Prayer of Intercession

Sunday, 25 October, 2020

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Prepared and led by Edwina Antonio

Jesus told us to love our God will all our heart, our soul and our mind and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves which define our humanity, compassion and solidarity. Let us hold in prayer the situation of communities, of churches and of people to fulfill Jesus command of loving God by loving our neighbor.

In every prayer I invite you to respond ‘lead us to a new life’ as I uttered O God hear our prayer.

Let us pray for the people of Thailand as they fight for human rights, democracy and justice. The massive protests headed by youth and students led to massive arrests and detention of human rights defenders, justice and peace advocates, social and political activists. May the voices of people of Thailand be heard by its government and find a just and peaceful resolution to conflict.

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

Let us pray for the upcoming Presidential election in the United States. May the American people elect a president who will abolish laws and policies that perpetuate racial discrimination, white supremacy, exclusion, injustice and war of aggression and uphold the values of equality, inclusion, justice and compassion.

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

Let us pray for the 6,000 workers of Cathay Dragon who lost their jobs last week. It may be just a tip of an iceberg that could lead many large, medium and small scale industries to massive lay-off of their employees due to financial and economic crisis looming amidst the pandemic situation. May the Hong Kong government find a comprehensive resolution to the crisis and make the interest of its workers a priority.

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

Let us pray for Reina Mae Nasino and all the political prisoners in the Philippines. The inhumane treatment of Duterte government and his minions in the Philippine National Police further exposes the worsening tyranny and fascism in the country. May justice and freedom be served for Reina Mae and Baby River and all the political prisoners and for Duterte to be held accountable of his crime against the Filipino people.

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

In ecumenical prayer cycle let us pray for churches and people of all faiths of Canada and the United States of America. May the people of these countries further realized that amidst the affluence and abundant living they have are the millions of people in many third world countries who wallow in poverty and inhumane condition. May justice, human rights and peace advocates in these countries continue to stand in solidarity with the poor, the deprived and the oppressed communities in making their government accountable in perpetuating an unequal and unjust societal order.

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

Let us pray for the on-going renovation project of the church. The AMO is scheduled to renovate the windows in the bell tower and other parts of the church building that need to be restored.. May this project contribute in furtherance of KUC’s ministry for and with the people of Hong Kong.

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

Let us pray for our sisters and brothers who are facing various life challenges. May the healing hands of Jesus be with Lucy, Paul Wong, Drew (Tory's brother in law), and Sai Fung (Phyllis's sister) Wasanthi (Mercy's sister), Connie's grandmother and Oscar Marquez (Thelma's brother). Grant them healing and immediate recovery.

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

Let us pray for Bruce who will travel back to the United States tonight, visiting his mother and family. May God’s protection and guidance be with him so that he will arrive safely and spend meaningful time with his mother.  

O God hear our prayer, lead us to a new life.

As we end our prayer of the people may I invite to pray the prayer that Jesus thought us: 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Prayer of Intercession
Sunday, 18 October, 2020
Prepared and led by Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro


Let us now attend to the prayer of intercession, the prayers of the people:
At the end of each concern, I will say, God in your mercy
Please respond: Hear our prayer.

For the World and Hong Kong, we bring these petitions to God:
We pray for the government of Thailand to respect human rights and uphold democratic governance. The government attempted to silence the voice of the student-led pro-democracy protest movement by arresting activists and preventing gatherings of more than five people.

Across Nigeria, protesters are also rallying to demand reforms in the police system and hold the police accountable for their brutal acts. We pray that the leaders of the nations will listen to the people, respect the people’s rights and freedom of assembly and expression. Remember the activists that the elements of the government have arrested and put in jail. We pray for the unity of the people, so that their dream of democracy and freedom will not be defeated. Dear God, let your justice prevail and compassion is with the righteous. 
God in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
 
In the UK and France, the number of cases of Covid-19 has increased rapidly. Stricter measures to control, and to prevent the spread of coronavirus are now implemented. We pray to God to protect the people. We lift up in our prayers the people who are working in high-risk settings and those who have fewer resources to cope with the crisis. We pray for the scientists who have been working on developing the vaccines to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and save lives.  

God in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

We remember and pray for people who have lost their jobs and for the families that suffer from the loss or from the big drop of income, those whose livelihood are affected immensely and adversely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to pray that the governments of the countries around the world will install appropriate social policies and welfare systems that work well to address the needs of the poor and the vulnerable. 
God in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Amid this global COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed in principle to form a travel bubble that exempts residents of both cities from any form of quarantine. May the governments of Hong Kong and Singapore make a wise decision and keep the public informed of the impact of this travel bubble on the city. May the leaders take seriously human lives as a priority in enacting any social and economic policies. 
God in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

In a quite unusual move, the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, announced to postpone this year’s Policy Address. We pray to God to keep and bless Hong Kong and its people with hope and peace in the midst of uncertainty and suppression of civil society, limiting and violating people’s human rights. 
God in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

For our Ecumenical Prayer Cycle,
We lift up in prayer today the churches and people of all faiths of The Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Maarten, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad, and Tobago. We are thankful for the natural beauty, climate, and distinctive cultural practices of these islands. We admire how churches have responded to disasters and served all in need. We appreciate how people there pursue and take their struggles for liberation from colonialism and oppression through music, words, and actions. We are thankful for the leaders of the ecumenical movement who have come from this region. We pray for those devastated by disasters. We pray for the re-building of their lives, communities, and eco-systems. We pray for all those affected by crime and addictions, and for good governance and smooth transitions between political leaders.
God in your mercy, Hear our prayer

We also pray for the KUC Congregation

• We remember and pray for members and friends who are working in            medical settings and taking care of households with senior and sick family members. 
• We pray for the ministers and church leaders as they are planning for the church ministries and preparing the budget for 2021. May God guide them with clear vision and wisdom by the love and power of the Holy Spirit.  
• We pray for our children for their health and learning after resuming school. May God bless them to learn with enthusiasm and curiosity and may they grow in knowledge and maturity.
• We pray for the continuing healing of Lucy, Paul Wong, Drew (Tory’s brother in law), and Sai Fung (Phyllis’s sister), Wasanthi (Mercy’s sister), Connie’s grandmother, and Oscar Marquez (Thelma’s brother). 
• As Bruce travels to the United States next week to visit his mother and family, we pray for his safe journey and a blessed time with his mother. Bruce will stay there for a few months.  
• We also pray for the church that KUC is hosting, and the churches KUC had been hosting in the past. May these churches flourish in their work and mission with God’s blessing.God in your mercy, Hear our prayer

And now let us say together the prayer that our Lord Jesus has taught us: 
Our Father, who is in heaven,
Holy be your name.
Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our sins 
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation 
But deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power
And the glory forever.
Amen.

Prayer of Intercession
Sunday, 11 October, 2020
Prepared and led by Rey Asis

O Lord God, ever powerful, kind and merciful, our source of strength and giver of life, we gather today like your flock worshipping you and giving you praise, thankful for the gifts you have bestowed upon us, and entrusting in us this world for us live in and to take care of.

We ask your pardon, Lord, when we choose to be blind to injustice or choose not to be forgiving, giving or understanding. We recognise our faults and we hope to make amends. We are grateful that you are always there for us, and we hope to be the same not only for our loved ones but for our society and all people in need.

There is more reason that we need to be together and work more closely together during this time when problems continue to pile up before us, when suffering and despair intensify, and when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

In our age we are still confronted with poverty and hunger. It continues to worsen and with the COVID-19 pandemic we can only expect more people to suffer. Here in our city we see a rise in unemployment and with no let up in the rising cost of food, housing and other needs, it is very difficult to witness what will come next.

We come to you for guidance, Lord God. May the leaders of our city and of the world continue to craft ways to end the root causes of poverty by beginning to put premium in helping and providing for people’s needs over their own wants and the wants of the few. We pray for organizations, churches and peoples who are helping the poor, advancing social and environmental justice, and in their own little way, giving food to the hungry, addressing inequality and making poverty history.

We pray for people who continue to experience injustice, neglect and outright human rights violation. We pray for the 12 activists who have been arrested in August. We pray for the teacher whose license has been revoked. We pray for the people whose lives are under threat. We pray for the dignity of life, justice and democracy to be restored, upheld and protected. 

In the ecumenical prayer cycle, we pray for the people and churches of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. 

For our congregation, we pray for our elders and children. We pray for Mercy’s sister Wasanthi and Bruce’s mother. We thank you and give you praise for the continued healing and recovery of Lucy, Paul, Drew and Sai Fung.

In times of darkness, Lord God, you are the light that shines upon us. In times of cold and helplessness, you are the love that warms and comforts us. In times of apathy, hatred and fear, you are the life full of mercy, kindness and understanding. May we share your light, love and life, your joy, your peace, your hope to the people in our church, in our city and our world. We pray all these through your son Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Prayer of Intercession
Sunday, 4 October 2020
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Prepared and led by Robert Lam

We pray this morning remembering it’s World Communion Sunday.

Lord, we thank you for the joy of attending church after a long period of virtual worship service: The joy of meeting our Pastors and the happiness of seeing our brothers and sisters at KUC.

We know that this opportunity comes from your mercy and grace.

We remember and pray for all those who cannot attend church in the midst of the coronavirus. Lord, we ask that your presence be with them, with the church leaders and the worship team as they creatively present the Word of God online through Zoom and Facebook.

We pray particularly for the elderly, many of whom are unable to leave home due to high risks of catching the virus and housebound for many months already. We pray that they may know and feel your special presence at this time.

We pray for those worshipping and taking communion today in different time zonbes and in different environments: We pray for those gathering in your Name in churches around the world, in prisons, in teahouses, in parks and outdoors. We thank you for their faithfulness and we give you all glory and praise.

Lord, the Church is divided today. Help us to strive ever harder for the Unity of the Faith.

Open our eyes to the wonders of your creation of humankind, each created differently in the colour of our skin, in our cultural make-up and in our sexual orientation. Help us to see you in each one, forbearing one another and appreciating each one in their contribution to the Gospel and in the life of the church.

Lord, our community is divided. There is a sense of despair and disillusionment. Lord, we pray for Hong Kong and its future. We pray for a fair and just Government . We pray for peacemakers helping to heal the wounds and divisions in our midst.

We pray for the world divided by ideologies and conflicts. We see the growing domination of our minds through social media and newsprint and the spread of extreme views. We pray for the church in its engagement with our divided world as a light on the hill, as a peacemaker and as catylst for a just and caring society. Help and guide the church in finding the right balance. We pray for church leaders as they guide and counsel their congregations in this divisive environment.

We pray for those who are not feeling well and cannot join us in worship this morning. We pray for Cherry and Joshua who will be leaving us for Singapore. We pray that you will guide their steps, provide safe journey and find a church that can be their new home.

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

AMEN