Prayer of Intercession

Sunday, 7 December, 2014

Pearl Wong

For the World

December 10 is International Human Rights Day, this year the theme is "Celebrating  20 years of changing lives through human rights". Human rights are interlinked and interdependent rights inherent to all human beings without any discrimination of any nationality, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, language, cast or any other status, as stated by the UN. May God's love and justice help us to promote human rights research; to advocate education in human rights; to take action and combat against all kinds of discrimination at regional, national and international level; to promote coordination among all actors and social networks; and to advocate democracy.

The fierce typhoon Hagupit has hit the Philippines, more than 500,000 families, or 2.5 million people in the eastern Philippines were being evacuated. We have Filipina sisters among us whose hometown is Arteche in the Eastern Samar province where the typhoon has come ashore last night. We pray for the safety of the people who live in Arteche and the people in the Philippines. Merciful God, please protect their lives and their homes from the destruction by this typhoon.

For Hong Kong

We pray for the five teenage students who began a hunger strike this week to press for universal suffrage, and they already show signs of health deterioration. We pray that our government will communicate with them instead of ignoring them. We also pray for the students' parents who are suffering as well. Compassionate God, we pray for the peaceful future of Hong Kong.

For the Congregation

We pray for sisters and brothers who are sick and unwell. We remember our senior members Helen Tan, Bishop and Mrs. Samuel. Gracious God, please keep them well.

During this week's Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, we pray for the people and churches of Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.

Please join me now in praying the Lord’s Prayer together; you are welcome to pray 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.
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