Prayer
An Invitation to Prayer
Come, all peoples of the earth.
Come together for the worship of God as one.
Come as one humanity all equal before God.
Song: Psalm 100 (in Arabic)
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;[a]
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 3: 13-20
13 Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. 16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Prayers of Intercession & Thanksgiving
Love Incarnate, Fountain of Righteousness and Justice, open our eyes to the suffering and despair of the Palestinian people facing oppression, discrimination and forceful uprooting from their native land. Lord, in mercy….
Hear our prayer.
God of power and might, give us the courage and will to change systems and mentalities that perpetuate apartheid and injustice, for the sake of your Son our Lord. Lord, in mercy….
Hear our prayer.
God of peace, give us a lasting spirit of solidarity with brothers and sisters seeking refuge and safer lives in our nations. Enable us to reverence each of them, to reach out to their needs, and to value and appreciate their human dignity. Lord, in mercy….
Hear our prayer.
Grant us, O Lord, that we may promote the justice and fair treatment of migrant workers in the Middle East and all over the world. Open our eyes to their unique contributions and gifts and help us remember that we are all passing visitors on this earth. Lord, in mercy….
Hear our prayer.
Lord, empower us Church leaders as they minister your Word with boldness, leading your faithful to the richness of your Love. May the Church turn to your Word and let it speak to the issues of justice, anti-racism, anti-discrimination and common humanity for which we all cry out. Lord, in mercy….
Hear our prayer.
Blessing
The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine upon us.
The Lord be gracious unto us and grant us peace. Amen