Prayer of Intercession

Sunday, 26 May, 2013

Lucia Wah

Our Heavenly Father,

We give you thanks for fullness of life. As we pray for ourselves, we pray for all people, made in your image, to know life in all its fullness.

We pray for the poor in Hong Kong and the world. According to the Earth Institute, one-sixth of the world’s population live in extreme poverty, that is, on less than US$1 a day. Many children have been dying of malnutrition, poor health care and unclean drinking water. The widening gap of the rich and the poor exacerbates the poverty problem.  May the local authorities and international community do their best to address the issue by helping each other, and allocating more resources for sustaining human lives than for weapons and military purposes.  May all human beings have more equal shares of earthly resources, adequate basic necessities for life so that they can live with dignity and human care.

Many people in Hong Kong are living in tiny housing units, usually as small as 28 sq ft. According to the Society for Community Organization, a hundred thousand people in Hong Kong live in such flats. We pray for a better living condition for the poor and better housing and land policies to meet the housing needs of the lowest income people.

We pray for the world. The escalating tension between the Philippines and Taiwan has created much uncertainty. There have been threats and disturbance to the people of both places. Marginalized people such as the migrant workers have easily become scapegoated and suffer in such conflict. May the conflicts be resolved by peaceful diplomatic means.

We pray for our Congregation

We pray for Pearl and Roy who will graduate from the seminary this year. May God bless and guide them to the ministry they are called to undertake.

Some of our children and young people will have examinations before their summer holiday next month. May God give them strength to pursue their studies and reviews. We pray that our children can study well and enjoy school life so that they can grow in wisdom and mature personality.

Pray for Pearl and Roy who will graduate from the seminary this year. May God guide and bless them to the ministry they are called to undertake.

In the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, we pray for the people and churches of Botswana and Zimbabwe. May God strengthen the churches there and bless people’s effort in witnessing to your love and care.

Now let us complete the prayers of the people by saying the Lord’s prayer. You may say it in your own language.

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 and

Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory are yours now and forever.

Amen.

Prayer of Intercession

Sunday, 12 May, 2013

Hope S. Antone

On this Asia Sunday and Mothers’ Day…

1.  Let us remember our region of Asia – gifted with many rich resources, but full of hungry and poor people; endowed with diverse cultures and religions, but full of conflict and intolerance.  

* Gracious God, creator of diversity, help us to be thankful for your gifts by sharing with one another; to be more tolerant and respectful of others, and to value diversity as your gift for us. 

 

2.  Let us remember the countries affected by natural disasters and human-made catastrophes (earthquakes, fire, collapsing buildings) – e.g. China, Bangladesh – especially the victims and the survivors who are still recovering from loss of lives and properties.  

* Living God, source of life, help us to find comfort in your assuring love; teach us to recover our connectedness with your creation, and to be responsible for this home that you have entrusted to us. 

3.  Let us remember the workers – often mistreated, and whose services are unrecognized and devalued – like the dock workers in Hong Kong, the factory workers in Bangladesh and migrant workers [many of whom are mothers], the farmers and fisherfolk, and all other workers from various countries.   

* Empowering God, our model worker, help us to value labor and appreciate the hard work by ensuring just wages, honest dealings, and humane treatment for all workers. 

4.  Let us remember the countries where struggles for democracy are ongoing – through elections or people power movement – e.g. Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines.

* Sustaining God, creator of freedom, help us to work for justice; touch our government officials to honor the wishes of the people; may the elected leaders carry out their duty worthy of their office.      

5.  Let us remember the countries beset by turmoil and unrest – the Korean peninsula faced by nuclear threat; Myanmar rocked by ethnic struggles; Pakistan faced with violence and terrorism; Nepal and Sri Lanka struggling for stability and peace. 

* Merciful God, source of peace, help us to overcome violence and work for justice.          

6.  Let us remember the countries that were once torn by war and are now striving for healing, reconciliation and nation-building – e.g. Cambodia, Timor Leste, and Sri Lanka -   

* Healing God, our refuge and strength, fill our people with visions of new life and new future that will heal the wounds and bitterness of the past.

7.  Let us remember the rest of the countries in Asia – in their various struggles for economic and political development, security and fullness of life. 

*Loving God, source of comfort and joy, guide our leaders that they may heed the aspirations of our people; and equip our people that they may work together for the general good, especially of those who need the most.   

8.  In celebration of Mothers’ Day, let us remember the original intention of this day – honoring the women pioneers – mothers – who struggled for peace and non-violence in the face of war.

*Parent God, help us to become agents of your peace.

9.  Let us join the universal church in following the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, where this week we pray for the countries of Kenya and Tanzania. 

*Gracious God, may you provide relief for the people living in poverty, suffering from HIV and AIDS, drought, lack of food and clean water.  Sustain the struggle of churches and church leaders to fight corruption, promote democracy and good governance.

Dear God, whose Spirit gives light and power to your people,
empower us to witness to your name in all nations,
to struggle for justice, and to persevere with faith and humor, in the tasks that you have given to us.
Without you we are powerless.

We ask in the name of Christ Jesus who taught us to pray (the Lord’s Prayer)…

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 sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and forever. Amen.

Amahan namo, nga anaa sa mga langit, Pagdaygon ang Imong Ngalan. Moabot kanamo ang Imong gingharian, Matuman ang Imong pagbuot, Dinhi sa yuta maingon sa langit. Ang kalan-on namo sa matag adlaw, Ihatag kanamo karong adlawa, Ug pasayloa kami sa among mga sala, Ingon nga nagapasaylo kami sa mga nakasala kanamo, Ug dili mo kami itugyan sa mga panulay, Hinonoa luwasa kami sa dautan. [Kay Imo man ang Gingharian, Ang gahum ug ang himaya Hangtud sa kahangturan. Amen.

  

Asia Sunday 2013 (12 May 2013)

Prayer of Intercession

Sunday, 21 April, 2013

Edwina Antonia Santoyo

O God, our liberator, redeemer and sustainer we come to you to pray and make our prayer acceptable to you O God.

We pray for members and friends who are unwell. We remember the families of those who have been suffering from serious illness. May God heal and comfort them with love and peace.

Particularly, we pray for Ajmal, Helen Tan, Rev Paul Davidson and Yuk Sun who are sick and hospitalized. Let the healing hands of Jesus touch them and give them full recovery so that they may continue their calling to be of service to the people and bringing the good of liberation to those in need.

We pray for the families, friends and relatives of many migrant workerswho have been separated from their home country because of an urgent need to survive. Let their families be as strong as it is and bonded with faith, hope and love as they endure a long separation, homesickness and sacrifices.

We pray for the Kowloon Union Church. You called each and every one of us to be the salt and light of the world. Inspire us to actively engage in the life and ministry of your church and members of the One Body Christ whom we are called to proclaim the good news of liberation and manifest the kingdom values of justice, peace, love and compassion inside and outside of your church.

Particularly, we pray for every mother, father, son and daughter in your church. You called us each and every one of us to be in this church to experience a real sense of fellowship wherein everyone is being taken cared of regardless of socio-economic status, gender and nationality.

We bring our concerns for the people of the world & Hong Kong

We pray for the recent bombings in Boston, Massachusetts and Iran. We earnestly pray for their families who are grieving for the lost of their loved ones; let the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen them and provide them with inspiration to move on.

We also pray for the perpetrators of these violent acts; give them O God a heart of repentance and to face the wheel of justice to take its course because of what they did to the innocent lives.

Most importantly, we pray for an end of violence in many countries as well as the increasing tension between North Korea and South Korea and United States of America. Let your Holy Spirit works at these critical times so that leaders of the world will find a peaceful resolution to the conflicts and work together for the establishment of a just and humane society in every community.  

We also pray for the upcoming election in the Philippines. Grant O God to the Filipino people a peaceful and meaningful election wherein the Filipino people can decide based on the tract records of the politicians and their commitment to uphold the interest of the ordinary Filipinos and not their vested economic and political interests.

In the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, we pray for the people and churches of Djibouti and Somalia.

Altogether let us conclude our prayer of the people by praying the Lord’s Prayer in your own language. Amen.