
Dear God, you know that we are in need.  Come and give us a hand! Amen.

(From http://www.ccme.be/members-info/)

Prayer

Lord, we pray for the world, for the world in which we live.
We pray for the girl who says: I don’t want to live anymore
and for the boy who confesses: I sometimes want to end it all.
We pray for the new-born baby with an uncertain future.
Lord, we pray for the world, for the world in which we live.

Lord, we pray for all the people, all the people in this world
who feel scared or upset; who are ill or lonely.
We pray for people around the world who have no freedom or no family.
Lord, we pray for all the people all the people in this world.

Lord, we pray for the world, for the world in which we live.
We pray that the world will not collapse under the weight of violence and hate
and that our eyes will remain open to beauty and goodness,
so that we may also pray:
Lord, we thank you for this world, the world in which we live.  Amen.

(from the Dutch Dienstboek Schrift Maaltijd en Gebed, p. 793 no 65)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/belgium-luxembourg-netherlands)

Almighty God, we thank you for the Bibles, prayers and Bible studies shared by Bible Society Nicaragua staff with children undergoing cancer treatment and their parents.  Often these families travel far for their child to be diagnosed and treated in the only hospital for children with cancer in Nicaragua.  We pray for these families, for your healing, comfort and hope upon them.  We pray too that this Bible distribution effort makes a lasting spiritual impact in many lives.

We pray for Bible Society Australia Church Relations Team as they meet with the leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist Church Leadership on 10th of March.  We praise you God for the strong relationship with Adventist Churches, going back many decades and pray for fruitful future partnerships with all BSA’s participating conferences around Australia.

We pray for the special project that BSA, in partnership with Megavoice Australia and the Barbara May Foundation, are working on, delivering 650 solar-powered audio Bibles to fistula patients in Africa.  We pray for an effective and safe distribution of the audio Bibles in remote areas, and that the patients will embrace your word as they receive these devices, and for an expansion of this work into more regions.

We pray for the Bible Society of the South Pacific as they continue to expand their Bible mission in the South Pacific.  We pray for your blessings, strength and wisdom as they work with local churches to advocate for the Bible and tell the story of Jesus in new ways.  We ask for your blessings on  their activities planned for 2025, including Trauma Healing workshops, Sunday School teachers’ training, Bible distribution, Bible month celebrations and other outreach events.

We pray for a successful launch of Godaku Tjukurpa (Pitjantjatjara Children’s Art Bible) on the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) Lands in central Australia in April.  We pray for safety in travel for the Bible Society representatives, along with students from Emmaus Christian College, who will be travelling to many Pitjantjatjara speaking communities.  May the book be received by communities with joy and may many families in these remote communities engage with the Bible stories portrayed through the artwork and be greatly blessed.

We praise you God for Maria* who is part of the Nasa Community in Colombia and is engaging with the Bible translated in the Nasa Yuwe language.  She shares, “Many people tell us that the gospel is from the outside, but we understand it in our language.  My community understands it very well and says that something very good comes to them in the heart.  Making the translation, I feel that our language is not weak but on the contrary, it is strengthened.”

(Bible%20Society%20March%202025%20Prayer%20Letter.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray for the partnerships that The Leprosy Mission Great Britain has with universities in the UK, that you will inspire scientific breakthroughs and raise up researchers dedicated to ending leprosy.  We pray for an early diagnostic test, so that The Leprosy Mission World-wide can find and cure people quickly before the disease causes permanent disability.

As people affected by leprosy are so often ignored, we pray that the UK government will do its part to support marginalised communities across our world, that the aid budget will reach those most in need, and that applications for government funding will be successful.

We pray for good health and for guidance for Peter Waddup – CEO, for Sian Arulanantham – Head of Programmes and Policy, for Arminda O’Reilly – Head of HR, and for Louise Timmins – Head of Fundraising and Communications.

(The%20Leprosy%20Mission%20Prayer%20Diary%202025.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray for the unreached Avar people of the north Caucasus, population: 1,130,800, language: Avar, and religion: Islam.

We praise 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.  Radio plays a key role in reaching remote mountain dwelling Nepalese communities.  We pray for your blessing and support for those providing radios to many mountain dwellers living in physical and spiritual poverty.

We pray for your blessing and support for those who will be distributing listener boxes to rural families in India, with programs in their heart languages.  We pray for the effectiveness of 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 your blessing and support for those involved with the ‘Bright Home’ project in Pakistan whose aim is to reduce family violence and improve health through changes driven by women and girls.

(FEBC%20Praise%20Prayer%20Diary%20January%20to%20March%202025.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.