Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 7th August 2022

Servicing the Bald Hills and nearby Communities

Prayers for the week commencing Sunday 7th August 2022

Prayer of Praise: –   

God of kindness and concern, your mercies to us are without end.  If we go to the limits of Time or go to the edges of Space, we know that you will always be there with us.  In the joy and happiness of life or the darkness of despair and uncertainty, we can be certain that you will never leave us.  You are a God to be praised.

   God of love, we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus, for through Him You have released us from the bondage of sin.  We praise You for your foresight and Your dedication to planning the salvation of Humankind.  We praise You for Jesus Christ who willingly offered Himself to be the means by which our sins can be removed forever.  We praise you for Your Holy Spirit who blesses us by being our guide and comforter in all moments of our life.

   God of compassion, through a relationship with you we can experience joy and hope, a newness of being, a relief from concerns and worries.  We are enabled and encouraged to give up old habits and attitudes so as to live lives by Your standards, lives in touch with Your will and purpose, lives attuned to the cries from our neighbours.  You walk with us in our daily life, revealing Your truth and delivering us from peril.

   God of light, we are assured of Your power to act in the World.  We are assured of Your love for all people and of Your readiness to embrace all who come to You on bended knees, acknowledging their desperate need for forgiveness and healing.  We are assured of the reality of Your closeness to us when we humble ourselves in penitence and prayer.  We are assured of your abundant grace and mercy, because your Word says so.

   Spirit of truth and peace, you lead us in the right paths and correct our wanderings.  You recall to us the promises of God’s grace.  You bring to us an understanding of God’s Word.  In the silences you refresh our souls and renew us for the coming day.  In the storms of life, you uphold us and support us so that we will not fall.

   We worship and adore you God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Our desire is to be in your presence and experience your love.  Holy God, we declare our love for you and offer you our praise, now and always. Amen

 

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, we see the abundant life that you have provided for us, the gifts that you have so freely given, 

Yet, we confess the times when we have withheld our plenty from others, for the times when we are so often indifferent to the sight of the needy and to the calls of assistance from those with whom we live.  Lord, have mercy on us.

Merciful God, we see the wonders of Your Creation and the beauty in the World around us,

Yet, we confess that our tendency is to use it foolishly and wastefully.  Lord, have mercy on us.

Merciful God, at Easter we celebrate Your great act of salvation for the World through the costly sacrifice of Your Son,

Yet, we confess that often we neglect this means of Grace, we confess that our worship is often superficial and our prayers selfish.  Lord, have mercy on us.

Merciful God, you have given to us your Word of Life and the never-ending spring of living water for our souls,

Yet, we are so often indifferent to the study of your Word, and to silent communion with you.  Lord, have mercy on us.

Merciful God, we confess that our personal sins grieve You and hurt many with whom we are in contact. 

Look with pity upon us as we confess our sins. 

We repent and are sorry for our neglect, for the way we have departed from your will and purpose. 

Please give us the light by which we can be guided to live as you commanded and to follow in your steps.

Cleanse us from all that separates us from a loving relationship with You,

For we seek to live a life of reverence for you and of a sincere love for others.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness    

In the writings of the Prophet Isaiah God declares “You are stained scarlet with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow.  Although your stains are crimson, you will be as white as wool.”  (Isaiah 1: 18b)  Having confessed our sins before God, let us hold onto this promise of God, trusting that God has forgiven us and cleansed us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination

(from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 13 & 14 p599)  

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to be guided by your Word and the Holy Spirit, that in your light we may

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.

God of community,

You call us to be in community just as you are in community to love, support and care for our neighbours.

Help us to see that our neighbours are those whom we meet every day, the members of our family, church, school and work communities, and those people who we are called to walk with in their journey through life. Remind us too, that as part of your global community you call us to care for people whom we will never meet in distant lands, please help us as we engage with them in their trials and tribulations.

Forgive us, God of grace, when we fail our neighbours, ignoring their pleas for help and failing to help them to live out their life as people loved by you. Help us to listen more carefully to our neighbour’s cries for help and stir us into action so that we might engage with them in ways that bring about a return to health and wholeness.

Strengthen us by your Spirit, loving God, that we might continue to go forward with renewed energy to be your community of neighbours who reach out with your love and care, so that all people might have life in all its fullness.

Rev. Andrew Gunton, Moderator

Uniting News – 2 August 2022

Uniting News <uniting.news@ucaqld.com.au>

We pray for the Church, that you will renew and deepen our faith so that we may be confident that you are always present and accompany us along each step of our journey.

We pray for a deeper appreciation of life, that we may celebrate each day as a gift from you and live it fully with our families and loved ones.

We pray for a deepening of faith, that our hearts may be open to the witness of our friends and mentors who have gone before us and draw strength and courage from them.

We pray for the grace to remember that we may be conscious of all the good things that you have done for us and allow that memory to inspire us to greater generosity.

We pray that we may recognize that our deepest desires can only be fulfilled in relationship with you and thus spend our lives seeking your reign.

We pray for better stewardship, that we may fulfill our responsibilities with love and diligence so that our efforts may glorify you.

We pray for patience, that we may have the grace to wait upon you, even when answers do not seem clear, and confidently trust in your love and providence.

We pray for the guidance to better make use of our time, that we may faithfully and diligently use the time that you have given us so that we may be found faithful and bearing much fruit.

We pray for spiritual freedom, that we may not be held bound by our possessions but see them as gifts from you for our good and that of others.

We pray for all who have lost faith: that the Holy Spirit will renew their hearts and open a new springtime of faith so that they come to a new relationship with you, the living God.

We pray for all whose faith is being tested, particularly those being persecuted or leaving home for the first time, that they may rely upon you for strength and draw upon the values that they have learned in making decisions.

We pray for migrants and refugees, that you will guide them in their search for safety and lead them to communities that are warm and welcoming.

We pray for all who are in need, that you will give strength to all who have lost homes or possessions in storms and flooding, sustain them as they rebuild their lives, and open the hearts of many to assist them.

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 peoples of the Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe.

We are thankful for wildlife and rainforests in these lands, and those who protect this habitat, for the oral traditions, folklore, and good practices that have been preserved, for rich minerals and economic development, although benefits need to be shared more fairly, and for healing from exploitative practices that began under colonial rule.

We pray for democratic fair elections and political stability in this region, for economic development that benefits all the people, especially those living in poverty, for the preservation of the wildlife and the land, and for the witness of the churches and other faith groups in the midst of the challenges.

PRAYERS

Lord, if you want that we should love you with all our heart,
without distraction or detour,
teach us to become constant in your love.

When those without faith or law insult us,
help us to forgive, O Resurrected One.

Jesus, the friend of the people of the Congo,
your Father is not a God of the dead but of the living;

therefore, guide us in your love,
so that we may live in your presence forever.

(Louise Bakala Koumouno, People’s Republic of Congo.)

A Pygmy Prayer
In the beginning God was.
Today God is.
Tomorrow God will be.
Who could possibly make an image of God?
God does not have a body.
God is a word that springs from our mouths.
And what a word!
There is nothing more to be said.
God is the past, and yet God is.
That is what God is.

Prayer for transformation

Barriers, walls, and barbed wire mark the frontiers, O Lord.
Help us to transform them into places where we can meet,
with sincerity,
as countries and as persons,
so that the world will know that we are Christians
by the love with which our actions are marked.

(Louise Bakala Koumouno, People’s Republic of Congo.)

Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

  We pray for Raphael Chemate, Bougainville Healthy Communities Programme (BHCP) Leprosy Program Officer, as he works in remote communities, diagnosing and treating leprosy patients.  We pray for your guidance and provision so we can reach deeper into communities affected by leprosy.  We pray too that the government’s Department of Health takes a leading role in the delivery of leprosy support in Bougainville.

  The team in Bougainville travels through difficult terrain to make sure no one misses out on the cure for leprosy, so we pray for timely detection of leprosy in remote communities.  We pray for a continuous supply of Multi Drug Therapy for all communities.  We pray that leprosy referral pathways will be strengthened.

  Village treasuries are one of the key elements of BHCP.  Funds are being used by communities to respond to the needs of each village.  This includes school fees, patient referrals and community development.  We pray for growth and sustainability of village treasuries, so more lives will be transformed through this vital work.

  We pray for your continued safety and protection upon The Leprosy Mission Papua New

Guinea staff and volunteers as they work to reach out to people affected by leprosy and disability.  We pray for our community volunteers and the work they do alongside our staff.  Pray for your intervention as they lead their communities in health, governance and livelihoods support.  We thank you, God, for new funding opportunities from the New Zealand Government, TLM NZ, TLM Australia, the World Health Organization and The Old Dart Foundation.  We pray for their continued funding support, advice and mentorship.  

  (The Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary 2022) 

  Thank you God for the outstanding Scripture Union Australia Schools Ministry Conference held in July, as those who attended were refreshed, encouraged, equipped and re-envisioned for the vital work of chaplains and SRE teachers across the nation

  We pray for the Regional Interns Hub, held every Wednesday in Benalla, Victoria, as the interns gather to encourage one another in their work and ministry opportunities.

  We pray for the National SU Board and the next meeting in late August, that the Board members may seek your guidance and that you will lead them as stewards of the mission.

  We pray for the Mayoral School Chaplaincy Breakfast on the Sunshine Coast on 11th August, that all attending would leave inspired to continue to support the work of chaplains.

  We pray for the newly formed national Supporter Engagement and Marketing Production staff teams, that their contributions will greatly enhance SU ministries, and our supporters’ experiences.

Scripture Union Queensland Prayer Guide – August 2022 Brisbane.pdf

We thank you for Ian and others who are involved with the leading of Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, and ask that the Holy spirit is working in the hearts of the children.

We thank you for the work of Kylie, the chaplain at Bald Hills State School, for her dedication to the welfare of the children at the School, of their families, and of the staff at the School.  Please continue to guide her as she identifies areas of need and as she seeks your peace for them.

We pray for those whom we have not seen for some time.  We ask that they may know your loving presence with them each day, guiding them and providing for them.

We ask that you will guide and direct the Congregation and the Church Council as we consider our future as your people in our community as Bald Hills.

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