Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 22nd May 2022

Servicing the Bald Hills and nearby Communities

Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 22nd May 2022

Prayer of Adoration & Praise: –

Gracious God, you pour blessings upon us and within us through the person of the Holy Spirit.  This gracious gift of your Spirit continues to teach us about Jesus and to remind us of all that he said and did.  Today we rejoice over the Spirit’s gift of peace to us – the peace which is beyond our human understanding.  We welcome this gift and pray that our lives may reflect this peace and your love.  May this time of worship be an offering of praise and adoration for all your gifts to us.  This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

COCU36C.Easter 6C.11.00am.2010 – https://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/?p=2244

Prayer of Confession

Lord,

You know how easy it is for us to sit here,

tethered to our darkness and fear.

We get bound up by chains of mistrust.

We dare not to hope,

for so many times before we have been disappointed.

So we sit here and wonder where you are.

We are not unlike the disciples

who wondered also, who feared.

Lord, come to us in our darkness.

Flood us with your powerful light of love and mercy.

Help open our eyes to the good news of your eternal glory.

Give to us visions of the place in which love and hope will reign.

Forgive our stubborn resistance to your mercy and your love.

For we ask this in Jesus’ Name.  AMEN.

Written by Nancy Townley, and posted on the Worship Connection page of the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/ 

Assurance of Pardon

The Word which can transform us is not some idle gossip, but good news for us.

It fills us with forgiveness, equips us for service, and sends us forth to love others as God loves us.

In our midst, the Holy Spirit teaches us all we need to know, gives us what we need in order to be faithful, and fills us with peace.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com/2019/05/liturgy-with-communion-for-may-26-2019.html

Prayers of the People

  Loving God, we bring before you our cares and our concerns for the World and for ourselves.

We pray for the Church, that we may always be attentive to the creative work of the Spirit so that many may encounter Christ without unnecessary burdens.

We pray for the peace of Christ in our hearts, that we may abide in the Spirit’s peace which surpasses all understanding and find strength to face the many challenges that arise in daily life.

We pray for reconciliation, that you will help us to let go of hurts and renew relationships within families, in church communities, and in workplaces.

We pray for openness to your Word, that we may allow the Word to enter our hearts and produce an abundant harvest of virtue.

We pray for Christian unity, that you will lead all believers to a deeper understanding of the Good News and guide us in working together to confront the evils of poverty, abuse, addictions, and illiteracy.

We pray for discernment, that the Holy Spirit will remind us of all the Jesus taught and help us apply it in our lives and to the challenges of our society.

We pray for the growth of Christian community, that we may appreciate the gift of community, find support and encouragement within it, and work to enhance it.

We pray for all who are burdened by fear or anxiety, that the Spirit will free them so that they may live life fully and offer their gifts in the service of their brothers and sisters.

We pray for all who await the fulfillment of your promises, that you will lead refugees to places of safety, protect those facing persecution, and give peace to those with terminal illnesses.

We pray for all who are ill or recovering from injuries, that you will heal the sick and provide quick recovery for those who have been wounded.

We pray for all who are recovering from natural disasters, that you will protect those in dangerous situations, help those who are recovering to re-establish their lives, and guide all who are fighting fires or assisting those who have suffered loss.

We pray for world leaders, that you will guide those working for peace, open new ways to resolve disputes, and help them remember that all life is sacred.

We pray for peace, that you will turn hearts from violence in our cities, open new resources to address painful issues, and help everyone’s voice to be respected.

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

We pray for the peoples of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal  We are thankful for the peoples of these nations – the diversity of their cultures, languages, and art, and their resilience.  We are thankful for the breath-taking beauty of these lands – the mountains in all their grandeur, overflowing rivers and green paddy fields.  We are thankful for all those who work for the churches and their institutions, especially in places where natural disasters strikes.

We pray for efforts of governments and others to build up these nations’ economies, for those who have lost families and homes in earthquakes and other disasters as they struggle to rebuild their lives, homes and infrastructure.  We pray for those who contribute to religious harmony and advocate for the minority voice of Christians, especially amid religious and ethnic tensions, for religious and government leaders that they will make it possible for all peoples to live in justice with peace and harmony.  We pray for these small nations which depend on other countries and are often threatened by interests of their bigger neighbours.

Heavenly Father, we pray for those involved in government in Nepal, from local to national level. We pray for men and women of integrity in government, who will take decisions in the best interests of ALL Nepalis, regardless of caste, religion, gender or ethnicity. We pray for a government of vision, commitment and compassion.

Heavenly Father, we praise you for the way you have moved in the hearts of Nepali people, and raised up a church filled with love for you, for each other and for its neighbours. We pray for Christians in Nepal, as they seek to serve you in villages and towns across the country. We pray for wisdom, harmony and unity, that the Church in Nepal will shine for you.

Heavenly Father, we know your heart is with the poor, so we pray for those in Nepal who struggle against poverty. We pray for those affected by disasters, particularly earthquakes, and those whose livelihoods threatened by the effects of climate change. We pray for those working towards the protection and empowerment of the poor, and for wise, effective government policy.

© Lyn Jackson, UMN/Nepal

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray for the successful implementation of the 2021–2025 Country Strategy to address leprosy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the face of various obstacles lie before us, such as poor road infrastructure, limited health system infrastructure, and insecurity.  We pray for OPALCO, a non-government organisation that is initiating much effort to deal with leprosy, that they will receive all the support they need.  We pray for The Leprosy Mission Congo our team, that they will work well for those affected by leprosy, that their families will remain safe and healthy, and for the safety and well-being of those staff who spend much of their time covering long distances on dangerous ground to reach the most isolated patients.  

We pray for the mental health research project, Ditalala Dia Moyo (Peace of the Heart, in the local language), that their work will bear fruit capable of benefiting those affected by leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases.  We pray for the new SDR-PEP project that has started in Sankuru, which aims to prevent leprosy in people who have had close contact with recently diagnosed leprosy patients by providing them with one dose of an antibiotic. Pray that the health staff of the provincial government can spread this project throughout the province, especially as roads are almost non-existent, making supervision difficult.  We pray for collaboration between those fighting to defeat leprosy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including The Leprosy Mission, Action Damien, the Ministry of Health and WHO. Pray for more technical and financial partners who can meet the challenge of eliminating leprosy in DRC.

  (The Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary 2022) 

We pray for the work undertaken by the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe that is supported by UnitingWorld, providing education in primary and secondary schools, social development projects, for the provision of clean water and sanitation, disaster response and community livelihood opportunities, community leadership training, and to development the capacity to address human trafficking, and to protect children and vulnerable groups.

  (Uniting World) 

We pray the upcoming Scripture Union Remote Chaplain in-service training, that chaplains will be encouraged and supported in their mission.  We pray for the safety of all participants in the Scripture Union Cycle for hope fundraiser in north Queensland.

We pray for new partnerships between churches and Scripture Union so as to facilitate the placement and support of more chaplains in schools.

  (SU Prayer guide) 

We pray for the family in Bald Hills who recently lost their father due to cancer.  We ask that they will receive the consolation they need to deal with their grief and loss, and that they will know the assurance of your continual love for them.

We thank you for the dedication of those involved in leading Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School.  We ask that your Spirit will work in the hearts and minds of the children, opening their understanding of the Gospel and of your call to follow and obey.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Chaplain at Bald hills State School, thanking you for her dedication to the welfare of the children and staff at the School.  We ask that you will guide her as she faces issues that arise each day, and that she will regularly find the opportunity to rest and to be refreshed.

We bring to you those with whom we have not had fellowship recently. We ask that you will continue to ensure their well-being, and that they will feel you close beside them.  We ask that they will know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

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

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.