Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 15th August 2021

Prayer of Praise

(from Uniting in Worship Vol 1 p570 – 572)

God the Father, God over us, we adore you. You are the depth of all there is. You are the ground of our being. We can never grasp you, yet you grasp us. The Universe speaks of you and your incomparable majesty and wisdom.

God the Son, God beside us, we adore you. You are the perfection of Humanity. You have shown us what Human life should be like. In you we see divine love and human greatness combined. Through you we experience God’s grace and mercy.

God the Spirit, God around us, we adore you. You are the power within us. You give us abundant life and make us the people we are meant to be. You give us the divine gift to forgive and to forget the wrongs that are done to us.

Eternal God, we remember your goodness to us and to those who have gone before us, and we live with the confidence that you will reveal your goodness to those who will come after us. You are not our captive, God, nor are you a god of our own making. You are not bound by us nor controlled by us. You are ahead of us, leading us, guiding us and calling us. You are the Lord God, all-wise and all-compassionate. We lift up our hearts and worship you, one God and Lord, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

(from Ephesians 4: 17 to 5: 17)

Merciful God, we come humbly before you, acknowledging that we have been foolish and careless in our thoughts and actions.

Merciful God, we confess to things we should not have done, and confess of being neglectful of things we should have done.

We confess to using language that is not fitting for people who seek to follow you, of using language that is intended to hurt others and not to help them.

Forgive our sins.

We confess to becoming angry at small hurts and unfairness, causing us to be unloving in our reactions to others.

Forgive our sins.

We confess to a desire for things that have no worth or lasting goodness or benefit for us.

Forgive our sins.

We confess to a stubbornness of holding on to prejudices and an unwillingness to face new truths that challenge our long-held attitudes.

Forgive our sins.

We confess to lying and misleading others so as to hide our guilt or responsibility.

Forgive our sins.

We confess to a laxity in praying for the needs of others.

Forgive our sins.

We confess to habits and a seeking of comfort to leads us away from fellowship with you and obedience to your will for our lives.

Forgive our sins.

Merciful God, lead us out of the darkness of impure and unlovely thoughts and actions.

Holy God, lead us into a life that is controlled by your love for us and that is inspired by your Spirit of truth and grace. To your glory and honour we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

(from Ephesians 5: 2)

The Apostle Paul reminds us that “Jesus Christ loved us and gave His life for us”. Having confessed our sins before God we hold onto this promise that, through the redeeming work of God achieved through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins have been forgiven and we have been reconciled to God.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

Almighty God, we pray for the transformation of our society, that our faithfulness to you will help us be a sign to our society that you are with us and active in our midst.

We pray for renewal of our minds and hearts that we may take to heart the word you speak to us and strive to put it into practice in our lives more fully.

We pray for a fuller understanding of our destiny, that your gift of new life in the resurrection will sustain us through all the losses and misfortunes of life.

We pray for all who hunger after justice and righteousness, that they may be sustained by your Word and the fellowship of others as they await the fulfillment of your promises.

We pray for the conversion of those who exercise political, economic, social and military influence and authority, that you will change the hearts of all who misuse their power or oppress others and bring them to a new appreciation of the dignity of each person.

We pray for all who are suffering, that you will guide the homeless to safe shelter, and bring healing to the sick. Give strength and hope to those facing addictions. Free them from their dependence and draw them to yourself to receive your healing power.

We pray for all who are grieving, that their faith will bring them to a new awareness of your presence and faithfulness to them.

We pray for all who have lost homes, jobs, or property to wildfires and floods, that you will give them strength, renew their spirits, and open up opportunities and resources for them.

We pray for healing in our communities, that you will heal the wounds from violence in our cities and homes, bring an end to domestic violence, and lead hearts to new ways to settle disputes.

We pray for all leaders in government, that they will use their power and influence to address the needs of the voiceless and powerless in society. Reveal to them the errors that have brought wrong decisions and have caused suffering. Like Solomon, give to them the wisdom that they need to make right and just judgements.

We pray for all healthcare workers, that you will renew their strength, keep them safe from the virus, and help them to be signs of hope to all who are ill.

We pray for an end to drought, that you will send rain to all the areas that are suffering from lack of water and give courage to all who are protecting livestock or crops.

We pray for the Church, that your people will walk in the way of truth and peace so that they can bear witness to the promise of forgiveness and reconciliation from you which will hope to a World living in such dark days.

We pray that you will teach our Society to define our quality of life not in profits and losses but in showing an appreciation of the need to take care of the Earth and its water and air for the ongoing health of all living things.

(also from Leading Intercessions by Raymond Chapman p74, and Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year B by David Hostetter p167 & 168)

We pray for Blue Care staff, chaplains and volunteers working in residential aged care facilities, community care centres and retirement living facilities throughout Queensland, that you will guide and support them as they provide care and support to residents and clients.

We pray for those planning for Scripture Union camps that are taking place during the upcoming School holidays, that you will encourage and inspire them as they make their preparations.

We pray for those providing Religious Instruction at Bald Hills State School, that you will encourage them as they lead their weekly classes, and that they will feel supported by the class teachers. May the Holy Spirit work in the hearts and minds of the children in these classes, that they will come to an understanding of the truths of the Gospel and respond to the message of your love and grace for them.

We pray for the chaplain at Bald Hills state School, Kylie Conomos, that you will continue to guide her and support her as she provides care for the students, teachers and parents of the school.

We pray for those whom we have not been able to worship with us recently. We ask that they may feel your close presence with them each day, that they will experience your support and encouragement as they journey through life in this time of uncertainty and change.

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