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... and now let us pray for God's family, the World, and ourselves, giving thanks for God's goodness.

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​Let us pray aloud, and together:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Almighty God, You sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah.  

 

Inspire the leaders of faith communities worldwide, who are stewards of Your truth, to turn disobedient hearts to You, so that when Christ comes again to be our judge we may stand with confidence before his glory.

 

(LONGER pause for silent, personal reflection)

 

In response to the call today “Lord, in Your mercy” Our response is, “hear our prayer!”

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Faithful God we pray for Your blessing to be upon us, upon the faithful throughout the world and upon our faith community. May your presence be seen vividly in what we do and say each day. We pray that your joy and your love will flow freely in and through us and that we might never be perfect examples of your love in action.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Today our hopes for our troubled world are for an end to the wars still raging throughout the world, an end to terrorism, an end to poverty and hunger, a resolution to the migrant crisis and a positive outcome to Climate Change negotiations. Come to Your world as King of the Nations and before You human rulers will stand in silence.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Father God, You enfold those on the margins of society with love and you experienced through Jesus what it was like to be excluded.  Your son befriended the despised like  Zacchaeus; the shunned prostitute; the untouchable lepers and all those who the establishment labelled as sinners.

 

We ask you to help those at the edges of our communities and give them hope through the patience and encouragement of all of us who claim to be your people.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Merciful God, we remember all whose illness stems from a mental health issue, who often suffer in silence because of stigma and who reach out for help that is often not there because of stretched services. Help us to break through the ignorance that causes stigma and recognise that mental illness is as real as a broken bone or influenza and give them hope through the patience, encouragement. 

 

We especially raise before You now all those who have asked for our prayers from around the world … those we know in New Zealand, in Singapore, in Argentina, in France, in Australia, in the US, in Canada, in Austria, in Ukraine, in China, in Germany, in the Czech Republic, in Syria and any others we now name aloud, or in the silence of our hearts, and those who are known only by You.

 

In Your goodness and mercy, grant them health of body, soundness of mind and peace of heart.

 

We thank You for those who have come through illness and are on the road to recovery and also for those facing the reality that there is little light at the end of their earthly tunnel.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Loving God, we pray for those whose hearts have been saddened by the death of someone close and dear to them, for members of our families who have died and whose anniversary we recall. Help us to experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit within us, and the fellowship of the faithful around us until we are reunited once more in Your heavenly kingdom.

 

We especially raise before you at this time our recently departed brothers, Michael (England), and Stan (Australia).

 

May all the faithful departed now rest in peace as they most surely have risen in glory.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your Mercy: Hear our prayer

 

In a moment of silence we pray for ourselves, our families, friends, for all whom we love and for our personal ministries. Make the things that we choose to do worthy of the life, death, and rising again of Your Son.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Glorious God, source of joy and righteousness, enable us as redeemed and forgiven children evermore to rejoice in singing your praises. May what we have sung and spoken with our lips become strong belief in our hearts and what we believe in our hearts become our way of life, throughout this Advent and in the years to come.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

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O come, O Come, Emmanuel and fill the hearts of Your faithful people and kindle in them the fire of Your love.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Forth in the peace of Christ we go; Christ to the world with joy we bring; Christ in our minds, Christ on our lips, Christ in our hearts, the world’s true King.

 

Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of Your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.