Prayer - Sunday 29 December 2024

Loving Father in heaven,
Christmas has come and gone for another year. While the decorations come down we will not forget the first coming of our Lord Jesus.
We will continue to sing songs that celebrate his greatness.
We will keep on sharing the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the magi
We will keep on aspiring to the faith that Mary had as she surrendered to your will and welcomed Jesus
We are encouraged by the patient expectation of Anna and Simeon who waited for Messiah to come: we wait for our Saviour and Lord to come again

We know that when Jesus comes again it will be in all-conquering power
But we remember that when you first sent your Son,
It was quietly, humbly, in weakness and with great vulnerability as a child
In hope, the future of the world was entrusted to that child
In hope, we pray for our children today; not that they would be rich, talented and powerful,
But that they would be truly good people in speech, in conduct, in love and faith and purity.

For the sake of the children and the future world they will inherit
We pray that you would close the door of hate in the hearts of adults
And open the door of love and respect
May the peace and goodwill among people – which the angels sang about and which we are yet to see fully realised – become a reality in this world as your kingdom comes

We know that when Jesus comes again he will wipe away every tear
But today there are many tears flowing in our world
We beg your mercy for those caught up in the terrors of war: the Russio-Ukranian war, the Arab-Israel conflict, the Myanmar conflict, insurgency in the Maghreb and the Sudanese civil war. It says in your Word that you have the power to cause wars to cease.
In your mercy, would you please do that now?
We pray also for our fellow-Australians who have suffered loss
through fire and floods, through poverty and through disability,
through domestic violence and through prejudice – Lord, have mercy

Give us, your children, the grace to represent you well dear Father
To wipe away tears, to bring material and spiritual help
To stand with those who are vulnerable
To do the same works that characterised Jesus, who we worship today

As we stand at the threshold of a New Year, we are glad to be your people
To be citizens of a better kingdom coming
To be bearers of good news of great joy that is for all people
To be those who truly believe that small and humble beginnings can – by the power of your Spirit – lead to a world in which justice, peace and kindness hold sway.

Amen