Prayers

Prayers for the people

25 February 2024

Prayer of Intercession

25 February 2024

Prepared by Tory Caplan

Second Sunday in Lent


In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.  As we pray, after I say “God in your mercy”, please respond, “Hear our prayer.”

 

Almighty Creator God

Thank you for the beautiful world you made and sustain: the fruitful earth, the clean air & pure water, your amazing plants and animals, including humans.   

 

But, through foolishness, greed and, unjust systems, we abuse it and each other.  We turn your abundance into scarcity, poison, and disasters.

 

Grant us and our leaders the will and ability to care for your creation properly. Help us build, maintain, and share wisely and justly.

 

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

Incarnate God

You came to earth to live a mortal life subject to time. Like us you experienced its passing:  morning, noon, and night, weeks punctuated by the Sabbath, seasons moving into years. Help us to enjoy our time and make it yours, until we can join you in the eternal Now.

 

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

Redeemer God

We pray for our beloved dead. Grant them your peace, may your light perpetual shine upon them.  Comfort those who miss them and mourn them still.

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

God of the Prophets

Protect all who call out injustice and oppression and work for positive change. Give strength and comfort to those who strive and suffer to repair the world. Awaken a sense of justice in people in power and call them to good action. 

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

Life Giving Spirit, God of Peace

We pray for the many places where there is war and fighting. We pray for people who lack safety at home or outside their homes. Heal their physical, mental, and spiritual wounds. 

 

Move and soften every human heart. Direct our families, our communities, and every nation, in the ways of kindness, justice and peace; that we may honor one another, and seek the common good.

 

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

Help and hope of sinners

All of us have strayed from your ways. Give us insight, so we and all who sin can repent honestly and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the truth of your Word and through your grace, change ourselves for the better. 

 

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

Healer and  companion of all who suffer in mind, body, or spirit:

Look after people in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble: the sick, the lonely, the abused, the addicted, the grieving, the homeless, the imprisoned, the poor, the oppressed, refugees, victims of disasters, and people who feel displaced in life. 

 

Strengthen them in their hours of need. Give them courage and hope in their troubles; relieve and protect them, and bring them the joy of your salvation

 

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

Triune God, who we meet in community, 

Thank you for our Kowloon Union Church family, the Christian community in Hong Kong and throughout the world.  

 

We pray for Paul Wong, Kevin Ng, Jeanette Lee, Hend, Ng Kam Lee, Raymond Lau, Joy Babasa, Julianne Long, and Stephanie Mumbi. We continue to remember our senior members and friends: Mrs Samuel and the mothers of Alex Melwani and June Tang.  

We remember those caring for loved ones at home and in care facilities

 

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

For the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle:   We lift up in prayer the churches and people of all faiths in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands

God, in your mercy 

hear our prayer 

 

Rejoicing in the fellowship of all your saints, we commend ourselves and the whole creation to your unfailing love.   

 

Amen. 

11 February 2024

 Prayer of Intercession

11 February 2024

Prepared by Rev. Phyllis Wong 

Transfiguration Sunday

United as one body, let us pray with the heart of Jesus Christ and a transfigured spirit.

God of Grace,
As we are celebrating the Lunar New Year, we give you thanks for the year that has past. We seek your grace for the year to come. In the Year of the Dragon, help us Lord to live out your strength, resilience and courage. As we have received abundant blessings from you, help us to be a blessing to others near and far, to reveal your goodness and kindness! 
Lunar New Year is a time for reunion of family and good friends. We pray for the those who are not able to spend time with their loved ones due to their circumstances: the migrant workers, asylum seekers, political prisoners, the sick in the hospital, and elderly who are living alone. May we as church be a family that shine and give warmth to people in a time of loneliness and isolation.  
God of Transfiguration 
All: Hear our prayer

God of equals,
You have created men and women in your holy image. 
In echoing the United Nation’s designated International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
We pray for women in science, and all who work for the betterment of society,
in the arts, in medicine, in education, and in all areas that serve our communities and our world. We pray for a blessing to our sisters on their lives and their work. May their talents and contribution be recognized.
We pray for a world where people are treated equally with dignity regardless of sex and gender.
God of Transfiguration 
All: Hear our prayer

God of heavenly kingdom,
You are God of justice and peace. 
We remember the country Senegal, that is facing political uncertainty due to change of leadership. We pray for peaceful transitions of leaders with an absence of corruption but upholding a fair system through a genuine democratic process. May the postponed election to December lead to a stronger democratic foundation in the country. 
We pray for people who are suffering from political persecution. We uphold in our heart those who speak for the poor, advocating for human rights, freedom, democracy and social justice. May God protect them and give them courage to overcome difficult time. May your inner peace sustain them and give them inner joy in their hearts.
God of Transfiguration 
All: Hear our prayer


God of creation, 
We are thankful for your beautiful creation. Help us Lord to be good steward as you have called us to do. We are sorry to see the climate change of extreme weather that have adversely affected many people especially the poor. 
We remember and pray for Chile after devastating wildfires that have claimed over 120 lives and left thousands injured. We remember families who have lost their loved ones. We pray for their strength and resilience when they are facing the challenge. We pray for the rescue efforts in Chile. May the Lord grant wisdom to the firefighters, comfort grieving families, and heal the injured. 
We pray for people in China, who are coping with the severe winter weather. Grant to the people in need safety, warmth, and resilience. May the authorities and community at large are able to provide the necessary support to them.
God of Transfiguration 
All: Hear our prayer

God of community,
For the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, we lift up in prayer the churches and people of all faiths in Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. We are thankful for the good work they have done to the world. We pray that they will continue to be witness of God’s Kingdom to live out peace and liberty.

In our congregation at KUC, we pray for the renovation of the Sanctuary to be finished according to the schedule. We uphold in our hearts sisters and brothers who are facing health challenges. We pray for the success of Paul Wong’s surgery for his leg in the coming week. With a moment of silence, please name those in your heart for God’s healing and blessing. God of healing and reconciliation, heal our wounds and equip us to be your ambassador to bring peace and hope to the world.
God of Transfiguration 
All: Hear our prayer

To close our prayer, let us share the Lord’s Prayer, the words that are taught by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. You are welcome to say in your own language and preferred version.


04 February 2024

 Prayer of Intercession

04 February 2024

Prepared by Robert Lam

Fifth Sunday After Epiphany


Lord:

Who calms the fierce storm at the Sea of Galilee, we ask for faith and peace as

 we look at the storms in our lives and around the world.


We pray for the people living under the continuing war in Ukraine and at Gaza. 

We remember families struggling with the loss of loved ones and people trying to

 get access to proper food and medical care. Lord, be with them, comfort them and provide for their daily needs.


Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

We pray for China. We remember the millions of migrant workers who are 

starting on their annual return to their hometowns and villages to celebrate the 

New Year. We pray that they would have a safe journey, a time of rest from work, 

and a time of family reunion with parents and children whom they have not seen 

for nearly a year.


Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

We pray for Hong Kong. We pray for the draft legislation for domestic National 

Security under circulation. We pray that the final legislation will have proper 

safeguard for people going about their daily lives and work; that the legislation 

will provide adequate clarity and details easy for people to follow.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

We pray for Kowloon Union Church. We give thanks to the church faithfully 

bearing witness to the Gospel for nearly 100 years. We pray that KUC will 

continue in its ministry to defend human rights, protect the poor and look after the 

marginalized. Lord, we ask that you give wisdom and strength to the Pastors and 

the Council in continuing on this work.


We remember our KUC family, those who are not well and those who are 

recovering from illnesses. We remember particularly our sister Lucy who’s in 

hospital at this time. We ask that you restore them to good health, give them 

peace, joy and trust in you.


Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

In the ecumenical cycle of prayers, we remember the people and churches of 

Andorra, Italy, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Spain and the Vatican City. We give 

thanks to their faithful witness throughout history and their hospitality today to 

people fleeing from wars and conflicts.


Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

 

We pray all these in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen

14 January 2024

Prayer of Intercession

14 January 2024

Prepared by Rev. Phyllis Wong

Second Sunday After Epiphany


United in one heart and one spirit, we uplift our prayers to God. Congregation please respond by saying “hear our prayer”, after I say “Lord, in your mercy” at the end of each prayer petition. 

 

Dear God of mercy, 

We come to seek your healing for those who are wounded physically and psychologically in wars. We are in particular seeking your mercy on the people in Gaza as thousands and thousands of people, many of them children, had been injured and killed. May your healing power strengthen their body and touch their heart. May your compassion touch the heart of the leaders to stop wars and to make peace through dialogue. We pray for people and NGOs who are courageous to continue to provide support and assistance in the war zone areas, in the midst of danger and risk of personal life. May you protect and bless them when they are working for the wounded and the traumatized.

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer. 

 

God of peace,

We remember people who are living in a place where there is no peace due to war, political unrest, crimes, climate change, illness, unexpected changes in life, loss of jobs and loved ones. 

 

May Jesus, the Prince of Peace come to them, grant them inner peace and faith to trust that God is with them to go through all the trials. 

 

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer. 

 

God of justice,

We remember the poor people who are sick and without enough means to buy medication. We are delighted to hear the National Cancer Grid have initiated a scheme to reduce the cost of cancer medication for some of the poorest people in India. May this kind of arrangement be made in the international community so more poor people will get equal access to the medicines they need to preserve their health. 

 

We remember those who are suffering from persecution due to differences in political stand, religious belief, gender and sexual orientations and so on. 

 

We pray for political prisoners. May God’s peace be with them. We pray for a just judiciary system in Hong Kong and in the world. May God’s kingdom of justice reign on earth.

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer. 

 

God of Creative love,

By your Word, you have created all lives in the world. We are sorry for the damage human beings have made due to greed. We seek your grace to restore Mother Earth. We pray for the poor who suffer more from the climate change. We pray for the victims of natural disasters. We are in particular upholding friends from Japan who have been adversely affected by the recent earthquake in the Noto peninsula.

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer. 

 

God of Community

Close to home in Hong Kong and at our church KUC, we pray for the education system and for the schools in HK as there is a huge number of teachers quitting their job. Causes need to be identified and addressed in order to find a workable solution to the problem. Policies need to be made to focus on the education needs and growth of the students.

 

We uphold members and friends from our church community in our hearts. We pray for healing and full recovery of Paul Wong, Edna Lai and June’s mother after surgery. We pray for God’s comfort to Sherri and her family for the passing of her father. We are thankful to God’s gracious presence to all we have been praying for quite some time due to different needs. We pray for the congregation of KUC. May God give us strength and remind us our mission as we are celebrating our 100th anniversary this year!

 

As part of the international ecumenical body, we lift up in prayer the churches and people of all faiths in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. We pray for the well-being and peace of the people of different cultures and religions. May the people in these places enjoy freedom and peace. And may basic human rights and dignity be upheld. 

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer. 

 

To close our prayer, let us share the Lord’s Prayer, the words that taught by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. You are welcome to say in your own language and preferred version.

Our Father in Heaven

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven

 

Give us today our daily bread.

forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who have sinned against us

lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil

for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.