Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 21st July 2024

Servicing the Bald Hills and nearby Communities

Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 21st July 2024

Prayer of Praise: –

(Psalm 89: 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 52) 

O Lord, we always sing of your constant love,

We will proclaim your faithfulness to us forever.

Almighty God, the heavens sing of the wonderful things you do;

None is as mighty as you, we all stand in awe of you.

Heaven is yours, and the Earth also,

You made the World and everything in it.

Your Kingdom is founded on righteousness and justice,

Love and mercy are shown in all you do.

How happy are we when we worship you with songs,

When we live in the light of your kindness.

Because of you we rejoice all day long,

We praise you for your goodness.

In your love you make us triumphant.

Praise the Lord forever!

Prayer of Confession   

  Merciful God, we look at the society around us, and see what you intended to be noble, and grand has been corrupted with vice and violence and greed. 

  Please forgive our failures to fulfil your plans for the World, our failures for the strengthening of justice for all, our failures for the provision for the needs of all, and our failures for the acceptance of others with dignity and equality.

  Merciful God, we feel proud of who we are, of where we belong and of what we have achieved by ourselves.  But, in our pride, we are attempting to compare our insignificance and incompleteness with your incomparable greatness and glory.

  Please forgive the haughtiness that accompanies our pride of person, or place or privilege.  For it is only in humbling ourselves before you that we can put ourselves and the World in the right perspective.

  Merciful God, we look at your Church and see a scattered flock, each going our own way and attempting to do things by themselves, never being a cohesive witness to the Gospel message.

  We are sorry for whatever we have done or have failed to do that estranges others from you and from ourselves.  For it is only in listening to you and following your voice that we find peace and reconciliation.

  Merciful God, we are quick to denounce the sins of others, but slow to admit our own.

  Forgive us for our double standards.  In humbleness, we lay our guilt before you.

  Merciful God.  We lay all our faults before the Light of the World.

  Please grant us forgiveness for our offences and for our negligence, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

(from Ephesians 2: 8 & 9) 

The Apostle Paul made it clear to the Church in Ephesus that it was through God’s grace that they had been saved from their sins, and that it had nothing to do with their own efforts or goodness.  We, too, have come before God, confessing our sins and professing our faith in God’s saving power.  Let us trust in God’s promise to listen to us, to forgive us, and to restore us to a right relationship with Himself.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may be witnesses to your message, expressions of your nurturing love, and instruments of your healing care to all who find life’s journey burdensome.

We pray for unity, that through Christ’s victory over death, the divisions in the Human family may be dissolved and the wounds of racism and prejudice be healed.

We pray for a spirit of compassion, that you will touch our hearts with care and concern for all whom we find burdensome, needy, or demanding.

We pray for all who exercise leadership in the Church, that they may place their gifts unselfishly in the service of others and draw forth the skills of others for the fulfillment of your work.

We pray for support and care for refugees, for those displaced by violence, and living under oppressive governments, and help them find the resources that they need for life.

We pray for all who have suffered abuse, that your loving compassion will fill them with hope and courage and heal their bodies, minds, and spirits.

We pray for all who are suffering, that you will strengthen those recovering from natural disasters, give hope to those who have lost their homes, and give peace to those who are mourning.

We pray for patience and insight, that you will help parents and young people who are in conflict, help them understand each other, and lead them to new respect and cooperation.

Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/16OrdB072124/ideas_other.html

We pray for the peoples of Djibouti and Somalia.

We are thankful for the beauty of Creation and its resources from lands and sea, for the stable governance and economic development that Djibouti has experienced in recent years, and for the many ways churches and humanitarian organizations have prayed for and responded to the needs in Somalia.

We pray for protection of natural resources and coastal land, for an end to hunger, violence, crime and conflict in Somalia, for effective reconciliation and peace-building, for stable governments that further the common good for all the people, and for those who have fled this area that they may be welcomed in new homelands.

Prayers

You who give sustenance to your creatures, O God,
Put water for us in the nipples of rain!

You who poured water into oceans, O God,
Make this land of ours fertile again!

Accepter of penance, who are wealthy, O God,
Gather water in rivers whose beds have run dry!

You who are glorious, truly bounteous, O God,
Our cries have undone us, grant a shower of rain!

You who are clement, truly worshipped, O God,
Milk water for beasts which are stricken with thirst!

Creator of nature who made all things, O God,
Transmute our ruin to blessing and good!

We have done much remembrance, O God who remembers,
Loosen upon us rain from the clouds!

You who are merciful and compassionate, O God,
Milk rain from the sky for those in need!

You who are truthful, Creator, O God,
We accept in submission whatever you say!

You who mete out good and evil, O God,
In this land we are broken, milk the clouds from above!

The earth and the sky you constructed, O God,
We cannot get water, bring forth drops of rain!

The darkness of night you transfigure, O God,
And make daylight follow; milk the sky lavishly!

You who open all and give sustenance, O God,
People have scattered; send forth healthy rain!

Almighty, perfector of counsels, O God,
Pour for us rain which would make the land wet!

You who are bounteous, the protector, O God,
We cannot survive drought, send us rain from your store!

You who drive the air which sways the trees, O God,
It is you whom we praised, grant us the goodness of rain!

You who are worshipped and answer prayers, O God,
Make the rain spread over the whole of the land!

Bestower of victories, benefactor, O God,
Bring us faultless rain which makes us dwell where it falls!

You who are one and are trusted, O God,
Provider of all, give water to your people!

You who spark off lightning from clouds you have loaded, O God,
It is you who have power over rain which satisfies abundantly!

You who fill water-holes dug in wadis, O God,
Milk rain on this land, cream-giving rain!

You who used to relieve the strangest plights, O God,
It is to you that I have turned for help!

(Somali, Somalia. Heart of Prayer, comp. Anthony Gittins, CSSp, Collins, 1985. Used with permission.)

Allah! (Lord)
Make me among those whom you have guided.
Make me among those whom you have pardoned,
and make me among those to whom you are a patron.
Bless that which you have bestowed on me
and shield me against the evil of what you have decreed.
Truly, you are the one who decrees and none can decree over you.
The one to whom you show allegiance can never be abased,
and the one whom you take as an enemy
is never honoured and mighty.
You are the blessed and the exalted.

(“Allah” is Arabic for “God”.)   (© Saadiya Hirse, Somali)

Almighty God, we continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and for the Bible Society team as they continue to distribute much needed Scriptures.  We pray for support and guidance for governments, military, churches and individuals.  We pray too that the International Peace Summit that took place in Switzerland last month would help bring the nations closer to a resolution to this war.  We pray for mental and physical strength for the Bible Society staff in Ukraine as they continue serving churches and individuals with God’s word. A staff member said, “It still takes a lot of courage and resilience to continue serving in the city amidst regular explosions of huge, guided bombs nearby, so please keep our team there in your prayers.”

We pray that Koorong customers find inspiration, comfort, and a deeper understanding of God’s word in the products they purchase.  We pray that every book, Bible, and resource distributed through a Koorong store will be a tool for spiritual growth and a catalyst for positive change in the lives of individuals and communities.

We continue praying for the safety and health of people in Papua New Guinea where recent flooding and an earthquake has severely impacted villages, where Malaria and other diseases continue to rise as vegetable gardens and water tanks have been destroyed.  We pray for the people Bible Society is reaching in partnership with Mega Voice, distributing audio Bibles through the work of Living Child in the East Sepik Province, that relief would reach them, and their faith would grow.

We pray fervently for our Bible Society partners in the Middle East region working in communities amidst conflict, displacement and suffering.  We give praise to you God for Bible Society’s Living Stones Centre in Ramallah and for the ministry which takes place there; that they would be able to continue to gather around the Bible and encourage one another from God’s word.  We pray for protection and provision for Bible Society staff, volunteers, and all those in their community who are facing devastating loss.

Words of Faith from the Middle East “We will continue our efforts to be a living testimony and stand with the body of Christ during this tough time,” says Nashat, the Palestinian Bible Society’s General Secretary. Let us join with Nashat in praying for peace in the Middle East region. Nashat says, “We very much appreciate your prayers and support.”

Bible%20Society%20July%202024%20Prayer%20Letter.pdf

Almighty God, we pray for the Leprosy Mission International Ethiopia as it partners with the Ethiopian government, the Ethiopian National Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy (ENAPAL), the Ethiopian Centre for Disability Development (ECDD) and other NGOs.  We pray that together they will succeed on working on a comprehensive model of leprosy control through strengthening health systems and community ownership, which includes increasing resilience in women and men with impairments, as well as those from other marginalised groups.  May these partnerships be strengthened and ultimately be a blessing to the communities they serve.  We pray for the success of their lobby and advocacy efforts so that persons affected by leprosy and persons with disability will have their voices heard and there will be better inclusion in Ethiopia.

We pray for the successful implementation of TLMI Ethiopia’s five-year Country Strategy (2023-2027)  We pray for the project that they are running in Ethiopia that it will have a tangible impact on leprosy prevention through early case detection, new case finding activities, and increasing dignity for person affected by leprosy.

We pray that they will be able to secure the funds they need to implement the work that is included within the multiyear strategic plan.  We pray for your assistance as they endeavour to encourage Ethiopian decision-makers, particularly the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Affairs, to make leprosy initiatives a priority.

We pray for swift recoveries for persons in Ethiopia who are affected by leprosy and receiving treatment at the rehabilitation centres and hospitals.

We pray for continued good health and for guidance of Mrs Beletshachew Tadesse – the Country Representative, of  Mr Berihun Legesse – the Admin and Finance officer, of Mr Fiseha Endale – the Programme Manager,  of Mr Solomon Getahun – the Programme Coordinator, of  Mrs Abebesh Lemma – the Admin and Finance Assistant, of Mr Natnael Mesfin – the Project Coordinator, of Mr Gudeta Ayele – the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning Officer, and for Mr Gizachew Tebikew – the Zonal Project Coordinator.

The%20Leprosy%20Mission%20Prayer%20Guide%202024.pdf

Almighty God, we pray for Rachael from Scripture Union Australia as she attends Moore College with Bush Church Aid to talk with students about ministry and school ministry opportunities in regional areas they might explore.

We pray that new Scripture Union chaplains working in schools will find their way quickly, build relationships within their school communities and become a great support to the wellbeing needs of students.

We pray for Chris Battistuzzi as he forges ministry opportunities in South Australian and Victorian border communities, where there is currently little Scripture Union presence.

We pray that the JC Action Sports, which SU is helping to run at Beaudesert State School will be a blessing to participants.  We pray for participants to enjoy themselves, make friends and connect with you at the Redlands 25 Epic Night 2024.

We pray the Special Religious Education fundraising events being held in Cowra, NSW would be fruitful and raise the funds needed to continue to support this ministry.

We pray that all campers on the Time to Shine day camp for Year 6 girls will experience your love, while having a great and safe time.

Scripture%20Union%20Prayer-Guide%20July%20to%20September%202024.pdf

Prayers for the Congregation

  Merciful God, you sent your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to walk among us.  He heard the cries of the people and shared with them the Good News of the Kingdom.  Hear our prayers this day and answer them so that your greatness may be known by all.  This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.