Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 2nd May 2021

Prayer of Praise (from Psalm 25)

It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of praise, for you have shown your kindness through remembering and meeting our needs, for you have shown your goodness through the blessings that you lavish upon us daily.

It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of thanks, for you have shown how you protect us from the deceitfulness of Satan, for you have sustained us in our times of stress.

It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of gratitude for you have provided solutions for our seemingly insolvable problems, for you have provided the direction that we needed when we were bewildered.

It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of adoration, for through your grace you offer us a pathway to the forgiveness of our sins, for through your mercy you have shown us the way to be reconciled to you.

It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of dedication, may I always have reverence for you because of your faithfulness towards all of Humanity, may I always put my trust in your power to save us and to deliver us from evil and the power of sin, may I put my hope in your constant love for each of us to preserve us in this life and in the life to come with you for eternity.

To you, Almighty God, be all glory and honour, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of Confession (from Psalm 25: 9, 13, 16 – 18; 26: 2 – 5; 27: 12 and 28: 3)

Merciful God, you have examined me and tested me,

You have judged my desires and my thoughts.

Merciful God, you have seen where I have deliberately disobeyed you and have intentionally turned away from you,

You have seen where I have been negligent and careless in my words and actions and decisions.

For those times when I have not been humble in my attitude and have boasted of the blessings that you have graced upon me as if they were the works of my own hands,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when my words were friendly while my heart was full of envy or anger,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I was silent because that was more convenient than speaking the truth or owning up to an error,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I was in distress and suffering but, instead of trusting in your care, chose instead to wallow in self-pity and to seek comfort elsewhere,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I have abandoned my friends and neighbours in times of their need because of the perceived cost in my time and energy,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I hoarded my prosperity rather than share it with those who were seeking mercy from me,

Merciful God, forgive me.

Because of your constant love and grace please forgive my sins,

Relieve me of the burden of my transgressions and errors,

Turn to me Lord, be merciful to me and forgive me,

Remove from me all that displeases you, save me from all that is worthless and wicked in my life, so that I may again rest in your peace and faithfully follow your guidance. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

The Apostle John tells us that God loves us and sent His son Jesus to be the means by which our sins are forgiven (1 John 4: 10) . Let us hold onto that truth, and trust that, having confessed our sins to God, He has indeed forgiven us and reconciled us to Himself.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

Loving God, we pray for the Church, that we may continually draw life from Christ and bear a rich harvest of virtues and Christian values for your glory.

We pray for the grace to surrender all to you, that you will help us to let go of those things which need to be pruned so that your life and love may blossom in our lives.

We pray for all who are experiencing pruning through loss, transition, or change, that you will give them strength, guide them, and help them find courage and support through fellow believers.

We pray for all who feel cut off from you, from friends, from themselves, or from life itself, that you will show them how they are connected and from whom they can draw life.

We pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to give witness to the good news of your love in deeds of loving service and justice.

We pray for all who are ill, that Christ, the source of all life, will ease their pain, heal their illness, and restore them to their loved ones.

We pray for Christians facing persecution, that you will give them strength, wisdom to overcome obstacles, and the grace to forgive their persecutors.

We pray for all communities overwhelmed by the Covid-19 virus, particularly in India, that you will slow the spread of the virus, give strength to all caregivers, and open opportunities for the distribution of vaccines.

We pray for all bound by guilt, that the Holy Spirit will free them and give them strength to trust in God’s love and forgiveness.

We pray for an end to violence in our communities, that you will turn hearts from destructive deeds, that you will open pathways for dialogue, and that you will protect the innocent from harm.

We pray for an end to wars and the threat of wars, we pray that leaders of Nations will remember the lessons of History that wars do not build things up but always tear things down, that wars do not achieve peace and stability but create only death and destruction, suffering and loss, pain and hardship.

We pray for Kylie Conomos and her work as Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, that she is receiving the necessary support from the School and the volunteers helping her, that she is finding that what she is doing is making a difference in the lives of children and families with whom she is coming into contact. We pray for continued financial and prayer support for her from local Churches.

We pray for the family of the young man who was recently killed in a road accident. We pray that in this time of loss and sorrow that his wife, his children, and the wider family are receiving the love and consolation that they need. We pray for the financial security of the family in the years ahead.

We thank you for those who have dedicated their time to the leading of RI classes at Bald Hills State School. We thank you for their answering the call to share the Gospel in this way, and pray that you will bless their efforts and that the Holy Spirit will reach out and touch the hearts of the children who attend the classes.

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