Prayer of Praise  

(based on Isaiah 12: 1 to 6) 

I will praise you, O LORD, for you comfort me and do not turn away from me.

From you I receive the strength each day to face whatever the World places in my way.

I will praise you, O LORD, for you are my salvation.

In you I trust to keep your promise to forgive and to forget my sins.

I will praise you, O LORD, for in you I find true and deep joy.

You live among us and reveal your care for each one of us in such personal and meaningful ways.

I will praise you, O LORD, for the glorious things that you have done for your Creation.

I will shout aloud of your greatness so that all the world may hear.  I will exalt you above all things and above all people, for you alone deserve all of our praise and thankfulness.  Amen.

Prayer of praise

Blessed are you, God of the Universe.
you have created us and given us life.

Blessed are you, God of the planet earth.
You have set our world like a radiant jewel in the heavens,
and filled it with action, beauty, suffering, struggle and hope.

Blessed are you, God of Aotearoa/New Zealand,
in all the peoples who live there,
in all the lessons they have learned,
in all that remains for them to do.

Blessed are you because you need us;
because you make us worthwhile,
because you give us people to love and work to do
for your universe, for your world and for ourselves.

(Copyright material taken and adapted from A New Zealand Prayer Book: He Karakia Miihinare o Aotearoa is used with permission. © General secretary of the Anglican church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, New Zealand, pp.619,641, 142.)

Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

Prayer of Confession 

(from Isaiah 12: 1 to 6) 

We draw near to you, merciful God, aware of our failings, our rebelliousness towards you.

We plead for your favour towards us, we who have failed to be sincere and faithful witnesses to your love and grace.

Merciful God, you ask only that we place our whole trust in you to meet all of our needs.

Forgive us for when we seek to trust in our own efforts and abilities to achieve things.

Merciful God, you seek to reassure us that all of Heaven and Earth comes under your authority and power.

Forgive us for when we let the fear of what the future holds for us direct our thinking and our action.

Merciful God, your desire is for our lives to be ones of joy and thankfulness.

Forgive us for taking your gifts and graces towards us for granted and unappreciated.

Merciful God, you call us to shout aloud to the World, proclaiming your glory and greatness.

Forgive us for when we hide in our small corner of the World, hesitant to speak out to tell of your everlasting and encompassing love for the World, just in case the World should criticise us or laugh at us.

Merciful God, you are our Salvation, the source of our hope and our help for life beyond death.

Forgive us for when we place so little value on the cost of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for us and for all of Humanity.

Merciful God, we lay our lives bare before you, hiding nothing from you.

Forgive us for all that displeases you and disappoints you.  Remove from us all that hinders a right relationship with you, so that our lives may bear witness to the World of your great capacity to heal and to renew.  To your glory and honour we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from 2 Thessalonians 2: 13b) 

The Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Thessalonica saying, “from the very beginning God chose (for us) to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and through belief in the Truth (of the Good News of Jesus Christ)”.  Let us put our trust in God’s work of salvation, trusting that He has heard our prayer, that He has saved us from our sins, and has welcomed us into fellowship with Him.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

We meet in the presence of God, who calls us to share in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation.  In penitence and faith we commit ourselves to pray for God’s kingdom to come and work together with all people of good will toward that justice and peace between nations and peoples which is the hope of our calling.  We pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror.  We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away.

We hold before you all the violence done in your name; those maimed by war or scared by hatred, those traumatised by nightmares which years of peace cannot erase, those crippled in spirit as well as in body those who cannot or will not forgive.

Let your mercy and peace lead us in hope

We hold before you the tyrants of our age who wreak havoc with the minds and bodies of the young and force them to commit horrendous crimes.  We hold before you a World broken by despair where false prophets voice not words of peace but chant a mantra of revenge.

Let your mercy and peace lead us in hope

(https://www.assembly.uca.org.au/images/Remembrance_Day_resources.pdf)

Father of all, remember your holy promise,
and look with love on all your people.
On this day we especially ask that you would hold forever
all who have suffered during war, those who returned scarred by warfare,
those who waited anxiously at home,
and those who returned wounded, and disillusioned;
those who mourned, and those communities that were diminished and suffered loss.
Remember too those who acted with kindly compassion,
those who bravely risked their own lives for their comrades,
and those who in the aftermath of war, worked tirelessly for a more peaceful world.
And as you remember them, remember us, O Lord;
grant us peace in our time and a longing for the day when people of every language, race, and nation will be brought into the unity of Christ’s kingdom.

(https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/funerals/after-funeral/prayers-remembrance)

Lord, we are saddened at the thought of war,
of the soldiers who must fight
and all those people who are killed.
Today we remember their sacrifice with great sadness.
We thank them for what they did for us.

We also remember that they won for us a victory,
that without their bravery these wars may have been lost,
and our lives could have been so very different,
without the freedom we so much enjoy.
We thank them for what they did for us.

We are saddened at the thought of your suffering,
that you, too, had to be a great hero,
and walk to Jerusalem, be arrested, tried
and killed on that horrible cross.
We thank you for what you did for us.

We also remember that you won for us a victory,
that on Easter morning you rose again,
and helped us to overcome our human nature,
so that we might rise again with you.
We thank you for what you did for us.

God of justice and peace,
we pray for those who have been injured or disabled through war.
For those who have lost homes and security through conflict;
for those who have lost loved relatives in wars;
for those who face danger and take risks for peace;
for all those, especially children, caught up in current conflicts;
for refugees and all those in need of aid and other help.
God of encouragement
and Saviour of the despairing,
comfort those who remember past sacrifices
and guide us in building
a just and peaceful community for all.

As one family, we reflect today on the horrors of the past that continue
to haunt humanity and darken our world.
Lord, where pain still overwhelms, bring healing.
Where hearts are still breaking, bring comfort.
Where peoples are still oppressed, bring liberation.
Where communities are still victimised, bring justice.
Where children are still brutalised, bring compassion.
Where lives are still crushed, bring hope.
Where evil is perpetrated, bring repentance.
Where war still devastates, bring peace.
But most of all,
wherever a single voice cries out in the darkness,
bring us to one another,
in the name of the love you bear in your heart for all people,
all nations and all creation.

We entrust to you, eternal God,
those times when we can see only shadows
and lose sight of the hope to come;
the times when suffering seems so senseless,
life so fragile, war so unstoppable and death so permanent.
Bless us with the assurance that you are in all things,
the tragic and the beautiful,
the nightmare and the dream,
the light and the darkness.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ
the peace of the world, today, tomorrow and forever.

We pray for the Church, that we may offer hope and vision to all the Human family in times of confusion and offer support to those who are searching for you.

We pray for the grace of perseverance, that you will strengthen and sustain us in remaining faithful in our discipleship in times of trial and distress.

We pray for a spirit of hope, that you will drive disabling fear from our hearts and help us face the future with confidence and trust that you are always with us and will never abandon us.

We pray for leaders of the Christian community, that their ministry and preaching will help their communities of faith to continue their deeds of loving service and witness to the Gospel until Christ comes in glory.

We pray for all who are experiencing an “end of their world”, that those who have become ill, lost employment, been divorced, or are grieving the death of a loved one may know your comforting presence this day and be strengthened by your Spirit.

We pray for children who are rejected, abused, or neglected, that your tender compassion will comfort them and that they may experience love and nurture.

We pray for freedom from deceit, that we may hear the voice of the one true shepherd who calls us to life and not be confused by the many voices whose promises are false and whose fruit is destruction.

We pray for families that are divided and in opposition to one another, that your peace may touch their hearts and lead them toward reconciliation and healing.

We pray for all who are persecuted, deprived of their rights, and used as pawns by the

Powers of this World, that the Son of Justice may rise for them, heal their wounds, and raise the lowly to high places.

We pray for inspiration and guidance, that the Spirit will lead to freedom all who are addicted and give courage to all who are working to assist them.

We pray for peace, that you will bring an end to the violence in Ukraine, sustain the ceasefire in Ethiopia, and protect the Human family from weapons of mass destruction.

We pray for all veterans, that they may know your presence in their hearts, be healed of physical and mental injuries, and be blessed with health and well being.

We pray for all who have been elected to all levels of government and leadership, that you will give them wisdom to address the pressing issues and a spirit of collaboration to achieve the best for our country.

Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  –  https://liturgy.slu.edu/33OrdC111322/ideas_other.html

We pray for the peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia.

We are thankful for the beauty of the land and waters of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and the special relationship that people enjoy with the natural environment, for the identities and cultural practices that indigenous peoples long have maintained, and for their increasing political voice, for how the people have welcomed new immigrants, and for how churches have witnessed and worked together ecumenically, especially amid challenges of apathy in highly secularized societies.

We pray for your support and guidance for churches to have the imagination, skills and energy to build bridges of understanding in increasingly multireligious and multicultural contexts,  for those who work tirelessly on issues of justice for the poor, the marginalized and the dispossessed, especially indigenous peoples, for those seeking refuge and a new life in these countries, and those supporting and providing for them, and for careful preservation of the fragile land, sea, and resources.

Prayer for the Side-lined, Lost and Over-looked People.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
the insignificant, unremarkable, over-looked people of the world;
for the un-noticed and simply ordinary people;
back-water sort of people who will never make much impact.
For them  MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
those who are lost; who have disappeared or are missing;
for the up-rooted, exiled and enslaved ;
lost-rights sort of people who will seldom be seen or heard.
For them  MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
the fearful, the terrorised and the abused people of the world;
those who are unjustly imprisoned or entrapped;
voiceless people who will hardly dare to seek help.
For them  MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, may your Realm of Love come for
the subjugated, silenced and subdued people of the world;
for the lonely, the lacking, the faded, the frightened;
shadowy people unable to bring attention to their suffering.
For them  MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

Holy One, may Your Realm of Love come for
all persons with disabilities;
for the redundant and poorly educated; the timid and un-appreciated;
struggling people who have to strive for support and respect.
For them,  MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.

In the dynamic of your Love, may your Realm become a reality for them all. Amen.

  (© 2011 Glenn Jetta Barclay, Aotearoa/New Zealand) 

Greenness

Dear God, there are times when I hear your voice most clearly
in greenness: in the singing of sap,
the conversation of the leaves, the whisperings
of shoot and stem, root, sap and cell,
calling me back to creation to feel again the freshness of you
running through everything like a bright emerald current.
God of greenness, you know well my tendency
to fill my life with my own methods of communication.
Thank you for constantly returning me to the simplicity of yours.
Again I experience you in the rejoicing
of bare feet on a damp forest path,
in the wonder of light thrown against a kaleidoscope of tree ferns,
in the myriad textures of moss-clad trees,
in the shining of you beneath every surface.
Beloved Creator, coming to our greenness is always a coming home,
a time of peace and grace as the unimportant in me falls away
and I know again that bright green shoot of my own beginning
which comes from you and is one with you,
bright and beautiful God.

(By Joy Cowley, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Published in Aotearoa Psalms: Prayers of a New People by Joy Cowley, Pleroma Christian Books, Otane, H.B. New Zealand.)

We give thanks for the impact of Scripture Union Gents Camp at Yorke Peninsula which took place in South Australia in October.  We pray for ongoing opportunities to engage with community and encounter Jesus for everyone who attended.

We pray for Scripture Union holiday camp and mission teams to tap into your wisdom as they plan ways to invite participants to continue seeking you after programs end.

We praise you for profound growth in interns graduating across Victoria.  We pray that their next steps become clear and help them remain connected to SU Australia.

We pray for SU Schoolies/Leavers happening in QLD and WA commencing on Friday 18^th November, for a safe week of good memories and fun, and that you will use this time to make a difference in young lives.

We pray for the Hard Skills training weekend running for SU Victoria holiday camp volunteers in the coming weekend, that it would be a helpful and encouraging weekend.

  (SU Prayer-Guide-November-2022-BRIS.pdf) 

We pray for travel mercies for the Leprosy Mission India staff who are reaching out to counsel students in remote places, to provide post[1]training follow-up, which will improve these students’ employment opportunities.  We pray for the good health and prosperity of our existing partners to Leprosy Mission India, as they support them in providing placements, admission, training, training machinery, staff capacity building, and financial assistance to students.  We pray that more such partners will join in this enterprise.  We pray for the strengthening of Alumni groups across six the Vocational Training Centres operated by Leprosy Mission India, so that they can mutually support each other in terms of employment, financial support and addressing discrimination.  We pray for continuous support from local financial supporters, such as individual donors, churches, and organisations that are practicing corporate social responsibility.  We pray for the success of sustainability plans at the Vocational Training Centres, which are being developed by the team.  We pray for the support of donors as we arrange investment.  We pray for your blessing and protection upon the six VTCs, staff and their families, and students staying in the hostel.  We pray for the spiritual committees and church partners, so that they can continue to share your words.

  (2022 Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary.pdf) 

We pray for the Bush Chaplains from Frontier Services, who, every year, travel vast distances to offer practical, pastoral and spiritual care where it’s needed most to farmers and pastoralists and Aboriginal communities.

We pray for Outback Links volunteers who make such an incredible impact, turning up at the farm gate for those who need us so much, providing practical help that eases the burden of endless ‘to do’ lists on the land, providing a listening ear for conversations and sense of connection created by working side by side with property owners.  We pray for your support and protection as they travel and work on the properties.

  (https://frontierservices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Frontier-News-November-2022-Edition.pdf) 

We pray for the Bible Society Australia publishing team as they work on ‘From Heaven to Country’, a book showcasing the work of Bible translation into Indigenous languages.  We pray for work on a third edition of the CEV ‘Big Rescue for children’, that writers, illustrators, designers and editors will work smoothly together to amplify and engage kids and families with your word.

We thank you that Bible Society Vietnam are seeking to engage people immediately with newly translated Scriptures in ethnic minority languages.  We pray for the distribution of Bible stories and Mark’s Gospel among different tribes, that people can get to know about Jesus in their own language.

We pray for the translation of the first Khongso New Testament, for good health for the translator, for the printing and distribution of 500 copies of the Khongso New Testament, and for peace in Myanmar.

We pray for Bible Society Australia’s Board and the Annual General Meeting being held on Friday 18^th November.  We thank you for the Board members and pray that the meetings will be full of wisdom and grace. We pray for the CEO, Grant Thomson, as he leads the organisation and staff.

We pray for Roy, a pastor for Khmer Christians in Vietnam, who is working with Bible Society on Scripture resources and books in his language, that the Christian materials written in Khmer will help the Khmer people to know you in a way that still preserves their own identity, so that they will understand that the Gospel is also meant for Khmer people, and that you are the God of Khmer people, too, and not a foreign God.”

  (Bible Society Australia November 2022 Prayer Letter.pdf) 

We ask that you will bless the efforts of Ian and the other volunteers who are leading Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, that the Holy spirit is engaging with the children who attend the classes, opening hearts and minds with a clear message of your love for them.

  We pray for the Chaplain at Bald hills State School, Kylie Conomos, that you are guiding her efforts to care for the children and teachers at the School, that you are encouraging her in her work and supporting her as she gives of herself to those whom she serves there.

  We pray for the residents at PM Village, that they will find comfort and fulfillment during their time under care.  We pray for the staff, that they will have patience and compassion as they fulfill their roles and responsibilities for the residents.

Eternal God, you know our problems, and have promised that you will help us to solve them.  You know what we lack, and have promised to meet our needs.  Help us to depend upon you day by day and to call upon you when life gets hard.  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.