Prayer of Praise  

(Psalm 119: 137, 138, 139 -144) 

You are righteous, LORD, and your laws are just.

The rules that you have given are completely fair and right.

How certain your promise is!  How I love it!

I am unimportant and despised, but I do not neglect your teachings.

Your righteousness will last forever,

And your law is always true.

I am filled with trouble and anxiety,

But your commandments bring me joy.

Your instructions are always just;

Give understanding to me and I shall live.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(from Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Pentecost 24C) 

Merciful God, you bring our lives in harmony with yours because of your righteousness and justice, your steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness.  Those are the qualities of your life which were clearly imprinted on Jesus’ heart, and which have been written on our hearts not in ink but with your Spirit.  We are to be living testimonies that the Spirit gives life – life in all its fullness.

We confess that while we readily accept the joy of living Spirit-filled lives, we all too often fail to live up to the challenges that this brings.

When we fail to translate the language of our hearts into one that includes all people:

Living God, forgive us and renew our lives with your Spirit.

When we alienate others by our judgmental and heartless attitudes:

Living God, forgive us and renew our lives with your Spirit.

When our witness fails to reveal a heartfelt desire to spread the good news of peace, love, justice and mercy to a World sorely in need of such news:

Living God, forgive us and renew our lives with your Spirit.

Living God, we come to you in penitence and faith, praying that your love – so clearly communicated by Jesus – will be rewritten on our hearts and revealed in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(Hebrews 10: 12a) 

  The writer to the Hebrews states:

“Christ offered one sacrifice for sins that is effective forever.”

Hold onto these words of assurance, knowing that Christ’s sacrifice dealt with our sins as well.  Let us be confident that God has heard our prayers, that God has forgiven our sins, and that God has welcomed us into fellowship with Him.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

We pray for the Church, that we may extend your love to all who are on the fringes of society, invite them to come and see Jesus, and find acceptance friendship in the Christian community.

We pray for the grace to risk all for Christ, that, like Zacchaeus, we may risk popularity and pride to connect with Christ in our lives.

We pray for the gift of joy, that we may rejoice as we experience Jesus with us on our life journey.

We pray for the ability to forgive, that we may show ourselves as your children through forgiving those who have wronged us and reaching out to them with concern and kindness.

We pray for the grace of conversion, that we may accept your generous love, return to the path of life and be renewed through your mercy.

We pray for a spirit of stewardship, that we may protect and care for all your Creation which you have made and which reflects your glory.

We pray for one another, that you will bring to fulfillment in us every good purpose and virtue that you have planted deep within us.

We pray for all who are burdened by fear and anxiety, that the Holy Spirit will free them, help them to recognize that you are with them, and fill their hearts with peace.

We pray for all who have lost their way in life, particularly for youth who have run away or who have entered the drug culture, that we may reach out to them and offer them a way home to you, to their families and to their true selves.

We pray for all who have grown wealthy through unjust means, that Christ may visit their hearts and show them opportunities for change and a new path to pursue.

We pray for all who are ill, that you will bring healing to all who are sick, renewal of hope to all who find life difficult and strength to all who serve their needs.

We pray for members of our Governments at all levels, that they may sincerely seek the truth and impartially evaluate it.

We pray for peace throughout the world, that you will protect all who are at risk because of warfare, gang activity, or violence on city streets.

Copyright © 2019. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/31OrdC103022/ideas_other.html

We pray for the peoples of Canada and the United States.

We are thankful for the vast expanse of North America with its resources and varied landscapes; may they be preserved, enjoyed and used wisely; for those who were its original inhabitants – First Nations and Native Americans; for church-related organizations that strongly advocate for justice, and those that provide for new immigrants and refugees today, as well as for others who are poor and vulnerable, and for ecumenical and interfaith engagements which are occurring in many communities that previously were mainly white and Christian.

We pray for churches facing new challenges, that they may continue to witness boldly to the gospel in evolving multicultural, multireligious and secular contexts; for indigenous peoples in their long struggles for survival, land and rights; and for ongoing healing and reconciliation with those who have come after them; for new immigrants, that they will continue to be welcomed in these countries, and that policies will serve the common good, for effectively countering systemic greed that exploits communities and natural resources; and for Government leaders that they would advance justice, human rights, and peace for all within these countries and in the rest of the world.

Prayers

Breath of the Four Winds
Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. (Ezekiel 37:9)

Come from the South, O Breath, blow your life-giving promise of hope to our sisters in ponchos, Mothers of the Disappeared, political prisoners and exiles.  Come from the South and breathe justice that they may live.

Come from the North, O Breath, blow your Word, in Spirit and truth, to our brothers and sisters who have lost their languages in residential schools.  Come from the North and speak freely, so there may be healing.

Come from the East, O Breath, blow your message of peace to children in countries shattered by war and division.  Come from the East with morning’s promise of a new day.

Come from the West, O Breath, blow in the tongues of fire in the sky at the setting of the sun.  We are your church, kindled in your Spirit, fired in the mystery of your coming.  Come from the West and pray in us, Holy Spirit, our ending and our beginning.

  (Wendy MacLean, United Church of Canada) 

To wake from sleep into this day is gift enough for thanks.

To hear a child’s delight in laughter is gift enough for thanks.

To sip a glass of clean, cold water is gift enough for thanks.

To watch the sunset paint the sky is gift enough for thanks.

To share a moment with a friend is gift enough for thanks.

To smell the fragrance of moist soil is gift enough for thanks.

To feel the comfort of clean clothing is gift enough for thanks.

To form the words that make a prayer is gift enough for thanks.

(Keri K. Wehlander, also published in Wisdom Is Calling, comp. Geoffrey Duncan, Canterbury Press, UK, and United Church Publishing House, Etobicoke, Ont., Canada 1999,pp.126-27,142)

Prayer for life in freedom

God of all hope; hear our prayer.

When money becomes a prison: free us to choose life.

Where wealth turns into addiction: free us to choose life.

When income determines worth: free us to choose life.

Where poverty equals invisibility: free us to choose life.

When economies deepen injustice: free us to choose life.

Where greed invents new oppressions: free us to choose life.

when finance rules every decision: free us to choose life.

where consumption replaces compassion: free us to choose life.

(Keri K. Wehlander; used with permission)

Canada, United States of America | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray for The Leprosy Mission’s involvement with the Ethiopian National Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy (ENAPAL) ,as it has supported them and built capacity through various projects over years so that together they can improve the quality of life for people who have experienced leprosy in Ethiopia.  Please guide and empower the work of The Leprosy Mission Ethiopia as it aligns its efforts with the global TLM strategy of achieving zero transmission, zero leprosy-related disability, and zero discrimination due to leprosy.

We pray that your mercy and peace will be upon this amazingly beautiful but poor country, especially as ethnic conflict is becoming visible in new and unsettling ways, which is becoming a real obstacle for development work.  We pray that leprosy will be top of the agenda among key actors in Ethiopia, and may you open the eyes of the authorities so that they will prioritise leprosy as a national issue.

Leprosy Mission 2022 Prayer Diary.pdf

We pray for end-of-year activities in the Northern Territory schools as we approach Christmas, that they will be safely run and a time of celebration.  We praise you for a great year and for your blessings on all those who volunteered their time and skills to help deliver project and programs.

We praise you for the extra funding that has come through for a few schools in the Sunshine Coast Wide Bay region.

We pray that the government’s NSCP Chaplaincy funding will continue in 2023 and beyond.

  SU Prayer-Guide-October-2022-Brisbane.pdf 

    We ask that you bless the efforts of those leading Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, that the Holy Spirit is engaging with the children who attend the classes, opening hearts and minds with a clear message of your love for them.

  We pray for the Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, Kylie Conomos, that you are guiding her efforts to care for the children and teachers at the School, that you are encouraging her in her work and supporting her as she gives of herself to those whom she serves there.

    We pray for those whom we have not seen recently, who have been unable to join us in worship and fellowship.  May they experience your closeness with them in their own circumstances and situation.  May they experience your love and care for them.  Please protect and provide for them as they move through their daily lives.

Eternal God, you know our problems, and have promised that you will help us to solve them.  You know what we lack, and have promised to meet our needs.  Help us to depend upon you day by day and to call upon you when life gets hard.  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.

W