Prayer of Praise  

(from a prayer in UCA Assembly resource – 40 years of the Uniting Church) 

Almighty God, you have led your pilgrim people through centuries past, and are calling us to serve you today.  You have blessed us with gifts of the Holy Spirit.  You have given leaders to your Church who have guided us with courage and insight.  Despite the failings of your Church, you continue to claim us for yourself, to renew our faith and to send us out to a World in need.

We thank you for the inheritance into which we have entered:

   for the Reformers of the 16^th century who preached the centrality of Jesus Christ,

   for the Evangelical Revival of the 18^th century which reached out in fresh ways with the Good News,

   for the Ecumenical Movement of the 20^th century which has brought Christians together across barriers of race, language, culture, and tradition.

We thank you for your revealing of yourself to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples over the millennia as they walked over and tended this Land, and for the ways that they sought to honour you in custom and tradition and stories. 

We thank you for those who led and guided the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches over the two centuries since their first small Congregations were formed in Australia. 

We thank you for all who prayed and worked to bring the Uniting Church into being:

   for those who wrote the Basis of Union,

   for those in every locality who worked patiently to bring people together,

   for those who, for 45 years, have proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ,

        who have ministered to the sick and suffering,

        who have been the voice of conscience to our Nation.

We ask for your blessing on your Church in the coming years:

   that you will empower us to be diligent in proclaiming your saving Gospel,

   that you will draw us closer to other Churches,

   that you will strengthen our work for justice and peace,

   that you will help us minister to the poor and distressed, the lonely and alienated, the confused and despairing.

May your Spirit of truth and love be our guide, now and in the future, that we may be a faithful servant Church, giving of ourselves and all we have, as Jesus gave himself for us.  Amen.  

Prayer of Confession 

(This Prayer of Lament was prepared and led by Mark Schultz at the meeting of the Presbytery and Synod in June 2017, as part of the 40^th Anniversary of the Uniting Church.) 

Merciful God, we gather in the knowledge that there have been times when the Church, in part or in whole, has caused loss, hurt and pain.  In humbleness and penitence, we bring these things before you.

For Congregations and relationships that have become broken or divided,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

For people who have travelled with us but are no longer part of Your church,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

For the too many years it took for the First Peoples of this Land to be embraced by the Church,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

For the mistreatment, abuse and neglect of those vulnerable people who placed their faith in the Church and its care,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

For the lack of welcome and cold hearts received by those who have come to us from other places,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

For harsh words, lack of care, ignorance, insensitivity, and pride that have damaged relationships and the people so dear to You,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

For the grief caused by those ministries of the Church which have come to an end, for those which were unsustainable, for those which did not succeed or did not provide the value or the benefit which had been hoped would be reaped from the effort, time & money invested,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

For the times when these things have been from the work of our hearts and our hands, and not work in line with your will,

Merciful God, forgive us, heal us, and renew us.

Gracious God, at times our hearts have been heavy, pained, and broken by these things and more.  We are grateful that You are a God who grieves with the people of God, sharing in their sorrow and loss.  

Thank you that You bring hope to those without hope, comfort to those in pain, and provide for those in need.  From the great stores of Your grace, we pray that You will plant a seed in our hearts which finds its growth, nurture and sustaining in You.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(Galatians 1: 4b) 

In his letter to the Church in Galatia, the Apostle Paul tells them that Christ gave Himself for their sins, in obedience to the will of God.  Having confessed our sins before God, we, too, can rest on this assurance that Christ has died and has been raised again so that our sins are forgiven and forgotten.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

Holy God, you embrace us with your love and grace.  May we not forget you nor neglect to give to you the praise and adoration that you deserve.  Knowing your love for all Humanity, and your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We pray for the Church, that we will live giving and sharing ourselves, as Christ continually does for us, so that all may have life.

We pray for all who hunger for deeper meaning and truth, that our witness may help them find Christ who will fulfill the longings of their hearts.

We pray for all who lack food and nourishment, that we may hear Christ’s challenge to “give them food” and open our hearts more fully to all who are in need.

We pray for greater awareness and reverence for Christ’s presence, that we may recognize the many ways Christ is present in the Sacrament of Communion, in the Scriptures, and in one another, and approach our celebrations with faith and reverence.

We pray for a greater spirit of openness and hospitality, that we may welcome all whom God sends our way and share with them the gifts that God has shared with us.

We pray for all who bring the Body of Christ to the homebound and hospitalized, that they may be renewed through their service and be a support and a source of joy for those whom they serve.

We pray for leaders in all levels of our Governments, that you will give them a new vision of how to address violence, oppression, and the use of force in our Society.

We pray for peace, that you will protect all who are caught in warfare or violence, that you will bring an end to armed conflicts, and give strength to all who are working for peace.

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 people of Botswana and Zimbabwe. 

We thank you for the prophetic witness of churches to protest injustices and advocate good governance, for the efforts that have been made to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS and to treat those affected, for economic progress that improves the lives of all, and for the iconic animals and minerals in these lands and measures to protect them from being exploited.

We pray for fair election of democratic governments to counter instability, violence and human rights abuses, for stable economies that enable all people to prosper and live in justice and peace for effective measures to improve the health and life expectancy of all, and for the herders and farmers who continue to raise cattle and food, despite droughts and desertification.

Leader: Loving Father, on this day we remember Botswana and Zimbabwe. Grant that your love that endures forever will strengthen and encourage all the churches and peoples in your beautiful lands. Lord, in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Jehovah-Jireh, you know the needs of your children, even before they plead their case. We pray for all who toil in the fields – the farmers, the mothers, the old and young. Grant that their crops and livestock find nourishment. Where hunger and misery stalks families, may your children not want but find fulfilment. Lord, in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Holy Father, we pray for the leaders of Botswana and Zimbabwe. In their service to your people, may they be anointed with courage, integrity and wisdom to strive for welfare and prosperity for all, not just a few. As they lead the whole community of Southern African states, may all their plans and actions help bring enduring transformation for the entire region. Lord, in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Gracious God, we pray that your statutes and your judgements be established. We pray for healing and justice where there has been conflict and pain. Grant your holy protection to the prisoner, the widow and the orphan. Lord in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Faithful God, the same yesterday, today and forever, we pray especially for the women and girls of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

As they rise with the morning African sun in villages and towns as care-givers, providers and workers, bless them; as they teach and learn, guide them; as they walk, drive and fly to find sustenance for their families, protect them.

Lord in your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Almighty God, we commit all creatures, large and small, into your hands. After you saw the work of your hands, you called it good. Let it be so forever, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

AMEN

© 2015 Marlon Zakeyo, Zimbabwe

Prayer from Botswana

Dear God, our builder,
you have all the building materials needed to construct our societies.
You have all the strength to put wisdom on all that has fallen apart in our lives.
You have the wisdom to reshape our world.
Inspire us with all your wisdom, strength and love,
to rebuild the broken walls in our community.

By Rev. Cheryl Dibeela, Gaborone, Botswana. Africa Praying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy, ed. Musa W. Dube, WCC, 2003, pp.57, 175, 187-88.

Prayer from Zimbabwe

Lord God,
we give you thanks for sending your only Son to give us life.
In the midst of wealth we are crushed by poverty,
and while we are offered Christ-life in all its fullness,
we are surrounded by disease, death and destruction.
We are tempted to despair, and yet keep hoping,
knowing that you care.
At times we weep silent tears, and cry out with deep emotion.
We come to you, our only hope and refuge.
Thank you for the gift of laughter,
even when the going is tough.
With you, O Lord, we may be troubled but not destroyed.

By Rev. Farai Chirisa, Zimbabwe. www.ctal.org.uk/zimbabwe.htm

Botswana, Zimbabwe | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray for the work of The Leprosy Mission in Chad.  We pray for good health and a positive spirit for the staff and their partners within the different teams, that there will be no negative impact upon them from suffering endemic diseases such as malaria and typhoid fever.  We pray for zeal and enthusiasm for the leprosy work within the different health districts under the responsibility of government health supervisors.  We pray for good collaboration between the TLM team and the different local authorities in the areas of health, social welfare and education.  

We pray for those involved in the National Leprosy Control Programme as they receive training to keep up with new developments in leprosy control and disability prevention.  We pray for wisdom and skills for the Coordinator so they can lead the team towards quality work that will be put it into practice.  We pray for TLM Chad’s CBR work which has been extended towards the Am Timan area.  Many young children with disability are coming forwards for physiotherapy, walking aids and subsidised school education. We pray for this work as it reaches these young children and their mothers, bringing them hope for a better future.

We pray for the efforts of TLM Chad in partnering with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in the Guéra and the Salamat regions of Chad. We pray for positive developments, especially in the areas of transparency, equity, dignity and autonomy. We pray for peace, justice, safety and stability in a country where the staff of TLM Chad have to travel long distances, sometimes in remote areas.

  (The Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary 2022) 

We pray for the work of the Church in North India as they combat religious and caste discrimination, one of the leading causes of poverty and social exclusion in India.  We pray for their programs to improve access to basic services, including education, health facilities and other government services and schemes for large sections of society.

We pray for support for the local church as it seeks to provide study centres for children of illiterate families, and connecting through them to empower marginalised communities, enabling them to be organised, educated and healthy, involved in local governance and capable of accessing government services and schemes.

We pray for the success of the study centres with trained teachers providing remedial education (and healthy snacks!) for children of illiterate families.  We pray for the success of skills training for women and farmers in rural areas to enable them to grow their incomes and prevent them from having to travel far away for work.  We pray for COVID-19 emergency relief and prevention activities, and for the means for critical information for marginalised communities about how to access government support services to be shared with local families and villages.

Empowerment of Excluded Castes in Punjab and West Bengal (India)

We pray for the leaders, helpers, youth, and children attending Scripture Union camps being held over the School holidays.  We pray for the health and safety of those attending the camps.  We pray for guidance for the leaders and helpers, that you will equip then so that they will know what to do and say in all circumstances.  Please give them patience and understanding as they relate to children from different backgrounds and experiences

SU Prayer Guide June 2022

We pray for the young family at Bald Hills that has recently lost their father following cancer.  Please continue to comfort and reassure them of your constant care for them.

We thank you for those who lead Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, that you will continue to encourage and guide them in this important task.  We pray that your Holy Spirit will work in the hearts and minds of the children who attend the classes, opening their understanding to the good news of your offer of redemption and reconciliation in their lives.

We thank you for the work that Kylie Conomos is undertaking with the children, parents, and teachers at Bald Hills State School.  Please encourage her in her role as chaplain, giving her the strength and wisdom to deal with situations as they arise.  We thank you for generosity of school families in donating so many items that Kylie can use to compile grocery hampers to give to needy families for relief in their time of stress.  We thank you for the willingness of people to volunteer to be ‘Chappy Chums’.  Please be with these people and bless their work with troubled children.  We thank you for the work of those involved in the ‘Top Blokes Program.  Please bless their work mentoring Grade 6 boys.

We pray for the Deception Bay Congregation, for your guidance and insight for them with their call for a new Minister of the Word.

We thank you for Jillian and her work with the Church Council and the people of the Congregation to clarify our vision and mission goals as your people in the Bald Hills area.  We pray for your blessing on the deliberations of those on Church Council as they continue to consider how the Congregation is to move forward in the future.

We pray for those who we have not seen for some time, for Hazel, for Sue, for Suzanne, and for Heather.  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.

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.