Prayer of Praise

 (from Leading Intercessions p33, The Book of Worship p213, Invocations p41 & 42, Opening Prayers p92, An Australian Prayer Book p246, Uniting in Worship red book p207, and Prayers for God’s People p159) 

  Almighty God, we come before you with gratitude for your love and friendship, for your goodness and mercy.  We give you thanks for the grace that exceeds what we can hope for or ask.  We are humbled by the gift of Jesus Christ, your only Son, who, through obedience to your will, gave his life for our sins, who gave his life to redeem us so that we can be in close fellowship with you. 

  Almighty God, you seek those who are lost and deserted, those who are hungry for spiritual healing and wholeness, and bring them back to a right relationship with you, for no other reason than because your love is so real and inexhaustible.  There is nothing and no-one to whom we can compare you, there is no substitute for you, no alternative to your creative power and majesty.

  Almighty God, you continue to bless us and to provide for our needs.  You lift up our spirits when we are sorrowful and concerned.  You strengthen us in times of heartache and trouble.  Your Word to us is totally trustworthy.  Your promises are absolutely dependable.  You are the source of our hope and comfort in this life and in the promised life beyond time and space.

  In humble gratitude we offer our praise and worship, this day and always.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(from Leading Intercessions p33, The Book of Worship p213, Invocations p41 & 42, Opening Prayers p92, An Australian Prayer Book p246, Uniting in Worship red book p207, and Prayers for God’s People p159) 

Merciful God, in spite of what we see of you and what we know of you, we still seek to put our trust in other things; in material wealth and security rather than in your eternal care, in transient pleasures rather than the joy of your fellowship, in what is logical and sensible rather than in faith and hope in your ability to overcome all that can harm those whom you love.

Please forgive our lack of strength to put our total trust in you.

Merciful God, the World scoffs at the mention of your name, the World ridicules those who believe in a Creator God who made the Heavens and the Earth in six days, the World rejects the need for the forgiveness of sins and proclaims our ability to save ourselves, and that all that is needed is to live good lives.  But in many ways, we remain silent when the World speaks, we do not defend you in our conversations, we do not use your Bible to reveal the errors and falseness of the worldly way of life. 

Please forgive our lack of courage to stand up and speak of our beliefs and of the certitude of our faith.

Merciful God, we live in an Age where compassion is often non-existent.  Yet we do not heed your call to encourage the neglected, to help the disoriented, to care for the aged and ill, or to befriend the lonely.  Often we pass them by on the other side of the road, often we turn a blind eye to them and pretend that they don’t exist.  We block our ears to their cries and close our eyes to their needs, often denying their very existence. 

Please forgive us for our insensitivity and callousness.  Please forgive us for not being your hands in the World that demonstrates your love in words and action.  Please forgive us for our pride and our fear to touch what isn’t clean or pretty or socially acceptable.

In humbleness and penitence we bring our sins before you, acknowledging our failures and mistakes, seeking your forgiveness and cleansing, and pleading for renewal and reassurance. 

May our thoughts and deeds be guided by your Spirit.  May our motives and intentions be influenced by the love that you show to others and which you encourage us to emulate.  May our desire be to live so as to honour and glorify you.  This we pray in your name.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Romans 10: 10) 

The Apostle Paul states, “For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.”  And so, having confessed our sins and trusting in the grace and mercy of God, we can be confident in declaring that our sins have been forgiven, and our lives cleansed in the sight of God.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

We pray for those who are recovering from hurricanes, floods, forest fires, and other natural disasters,

that you will give them courage, ease their pain, and touch the hearts of many to assist them.

We pray for all who are facing the storms of persecution, the Christians in many parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East,

that you will keep them safe and help them witness to the Gospel faithfully.

We pray for all who are experiencing the storms of daily life,

that they may keep their eyes and attention on Jesus who strengthens us and calms our chaos.

We pray for greater restraint in our Parliaments and Legislative Assemblies,

that all political leaders may show respect for their opponents, express their ideas and concerns thoughtfully, and work to promote the common good of society.

We pray for all who are experiencing financial difficulties,

that you will give them hope, open new opportunities for them, and guide them to the assistance that they need.

We pray for all who are ill,

that you will relieve their suffering, bring healing to the sick, and sustain them as they work to recover their strength.

We pray for all who are working to end the scourge of diseases,

that you will give strength to all who are caring for the sick, wisdom to those searching for a cure, and insight to those working on a vaccine.

We pray for an end to armed conflict between Nations,

that you will turn World leaders from the use of weapons of destruction, open new avenues to resolve disputes, and protect Humanity from the use of violence.

We pray for a renewal of our faith,

that we may keep Christ as the centre of our attention and never tire of calling out for your saving help when challenges arise.

We pray for freedom from fear,

that we may hear the voice of Christ calling us to “not be afraid” and learn to turn to you in every circumstance that is beyond our control.

Copyright © 2020. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/19OrdA080920/ideas_other.html

We pray for the peoples of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea.

We are thankful for the natural resources and diverse gifts that come from these countries, such as the distinctive music and dance of Cameroon, for those who minister to victims of sexual violence, trafficking and other human rights abuses, for Christians and people of other faiths who courageously have pursued reconciliation and peace among those in conflict, and for individuals and organizations who have provided for health clinics and schools in Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

We pray for just resolutions to the conflicts and violence among diverse groups and their leaders, for refugees who flee to other countries, and for those who host them, for economic developments that make it possible for all to rise out of poverty, and for stable democratic governments that effectively serve the common good.

For our country Cameroon, our regions, our villages, our towns
Heavenly father, we humbly pray: 
Direct the leaders of our country, Cameroon, now in this time when terrorism is overtaking this great nation. Grant them wisdom and understanding, and help them to respond to this crisis, quickly and effectively.  Direct them that they may do what is right in your sight. May they follow your divine will to lead our nation on the paths of peace and safety.

Unite all response agencies in an organized and harmonious fashion to bring quick and effective resolution to the issues created by the actions of Boko Haram. Empower us as Cameroonian citizens to do our own part, financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Give us strength to support all who have been affected by this tragedy.

O Lord, we also pray for effective eradication of corruption that is destroying our beautiful and rich country. Touch our heart and enlighten our thoughts so that we will use our resources for the benefit of the entire nation, for Africa and ultimately the whole world.

Bring peace and comfort to all those who are suffering as a result of these crises.  Surround us with your love and mercy!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Catherine Manga, Cameroon)

We pray for the Bible Society Mongolia as it works towards translating the Bible in the Khalkh dialect, a need expressed by church leaders and believers, and which has the potential of being widely used in all Protestant as well as Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches in Mongolia.

(https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/mongolian-standard-version/)

We pray for the work of The Ceylon Bible Society (CBS) in its translating the Gospel Parables of Jesus into Sign Language for the Christian deaf and hearing impaired community in Sri Lanka .   (https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/gospel-parables-in-sri-lankan-sign-language/)

We pray for The Leprosy Mission Myanmar Staff as they commit to serving the community, for the safety of the team while they provide services in hard-to-reach areas, that they will be protected from violence and harm, amidst the political instability.  We pray for their partners at Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital and the Christian Leprosy Mission Eastern Shan, that you will bless them and their work. We pray for the successful completion of the new dormitory for service users in Taungoo, that we will have enough staff and volunteers to run the centre and to serve more people.  We pray for MAPAL, the Myanmar Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy, for the association to become stronger and that they will be a blessing to their communities.

We pray for those who will recommence Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School this year.  Guide them in the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes.  May the Holy Spirit challenge the children in the RI classes to come to a closer relationship with you.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School.  Please be with her and her family as they holiday overseas.  May she have a relaxing time and return refreshed.

We pray for those 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.

Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  To your glory we pray.

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.