Prayer of Praise  

(from Moira Laidlaw Year A Easter 7 & Prayers for the Seasons Year A 7 p111 & Invocations p32 & Opening Prayers p46 & Leading Intercessions p24 & The Book of Common Worship p309 & The Book of Worship p183 & An Australian Prayer Book p 217 & Uniting in Worship Book 1 p192 & Psalm 47: 2 & 93: 1) 

  God of power and might, in whom all Creation has its source, the World we see around us reveals Your majesty.  The Earth and the Heavens shout out how awesome you are.  Through you, there is the unfolding of truth and the unveiling of beauty and wonder.

  God of our salvation, yours is the power that raised Jesus Christ from death, and exalted Him to your right hand side.  In him you are glorified and we continue to glorify you through the worship, the witness and the service that we offer.

  Almighty God, we praise you for the faithfulness of Jesus, who fulfilled His calling to complete the work of your salvation here on Earth.  We praise you that He continues to uphold us and abide with us according to His promise.  His ascension is our hope for new life and a renewed spirit.  Your Spirit brings unity to your people and provides the bond of peace and reconciliation.

  Sovereign Lord, you give us hope to our fears, strength to our weaknesses, and pardon to our guilt.  When we encounter discord, you give us peace.  When we encounter brokenness, you give us compassion.  When we encounter pain and suffering, you give us comfort and healing. 

  Eternal God, you have transcended time and have conquered death so that we might have fellowship with You.  In humbleness we offer You our praise and thanks, now and always.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(Week of Prayer for Christian Unity material & Moira Laidlaw Year A Easter 7) 

Merciful God, we confess that our faith is often superficial.  We proclaim You as Lord but question our need to obey Your call. We proclaim You as King but neglect the treasure contained in your Word.  We proclaim the power of prayer but don’t do talk with You as often or as sincerely as we should.  Forgive our shallowness and our failure to offer true worship.

We repent and are sorry for the hurt that we may have caused.

Merciful God, we confess that there are times when we fail to recognise the suffering and needs of others and so forget to share Your love revealed so clearly in Jesus.  We acknowledge that there were times when we happily accepted the blessings of life while neglecting to serve as Jesus served with unconditional love, humility and compassion.  Forgive us where we are weak and when we fail to be bearers of your love and compassion through our words, our actions and our lives.

We repent and are sorry for the hurt that we may have caused.

Merciful God, we identify that there are divisions between Churches, and express our sorrow for our brokenness as the People of God.  We regret the suspicion and hostility felt for others of different Denominations.  We acknowledge that we have not done all that we could to recognise the diversity of understandings and expressions of faith that abound in the life of your Churches, and to work together with them to minister to the needs of Your World.

We repent and are sorry for all that grieves You. In Your mercy cleanse us of our sins and restore us to a right relationship with You.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness    

The Apostle John writes that Jesus Christ came to give us peace, His peace, achieved through the forgiveness of our sins because of His death and resurrection.  And, so, we can declare that if we confess our sins, God hears our prayers and responds by forgiving our sins and cleansing us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

We pray for a healing of racism:

That all nations and peoples may recognize the value and dignity that you, Lord, have given to each person.

We pray for all who are fearful or anxious:

That they may allow you, Lord, to calm their spirits and to give them hope.

We pray for all who feel alone and isolated:

That you, Lord, will console them, and enable them to connect with others to form friendship and community connections.

We pray for all who are struggling financially:

That you, Lord, will give them hope, guide them to the resources that they need, and help them to find stable employment.

We pray for all who are ill:

That your healing spirit will fill them, ease their pain, and restore them to wholeness.

We pray for the members of all levels of our all governments:

That you, Lord, will open a new spirit of cooperation so that the greatest needs may be addressed and the common good advanced.

We pray for peace throughout the World:

That you, Lord, will turn the hearts of leaders of Nations from violence toward co-operation in facing the challenges that confront all the human race and bring an end to warfare in all its facets in all parts of our World.

We pray for the Church:

That, empowered by the Spirit, we may faithfully give witness to the Gospel and continue Christ’s mission of bringing hope and healing to those in need, that we may challenge others to bring an end to the brokenness, injustice, addictions, and selfishness of our society under the guidance of our Saviour and Redeemer, Christ Jesus.

Copyright © 2023. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/AscensionA052123/ideas_otherA.html

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, for the breath-taking beauty of these lands – the mountains in all their grandeur, overflowing rivers and green paddy fields, for all those who work for the

churches and their institutions, especially in places where natural disasters strike

We pray for the success of the efforts of governments and others to build up these nations’ economies, for your comfort for those who have lost families and homes in earthquakes and other disasters as they struggle to rebuild their lives, homes and infrastructure, for your guidance and encouragement 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, and for your protection for these small nations which depend on other countries and are often threatened by interests of their bigger neighbours.

PRAYERS

O compassionate Lord,
I would prefer power over the storm,
a secure home, a life protected from the winds.

But help me to live with storms, shelter with friends,
see my plans broken but not my life:
rebuilt again and again from the earth.

(Bangladesh. Dear Life, J. Morley, J. Ward and H. Wild, eds © Christian Aid 1998. Used with permission)

O Saviour Christ,
in whose way of life lies the secret of all life, and the hopes of all the people,
we pray for quiet courage to meet this hour.
We did not choose to be born or to live in such an age.
But let its problems challenge us, its discoveries exhilarate us,

 its injustice anger us, its possibilities inspire us,

and its vigour renew us, for your Kingdom’s sake.

(Bangladesh. A Procession of Prayers: Meditations and Prayers from around the World, comp. John Carden, WCC, and Cassell, London, UK, 1998, p.179)

For the Government of Nepal

Since democracy was achieved in Nepal in 1990, the country has suffered from unstable governments and a prolonged violent insurgency.  Although peace was negotiated in 2006, successive governments have struggled to provide a new Constitution and governance process.

Prayer

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.

For the Church in Nepal

Nepal’s religious tradition is strongly Hindu and Buddhist; Christian and Muslim minorities have in the past suffered restrictions on how they practise their beliefs, and sometimes even persecution and imprisonment. Since 2006, Nepal has been a secular state, and Nepali churches, independent, indigenous and strongly evangelical, have begun to take a stronger role in their communities.

Prayer

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.

For the poor in Nepal

Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in Asia on most indicators. The earthquakes of April-May 2015 have plunged families and communities into even deeper poverty, and placed development gains at risk.  Women and girls, people in remote communities, people with disabilities and those suffering from HIV and AIDS are particularly vulnerable. Unemployment is high, sending thousands of Nepalis to work outside the country.

Prayer

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

https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/bangladesh-bhutan-nepal

We pray for all of the research being done across The Leprosy Mission across the World, that we will find answers to the questions we still have about leprosy.  We pray for the researchers, that they might have open minds, courage, and patience.

We pray for the work of TLM Congo and for Yvonne, the new Country Leader of TLM Congo.  We give thanks for all the TLM staff in Democratic Republic of  Congo and pray for their protection during trips to the field.

We pray for all TLM staff and volunteers across the World, whatever their duties and however they serve, that they feel valued and work as if it were for Jesus himself.

We pray for the places in our World that are afflicted by conflict, and particularly for those persons affected by leprosy who are caught up in these conflicts, that you, God, will work in the hearts and minds of the leaders behind these conflicts, that they will cease fighting over land and power and wealth, and strive for peace.

The Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary 2023.pdf

We pray for the Scripture Union run GENTS Father & Sons camp, which is being held over this coming Thursday and Friday in South Australia.  We pray for the organising team, and for the fathers and sons as they are encouraged to follow Jesus together.

We pray for SU’s first combined-youth event happening in Alice Springs on this coming Friday, that this would be a fruitful and transformative event for all involved.  We pray especially for the leaders as they host this, that they will be enthused about this opportunity and guided in their activities and discussions wit those who participate.

SU Prayer-Guide-MAY-2023.pdf

We pray for those who will recommence Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School this year.  Guide them in the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes.  May the Holy Spirit challenge the children in the RI classes to come to a closer relationship with you.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School.  Please guide and equip her as she starts a new school year, and as she seeks to address the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the school.

We pray for those who are unable to attend worship. Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings. Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  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.