Prayer of Intercession

Sunday, 26 June 2016

Eunice Chan

Let us pray.

Lord, we come to You with longing and humble hearts as we pray for the world, the church, and all those in need.  As we come before You, we remember that those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  We rest in faith and peace as we contemplate in gratitude on what You have provided for us.

As we look around the world, Lord, we remember the people who live in fear and suffering because of war, violence, and persecution.  We lift up to You in prayer today those who are forced to leave their homes.  May You lead them safely to places of security and upkeep them as they settle and get on with their living in new host countries.  For those who have no choice but to beg at the roadside, grant them a shelter and provide for their living when the rain comes.  For those who live in darkness because of their traumatic experiences, be their light.  Lord, we may be different in terms of ethnicities, cultures, and languages, yet we are the same in our need for a home where we can find peace.  Let us remember, Lord, that we are one in You.  May You grant us wisdom and strength to be inclusive and to act for those in need.

We pray for the people affected by various natural and manmade disasters around the world.  For the people in Libya and the Central African Republic who suffered from violence, may You bring them safety and healing.  For the people in Jiangsu in China whose homes were destroyed by a tornado and the people in West Virginia in the USA stricken by a historic flooding, may You give them comfort and strength to rebuild their lives.

Lord, we pray for the people affected by the recent fire in Ngau Tau Kok.  We are grateful that the fire has been tamed.  We give thanks to the firefighters.  For the two firefighters who have given their lives, please give comfort and peace to their families.  May You heal the brokenhearted, and bind up their wounds.

We also continue to pray for an open and just society in which safety and equity are protected.  We remember the people in North Korea and Wukan in China.  For Hong Kong, may You grant us wisdom and strength to continue to uphold freedom of speech and justice. 

We pray for our church.  Lord, we pray that You would help Pastor Maggie to come to a full recovery and restore her to wholeness, health and strength.  For our brothers Solomon and Ernest and their fiancés, may You bless them with a happy married life ahead.

In this ecumenical prayer cycle, we pray for the churches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as they continue to work for Your glory. 

We pray all this in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Prayer of Intercession

Sunday, 5 June 2016

Judy Chan

Let us open ourselves to the grace of God, to the brokenness of our world, and the call to be agents of healing and re-creation.

-                      Where human greed has stripped the world of beauty and peace, and robbed people of dignity and subsistence, let us remember the peoples of war-torn Israel and Palestine, the starving populations of Syria and North Korea, and migrants in every place including Hong Kong. We pray, O God, for a new vision of abundance, and a new commitment to nurture the world that feeds us and share with those who do not have. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

-                      Where human sin has severed relationship with nature, and broken the connection that unites creation, let us remember our vanishing coral reefs, the poisoned environment due to our wasteful living, dying species around the world, those suffering from devastating rain in China and Europe, and the past and future of Ma Shi Po village. We pray, O God, for love to be renewed, and compassion to draw us back into union. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

-                      Where human loneliness, weakness, sickness, grief and suffering hide the signs of your life, let us remember those among us who are ill, in hospital, abandoned, those troubled in any way in heart, soul or mind. We pray, O God, for healing, comfort and strength and for the courage to keep hoping in the renewed creation to come. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

-                      For the people and churches of Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland, we pray for stability and justice in the government, a fair distribution of wealth, women and children who bear the brunt of poverty and domestic violence, parents who see their children die of disease and malnutrition, children who see their parents die of AIDS. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

O God, restore our faith, revive our hope, rekindle our love, and hear our prayer for we offer it in Christ's name. Amen.

* With thanks for inspiration from John van de Laar’s A Liturgy of Creation and Communion