Prayers of Intercession from Opoho Church 2014

Prayer of thanksgiving and intercession 27 April 2014

Lord God,

our rock of refuge,

we give thanks for the beauty and fruitfulness of autumn,

for seedtime and harvest,

and for all that we have:

our homes, food and clean water,

gardens and beaches, bush and mountains,

family and friends, help and support,

this church and community,

and the freedom to worship you in peace and security.

Lord God,

our rock of refuge,

we pray for your world.

In the wake of Anzac Day,

we remember the defeat of tyranny,

the defence of peace,

and the death and misery and destruction of war.

We remember that war has not ceased,

that tyrants still rule,

and that justice and security are still denied to many.

Lord God,

our rock of refuge,

we pray for your Church.

We call to mind the needs and hopes of this parish,

of congregations throughout this land,

and of your worldwide Church in all its diversity and division.

Lord God,

our rock of refuge,

we pray for our friends and families and colleagues.

In silence we remember before you their particular needs …

Lord God,

our rock of refuge,

we pray for ourselves –

we who dare to call ourselves your own people.

Grant that we may find answers to our prayers,

not merely in our expectations of you and of others,

but in the kindness and active concern

that we ourselves can show to friend and stranger,

and that in friend and stranger we may find the One

in whose name we pray, Prince of Peace and sure foundation,

who has taught us the prayer we sing …