Prayer of Praise  

(from An Aust Prayer Book, Leading Intercessions p14, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year A, Invocations and Benedictions p22, Opening Prayers p20) 

  God of abounding grace, it is you whom we come to worship.  We cast aside all of our idols and false gods so that we are not tempted to turn away from you.  You are the eternal, righteous giver of life; and we have come to give you praise.

  You dwell in glory, yet you chose to make that glory visible in the most astonishing way – in and through a Human person – Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.  Through him, you shared our Human struggles, for he was tempted in every way as we are.  He was able to confront and survive the wilderness experiences of life because His trust in you provided the strength He needed.  We come before you, O God, as people who frequently stumble, but we gather here in the wonderful knowledge that you never fail us. 

  You surround us with your steadfast love so that we may no longer hide in fear.  You shelter us under your arm and preserve us with your love.  You sustain us by your living Word, so that we may remain true to your calling to be your obedient disciples.  You strengthen us through your Spirit as we seek to humbly serve You.  Accept our heartfelt prayers and praise, now and always.  In your name we pray, Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(from Drescher p22, Hostetter p60 and p61, Leading Intercessions p14, Opening Prayers ) 

Gracious and merciful God, we are all too aware of the emptiness in our lives, of the sins that ensnare us even while they are promising life, and of the way the Tempter entices us and leads us away from you.

We repent and are sorry.

We would like to make our own rules by which to live our lives, but we cannot escape the fact that our new rules do not measure up to your established Laws.

We repent and are sorry.

Forgive us for living below the best we know, for being unwilling to change even some of our simpler habits of daily life.

We repent and are sorry.

Forgive us for ignoring the beauty of the places in which we live and work, and for misusing your Creation solely for our wanton pleasure.

We repent and are sorry.

Renew us in these Lenten days, washed clean of sin, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and sustained by your living Word.

May we remain true to your calling and serve you alone.  Through Jesus Christ, our liberator from sin.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Romans 5: 17b & 19b) 

The Apostle Paul tells us that all who repent of their sins receive God’s grace and are put right with God, through the obedience of Jesus Christ.  Having confessed our sins and trusting in God’s mercy, we have the confidence in knowing that our sins have been forgiven and our lives renewed by God.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

We pray for peace.
We lament violence around the world. 
We plead for the ceasing of violence and the establishment of peace.
We pray that you might give us a desire for peace and a willingness to work and hope and pray for peace each day.

We pray with deep concern for Turkiye and Syria
torn apart and devastated by the great earthquake
with such a large number of victims,

stunned by the enormity of the damage;
shocked by the extent of the ruins.

Lord, with tears and broken hearts we pray

for families who have lost loved ones.
Give strength and wisdom for search and rescue teams searching for victims amidst the rubble.
Give foresight to save those who are still under the ruins;

for medics, doctors and nurses, give the ability to care for those who are injured;

for volunteers who come from various places, give courage to help the victims together.

God, the source of strength,
give a ray of hope for Turkiye and Syria
in the midst of a disaster that is being experienced.

God of Wisdom, give us unity to feel the suffering and sorrow
experienced by communities in Turkiye and Syria.

We pray for the Leaders of Nations, for those who wield the influence over others and make the decisions that affect so many people. 

May they heed your gentle call to bring about stability and prosperity to their Land.  May they not yield to the temptation to exercise power so as to accumulate wealth or to oppress.  May they seek to bring about peace between Nations and not make a grab for land and resources.

We pray for the poor and the homeless, for all who have been left behind and are forgotten, for the defeated and the broken hearted, for those who are sick in body, mind and spirit. 

Befriend, comfort and heal them.  Grant them the confidence to put their trust in your promises. 

Have mercy on those whose anger and resentment holds them back from fullness of life.  Help those who hurt but cannot forgive, those who hold onto a bitterness that is eating into their soul and darkens their existence. 

Show them the way to forgive and to forget.  Bring them a release from their burden and a relief from their cares.

We pray for the peacemakers of our world, for those who act to bring about reconciliation and the resolution of conflict, for those who focus on building up relationships and of breaking down barriers. 

Give them the strength in their endeavours and the encouragement to persevere.

  We pray for Your Church in this and every Land, those who confess their faith in your as Lord and Saviour, no matter what language they speak, no matter what hymns they sing, no matter how they worship.  Please sustain and guide them so that your people will not grow weary of doing what is right, of proclaiming your word of grace and mercy to all, and of confronting discrimination. 

May your church indeed be the bearer of your divine light to shine on all Nations to show the way to the deliverance from sin.

Make us loving towards our neighbours, eager to forgive and to heal. 

May we radiate your presence to those who we meet in the corridors of our residence here or in the aisles of the shopping centre.  May we show love and hospitality in all we do and say.

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.