PRAYERS

 

Southport Uniting Church.              Let’s Pray Together               

“The Helper will come – the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God & who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father & he will speak about me.” John 15:26.

Wed 1. We praise our loving God for Christian Fellowship & friendships, encouraging each other, growing in the love of Christ & sharing his love. Pray for those who encourage you & those needing encouragement.

Thur 2. Gracious God, I bring in prayer my family & loved ones; those with difficulties, special needs, their joys & their sorrows. Lord bless them all & also me. Let us pray as a congregation for Rev Julie & her family.

Fri 3. We look O Lord to the joy of Christmas in anticipation. We come O Lord in sorrow for our failings, but seek in the life, death & resurrection of Jesus, our forgiveness, hope & his love to renew our faithfulness.

Sat 4. In Luke’s gospel we learn of new family beginnings with Mary & Elizabeth. Lord we pray for families with new beginnings & young children. We give thanks for the joy of birth and love we learn from God.

Sun 5. In the season of plenty, loving God, there are many in poverty, distress & tense relationships. We pray for them to be reached by God’s love through contact, friendship, food offerings & encouragement.

Mon 6. Father God, as we reflect on the Wise Men of the nativity, give us like them, generous & loving hearts as we set out on our daily journeys to find Christ, worshipping him in sharing Christmas with others.

Tue 7. Almighty God, we pray for those who will be separated from their families this Christmas & safe travels to others who are able to journey with joy. Enable love to be shared wherever each one is, amen.

Wed 8. As we are all another year older this year, Father God, enable us to mature or grow old gracefully, as you planned. May we be truly family, there for young & older alike remembering our neighbours. Amen

Thur 9. God’s blessings come in large & small bundles. Reflect on the blessings in your life. Let us thank God today for the amazing encounters each day; for opportunities, answers to prayer & for direction.

Fri 10. Let us pray for the sick & those who heal & minister to them. We lift in prayer all suffering from strains of Covid-19 around our world, medical teams, researchers for treatments & health workers. Amen

Sat 11. Lord Jesus, as we await the celebration of your birth & prepare gifts for each other, may we be willing to accept you as God’s gift on the first Christmas so long ago, humbly as in the stable, unadorned.

Sun 12. Lord God, be in our hospitality as we invite and greet visitors to our church this Christmas. Gracious God, enable me to include the marginalized, those who have different beliefs & cultures to myself. Amen

Mon 13. In the dazzle of Christmas lights, we pray that the love of Christ be found. We pray for the little ones amazed by it all as we pray for families beginning Christmas holidays, for safety & for blessing. Amen

Tue 14. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we pray to focus on you, the light of the world, in our Christmas celebrations. Show us how to bring your simple caring & loving ways in our family & community activities.

Wed 15. May the beauty of a starry night & carols sung in praise of the birth of Jesus ring true in our lives, bringing the story of salvation & redemption, a humble birth reflecting his death for sin & our life eternal.

Thur 16. Hear our prayer loving God for families who have loved ones overseas who cannot come home for Christmas; Military personnel, medical workers or living overseas, as your love reaches everywhere. Amen

Fri 17. We pray today for all around our world suffering discrimination, domestic violence, living as refugees or in war torn countries. Our hearts reach out in love as we pray for justice & peace for them all.

Sat 18 As this year approaches a close, we give thanks for the volunteers who have filled our rosters to serve God in the many roles initiated by our church. Thank someone personally for their efforts to us all.

Sun 19. Loving & Holy God, send your Holy Spirit to enable us to catch the joy & vision of this Advent time as we prepare our homes & support our families at this often difficult time. Bless all sad at this time. Amen

Mon 20. Almighty God, we bring in prayer our Church Council, Carers & Leaders as well as helpers in the various groups. We pray for a restful break for many with new enthusiasm & ideas for ministry in 2022.

Tue 21. We pray for our world- in the joys, achievements, sorrows & tragedies of life here. Pray for support of the Christmas Bowl to support 3^rd world countries with basic necessities & a quality of life for them.

Wed 22. In our prayers we bring the wider Uniting Church in Australia, as Christmas is celebrated in outback chapels or homes, in city Cathedrals  & on beaches & river banks. Bless each worshipper Lord.

Thur 23. May the peace of the Lord be with you today. Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit, as I look to share your joy, love & enthusiasm with life - with someone who is looking for hope & inspiration in life.

Fri 24 Gracious God, the mystery of that night in Bethlehem intrigues & draws us. The Christmas story is never ending and as we welcome the Christ Child we seek a deeper & more dedicated faith to lead us.

Sat 25. Praise the Lord, rejoice our Lord is with us as we share Christ’s birth with those close to us. May we not forget that Christ came for all, so include the less fortunate in our plenty & celebrations. Amen

Sun 26. Loving Father God, we pray for all holidaying on our Gold Coast, enjoying sun, surf & abundant pleasures. We pray for safe travel on our roads, safety on our beaches & for all our children enjoying it.

Mon 27. Lord God, we remember those in nursing homes & hospitals & shut ins at home, at this time, for blessing & for all who minister, serve & care for them. Pray for someone who needs a special prayer request. Let us pray together for organizations such as Uniting Care who are there in a time of need. Amen

Tue 28. We pray for ministry through our SUC in 2022 that abundant helpers and leaders will take up the reins in the new year. Almighty & loving God, bless each member & all our Christmas visitors who came.

Wed 29. Today we pray for all who have lost loved ones this year, through bereavement or who are losing a partner or parent through dementia, serious illness, alcoholism or drug abuse. Lord comfort & bless.

Thur 30. Lord hear our prayer for emergency services who are on duty during the Christmas/New Year break facing danger, trauma & difficulty day to day. May we appreciate them in our day to day living.

Fri 31.  A year to celebrate, ongoing issues of Covid & Community issues to pray about & give thanks to God for his presence with us this year, guiding, strengthening, comforting & inspiring. Take time today to be thankful to our loving and Eternal God as a new year comes, unknown to us but embraced by God. Amen