Prayer of Intercession
16 April 2023
Prepared by Peter Youngblood
Second Sunday After Easter
Almighty God, we turn to you now in prayer.
Though we bask in the light of your resurrected Son, each week brings new challenges and anxieties, and so we ask for courage and energy to wake up and face each day. We also pray for our families and friends. Lord, grant us strength and wisdom to nourish, support, and guide our loved ones in their own lives. And give us also the humility to know when we go too far and push too hard, because to truly love others is to let them be who they are.
But it is at this time, Lord, that we pray not just for ourselves and our close friends and family, but for all of those who need grace and compassion. We pray for our church community. We remember in our hearts our sisters and brothers who need extra support, who may be dealing with physical, mental, and emotional distress. We pray especially for Alex Melwani, Sunita Suna and Helen Lee’s mothers, Mrs Samuel, Anjenette, Hend, and Jeanette Lee. We pray for Ng Kam Lee, Raymond Lau, Chui, Ana and Ramon Bultron, Lucy Lim, Mercy, Joy Babasa, Lilly Yuen and Jackie Tse. And we also remember those caring for loved ones at home and in care facilities.
We pray for our city. Hong Kong continues to recover from the struggles of the past five years, but we do not forget those this recovery has left behind. Many still have financial scars from the economic downturn. And there are those with emotional scars, having experienced the loss of support, trust, and freedom in society. We remember the ones who needed to leave Hong Kong, especially those from our own church. They still have a place in our hearts.
And, of course, we still remember those who continue to pay the price for their freedom of expression, both here and elsewhere in the world. More have been arrested, charged, and convicted in Hong Kong, and many continue to languish in prison. So, we ask you Lord, to keep their spirits high and their resolve strong.
Almighty God, we pray for all the nations and peoples on our planet. Amidst so much conflict, violence, and misery, there are still so many signs of your presence. Our hearts are gladdened when we hear about chances for peace in places that have endured years of war, like Yemen. Yet we remain wary, knowing that throughout history there have been many deceptions and false promises.
But we mustn’t let our cynicisms overtake our compassion. God, give us the patience, tolerance, and love to support reconciliation with and among others. Let us never close our hearts to our fellow beings. Rather than close our borders, we should welcome those who come to us seeking work, safety, and refuge. Let your Spirit guide the leaders of rich nations toward compassion and wisdom, that they may establish fair and equitable policies for welcoming strangers.
We long for a loving and peaceful world community, and so we lift up the churches and peoples of all faiths in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and Russia—as part of our ecumenical prayer cycle. While peace in that region may seem impossible today, in you, Lord, there is always hope.
But in you, Lord, there is also justice. No reconciliation can be true without acknowledging—and bringing to an end—the mentality of pride, greed, and hate that has caused great pain and suffering for the people of Ukraine. We also remember in our hearts the people of Myanmar, where the innocent endure the bombs of the military junta.
God, we pray not just for human beings, but for all of what you have created. And we do so despite how terrifying parts of your creation can be. Nature continues to wreak havoc; Last week my country, the US, suffered devastation in its Midwestern region from intense storms and tornadoes. Climate change has increased the number of extreme weather events, causing great suffering, especially in poorer countries.
But we mustn’t give into to fear! Lord, you have given us the tools we need to live safely and sustainably with the rest of your creation. We are thankful for your gift of the mind, as it has helped us achieve so many things in recent years, from renewable energy to new vaccines and treatments for diseases like malaria.
Almighty God, as we face many trials and tribulations, we will not despair. Despite all our doubts, we choose faith, finding it in your Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died but came back. We now know that nothing, not even death, can separate us from your love. In the resurrected Christ, you are eternally present by our side, and each day is a new Easter.
And to remind ourselves of your steadfast presence, we pray the prayer that Jesus Christ taught us.
posted by Kowloon Union Church | 3:22 pm
