Prayer of Praise: –

(Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year B p78, Opening Prayers p24, A Year of Prayer p52 -54, Invocations & Benedictions p71) 

  Almighty God, we gather together as your People, knowing that you are above us, but not beyond us.  Your glory is displayed for all the World to see, from one end of the heavens to the other.  The order and pattern in your Creation clearly reveal your wisdom and your power.  The rainbow is our sign of your unending care for your Creation and of your unending concern for Humanity.

  Your Laws and judgements reveal to us your desire for relationships to be based on fairness and justice.  They reveal to us those things that are pure and clean and true.  They enlighten us and guide us as to your Will for how Nations and people are to live side-by-side so as to bring about prosperity and peace.  They reveal to us the folly of Human wisdom, a wisdom that is not based on your standards and precepts.

  Help us not to be lured by the transitory pleasures of Earthly riches and compliments, but, instead, renew our spirits, calm our hearts and our minds, and remake us for wholeness and holiness, for only in that way can we truly be your beacons of light in a darkened and darkening World.  To your glory and praise.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession    

Loving God, we look at ourselves and acknowledge that we have wilfully broken your commandments by the things we do and say.

In your mercy, forgive our sins.

Loving God, we look at ourselves and discover that often we have unknowingly failed to follow your Will for our lives.

In your mercy, forgive our sins.

Loving God, we compromise the simplicity of your Good News by insisting on the need for rituals in our worship or by stressing the need also to be and to do what is socially acceptable.

In your mercy, forgive our sins.

Loving God, we pretend that we have the abilities and the knowledge to bring about change in our lives.  We ignore the need for our heart and soul to be cleansed through your Holy Spirit.

In your mercy, forgive our sins.

Loving God, we minimise the guilt of our sins by pointing to our good works or by appealing to our good nature. 

In your mercy, forgive our sins.

Loving God, Jesus cleansed the Temple by driving out the animal dealers and the money changers.  Please cleanse from us anything that hinders or inhibits the purposes of worshipping you and of serving others. 

Transform us through your love and power.  May all that we think and do and say support the work of sharing the Good News of your grace, the forgiveness of sins, and reconciliation with you.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness    

We are called to a faith in Jesus Christ, who died on a cross and who God raised from the dead on the third day.  God showed wisdom wiser than the World’s and demonstrated power stronger than the World’s.  We have the assurance that, having confessed our sins before God, He is able to forgive us and to make us clean 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 those in positions of authority and power in this world,

that they may turn away from pride, greed and worldly ambition and learn your ways of justice, reconciliation and peace for the good of all people.

We pray for the countless numbers of your children who suffer in this world because of flood or drought, lack of food, clean water or medical help and supplies,

that you will inspire those who can assist to be generous of what they have, and that in the long term you will inspire those who can guide and direct the means for the local people to be able to provide for themselves.

We pray for the members of our levels of governments,

that you will guide their deliberations and keep their focus on addressing the issues that burden the poor and the marginalised in out community.

Please strengthen those in our community who have responsibility for teaching and training,

that they may give leadership in the way you have commanded.

We pray for an end to injustice in our community,

that you will inspire and encourage us to make changes, and guide us in cleansing the practices and systems that promote and sustain it.

Please heal the brokenness and violence in our community that devalues Human life,

Inspire our leaders to work towards protecting the innocent and vulnerable from harm.

We pray for those recovering from the adverse effects of the current floods and bushfires,

that you will grant them the strength to cope with their loss, the guidance to navigate the process to obtain the assistance that they need, and the hope of a renewed life and livelihood.

We pray for all who are ill or injured and under medical care,

that you will relieve their pain, and restore their health and wholeness.

We pray for those who are working to develop and promote effective vaccines against diseases,

that you guide their research, inspire their research, and make provision for the development and distribution of these vaccines where the are required.

Lord, we pray for your church during this season of Lent. We pray that all of us who believe in you will be strengthened to remain faithful to our calling;

to work for understanding and unity where we have created divisions and to show your love and compassion to each other and to all your children.

Cleanse from our hearts any pretence of privilege and knowledge, but, instead, grant us wisdom and insight by your Holy Spirit,

so that, cleansed from all greed and self-seeking, we may become a living temple of your love.

Grant us a deeper appreciation of your Commandments,

so that we may allow your determination of what is right and just to form our conscience and guide our decisions.

(Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercessions p59)

Norman Wallwork in Companion to the Revised Common Lectionary  vol 5  Before we Worship p26

Copyright © 2024. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/3LentB030324/ideas_other.html

We pray for the people of Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands.

We give thanks for the important roles political leaders here have played in European integration, for how people here have led in creative solutions to environmental, economic, and cultural challenges, for how churches here have overcome barriers and reached out to assure a good life for all, and for the ecumenical contributions that have come from this area, and their continuing support.

We pray for overcoming cultural, linguistic and political barriers and suspicions that remain divisive, for the haunting legacies of colonization and quests for economic gain, for immigrants who are alienated or marginalized in these societies, and for greater tolerance and solidarity with all in these societies and around the world.

Prayer for Faith, Hope and Love

Let us pray for Faith:
That it will be the fruit of right hearing.
That at all times there will be people
with an open mind and open ears
who will listen sharply to your word
and pay attention to the needs around them.
Let us be such people.  

Let us pray for Hope:
That it will be the fruit of a living faith.
That at all times there will be people
growing towards the light,
continuously filled with courage and never cease being hopeful.
Let us be such people.  

Let us pray for Love:
That she is the fruit of a living faith and hope.
That at all times there will be people
never giving up being alarmed
about the continuing existence of the earth:
The care for animals and entire environment
that lend assistance in friendship,
that abolish loneliness,
that help working out sorrow and grieve,
that show sympathy with joy.  

We pray to you, O Lord.
Let us recognize one another
in deeds of faith, hope and above all through love.

(© Rev. Pieter Post)

Prayer for people in need

Dear God,
there are so many people in need!
Like everyone in this world,
refugees are in need of a place to live,  
a warm bed, food, clothing, a decent wash…  
Dear God, you know that we need all those things,
but, most of all, we need people who care,
to share our love, our hope and our future.
We need to be needed.
Dear God, you know that we are in need.
Come and give us a hand!  Amen.

(From http://www.ccme.be/members-info/)

Prayer

Lord, we pray for the world,
for the world in which we live.
We pray for the girl who says:
I don’t want to live anymore
and for the boy who confesses:
I sometimes want to end it all.
We pray for the new-born baby
with an uncertain future.
Lord, we pray for the world,
for the world in which we live.

Lord, we pray for all the people,
all the people in this world
who feel scared or upset;
who are ill or lonely.
We pray for people around the world
who have no freedom or no family.
Lord, we pray for all the people
all the people in this world.

Lord, we pray for the world,
for the world in which we live.
We pray that the world will not collapse
under the weight of violence and hate
and that our eyes will remain open
to beauty and goodness,
so that we may also pray:
Lord, we thank you for this world,
the world in which we live.  Amen.

(from the Dutch Dienstboek Schrift Maaltijd en Gebed, p. 793 no 65)

We pray that the Scripture Union South East Queensland and Southern Qld/Northern Rivers FDM teams will be refreshed and refocused for the mission to be held from 4^th – 6^th March.

We give thanks for the wonderful work achieved through the SUFM team in Pt Vincent on SA’s Yorke Peninsula.  The number of participants exceeded expectations and many of them were keen to accept a Bible or New Testament to call their own.

We pray for Sophie Valastro, our new Ministry Coordinator, as she finds her feet in the ACT office.

We give thanks for the newly appointed Emerge Coordinator in Tasmania, Sue Tomlinson, praying for Sue in the delivery of our brand new school’s program developing senior school leaders across Tasmanian schools.

We give praise for Mark & Deb Dubbelman, the Team Leaders for the new Breakaway Youth Autumn camp, praying for them as they build a team and camp to serve youth with a parent or loved one in prison.

We pray over the Central West NSW Mission Expo in Molong, NSW, that people would be encouraged by good news stories from school ministries, answer the call to fill a vacant position, or prayerfully/ financially support local school ministry opportunities.

SU SEQ-Prayer-Guide-March-2024.pdf

We give thanks to you, God, for Bible Society Lebanon which is offering hope to Syrian and Iraqi children in refugee camps through Bible-based literacy courses.  We pray for the wellbeing of these children growing up under harsh conditions.  We pray for the literacy team as they carefully facilitate this program and that through this program, children would be enabled and encouraged to integrate into the formal education system.

We pray for the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) team in the lead-up to Easter, that you would open doors of opportunity in the Australian media to speak arrestingly about the death and resurrection of Jesus and what it means for all of us today.

We pray for United Bible Societies (UBS) China Partnership as they seek to distribute Bibles to millions of Christians in China.  We pray for an uninterrupted supply of Bibles to reach the vast number of Christians in China.  We pray for approval from the authorities to issue Bible print permits.  We pray that Christians who receive Bibles may understand God’s word with conviction and that they will have open hearts.

We pray for Koorong’s warehouse and store teams as they navigate Koorong’s new systems, that they can work efficiently to fulfil the backlog of store transfers and customer orders, especially in the lead up to Easter.  We thank you God for the unwavering dedication and resilience of all Koorong teams in the face of this season of change as they find strength in Jesus to serve him and his church in Australia and beyond.

We pray for Bible Society of Egypt’s Bible-based literacy program, praying that each student will successfully build their literacy skills while gaining a better understanding of the Scriptures.  We pray for wisdom as the team continues to grow the program, despite the political uncertainty and upheaval of the country.  We pray that the students experience personal and spiritual development.

We thank you God for the impact that Bible Society of Egypt’s literacy program is making for students like Mariam: “I gained so much from the class. I made decisions about my life. I learned more about my character. I learned to feel my value and know I have a mission … It made me believe I can do whatever I want in the future — like become a doctor … Tomorrow will be even better because of what we are learning.”

Bible%20Society%20Prayer_Letter_-_March_2024.pdf

Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

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.