Prayer of Praise  

(from An Aust Prayer Book pp211 & 212, the Book of Common Worship p308, The book of Worship p177, Opening Prayers p 37, Invocations and Benedictions p124, A Year of Prayer pp 116, 117 & 118, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year C p91) 

  God of life, source of our faith and hope, we are in awe of your power and majesty; we celebrate your victory over death by the raising of Jesus Christ on the third day; we are immeasurably thankful to you for the sending of your Son, we are immeasurably thankful for His willingness to sacrifice himself on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  You turned our despair into triumph by the resurrection of Jesus; you have rescued us from eternal damnation and darkness and, instead, have bestowed upon us who trust and obey you, light and life that endures for ever.

  We are utterly helpless to save ourselves or to contribute any merit of our own towards gaining your favour towards us.  But you took the initiative, you reconciled us to yourself through Jesus Christ while we were still sinners, you made him who had no sin to be sin for us.  We come before you honouring you as the Lord of our life and praising you as the Saviour of our soul.

    Bountiful God, source of all good things, we are in awe of your generosity towards us; we are thankful to you for the everyday things that we need to live, we are thankful for the special things that come our way that makes our life bright and cheerful.  We acknowledge that you are the maker of all that is seen and unseen, of all that is on Earth and all that is in the Universe around us, of all that is simple and of all that is complex, of all that we can understand and of all that is beyond our comprehension.  We come honouring you as the one true creator God.

    God of compassion, source of true tenderness, we are in awe of your loving kindness towards us; we are thankful to you for your care in our times of need, we are thankful for your protection of us in times of strife.  We rely upon your promise to be the source of our strength and to be there beside us to support us.  With gladness and rejoicing we acclaim you as our God.  Amen. 

Prayer of Confession   

  Merciful God, we come before you contrite in soul and spirit because we know that we have failed you in so many ways.

  We confess that there is so much in our lives, in our thoughts, in our words, and in our actions, that displeases you and saddens you.

    Forgive us for when we have failed to listen to you, when we have turned away from you and pretended that we can no longer hear your voice.  Forgive us for when we have refused to heed your advice and have scorned your wisdom, when we have turned away from you and pretended that we knew all the answers.

  Forgive us for when we have failed to trust you, when we did not have the courage to obey you, when we have turned away and rejected your love.  Have mercy on us.

    Forgive us for when we have failed to be your witnesses to the World around us.  Forgive us for when we were more afraid of stepping on people’s toes than on challenging their self-assurance.

  Forgive us for when we have failed to be your calming voice in the surrounding turmoil, for when we have failed to be your revealing light in the surrounding darkness.  Have mercy on us.

    Forgive us for our pride that prevents us from stooping low to help someone or from getting our hands dirty.  Forgive us for our laxity in being regular in reading your Word or spending time in prayer with you.

  Forgive us for when we are not excited when a new day dawns, because each day is a gift from you to be treasured.  Have mercy on us.

    In your mercy forgive us our sins and our shortcomings.  Cleanse us from all that darkens our souls and prevents us from true fellowship with you.  Remove from us all that hinders us from showing real love to those around us, and from all that presents a hurdle for others to come to a right relationship with you.

  Through your Spirit may we be more ready and diligent to live out our faith in our words and deeds, in our conversations and our relationships.  In your name we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness  (2 Corinthians 5: 21) 

The Apostle Paul assures us with these words “Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share in the righteousness of God.”  Having confessed our sins before God we can then be assured that our prayers have been heard, that our sins have been forgiven and forgotten, and that our souls have been cleansed in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination  (from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 13 & 14 p599) 

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to be guided by your Word and the Holy Spirit, that in your light we may perceive your mercy and grace, that in your truth we may find freedom, and that in your will we may discover peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Others

Let us come before God with our cares and our concerns.

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that the Holy Spirit will nurture and renew us so that we may bear the abundant fruits of virtue and vibrant discipleship.

We pray for transformation of our minds and hearts, that we may embrace the Gospel message, be converted from misdirected desires, and embrace our new life in Christ.

We pray for deeper awareness, that we may recognize and be attentive to your presence with us each day and how you are at work bringing us to fuller life.

We pray for the grace to experience everything as a gift, that in knowing you as the source of all existence, we may appreciate each day and each breath.

We pray for the gift of awe, that we may have reverence for the ground on which we stand, the many blessings that we have received, our bonds of friendship, and our community of faith.

We pray for openness to your presence, that we may be open to the surprising ways you are with us and desires to work within us, and never limit how you can reveal yourself to us.

We pray for all who are experiencing affliction, particularly in Ukraine, that you will hear their cries, relieve their sufferings, and give them strength to remain faithful.

We pray for the refugees and displaced persons of Ukraine: that you will guide them to places of safety, provide the resources that they need, and help them to be welcomed and supported.

We pray for greater stewardship of creation, that we may fulfill your commission to care for the earth, water, and air that you have created for the good of all the Human family.

We pray for all students commencing tertiary studies: that you will help them to make good decisions, travel safely, and enjoy their time in their lessons and studies.

We pray for all who are ill, that the Holy Spirit will renew the gift of life in all who are sick, give them strength to recover quickly, and guide their healthcare providers in making accurate diagnoses.

We pray for all who are homeless, that you will open resources for them to find affordable housing, safe neighbourhoods, and helpful neighbours.

We pray for all Government leaders, that you will help them hear the cries of those who are suffering, inspire them with new insights to address the needs, and be moved to action.

We pray for an end to war and violence, that you will challenge those who are using violence, open new opportunities for dialogue between conflicting parties, and help them find ways that will benefit all peoples with better lives.

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

  Save the Church from becoming slothful and complacent, keep us mindful of the sins that would separate us from you and of you call to come back to a close relationship with you.

  Have mercy on the victims of natural disasters, that they will find the support and comfort they need, and that the World will be moved to provide what is needed for the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods.

  (Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercessions p98) 

  Teach us tolerance for those who seem different from us, and give us true consideration for the worth and value of all people.

  Give zeal and wisdom to those who are seeking to address the problem of unemployment, to those seeking justice for those who have been wronged, who are oppressed or have been defrauded from what is rightfully theirs.

  (David Hostetter in Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year C p68) 

  We pray for the upcoming Scripture Union Qld Easter camps, that it will be a time when those who attend will discover the meaning of the Easter events.

  We pray for those who are leading the training in the Certificate 1V courses in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care.  Support and enthuse them as they lead the students to new knowledge and skills.

  (suqld.org.au) 

  We pray for the McKean Hospital in Thailand as it continues to provide specialised services for leprosy patients, access to treatment and rehabilitation for displaced and marginalised people, and multi-tiered aged care services for a broad range of people in need. We pray for the caregivers for the elderly, who provide palliative and hospice care, and pastoral care for leprosy patients.  We pray for effective teaching and leprosy awareness given to medical personnel.

  We pray for the PEP project that is being implemented by The Leprosy Mission in Indonesia, for success with intensive case finding and the distribution of the preventative antibiotic, Rifampicin, as they seek to end leprosy transmission in Indonesia by 2035.

  We pray for God’s protection and guidance as the Leprosy Mission team in Indonesia navigates through the pandemic and its effects, and that you will guide and strengthen their efforts to help people affected by leprosy to receive vital support to cure their leprosy.

  (Leprosy Mission Prayer diary 2022) 

  We pray for the people of Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.  We give your thanks for the spectacular beauty of the changing landscape of forests, lakes, mountains and glaciers.  We give you thanks for churches that are advocating and implementing measures to redress climate change that is dramatic here and throughout the world.  We give you thanks for those who have opened their doors and hearts to people migrating to these lands, for those active in the support for justice, peace and interfaith work that comes from these countries.

We pray for the poor and marginalized who struggle in these rich countries, for the implementation of personal and investment practices that support environmental sustainability, for the growing openness to becoming more multi-ethnic, multi-faith societies, for those who are affluent that they will contribute to making the world and their societies more just for all.  We pray for a Church that is prepared to be a voice in the struggle for indigenous people rights.

A prayer for the time of climate change

Dear Heavenly Father,
we bring before you our despair about climate change.  
It feels so bad, when so many forms of life are threatened,  
but still the nations are not able to work together to alleviate the problem.  
O Lord, help humankind to choose a better road, so we could find peace!
Thank you for your promise to be with us, no matter what.  
Thank you for all the gifts that you give to your world  
through air, wind and the Holy Spirit.  
Thank you for nourishment, power and joy.  
Let your Holy Spirit flow strongly in us and in your world.  
In the name of Jesus. 

(Panu Pihkala, Finland, from Luontokirkkovuosi (LK-kirjat, 2013))

Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray for Kylie Conomos, that you will motive her and support her as she seeks to address the physical and spiritual needs of the children the families and the teachers associated with the Bald Hills State School.

We pray for those whom we have not seen for some time. We ask that they will experience your closeness with them each day.

We pray for encouragement for Jillian as she is preparing to commence her time with the Congregation, working with the Church Council and the people of the Congregation to clarify our vision and mission goals as your people in our small part of the World, and as we envisage what the future may hold for us as your witnesses in the Bald Hills area.

Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  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.