Prayers for Sunday 9th of March

1st Sunday of Lent

Prayers inspired by: original prayers: Ps 91:1-2, Luke 4:1-13

An acknowledgment

Ko te tangata kei te wāhi ngaro
o te Runga Rawa tona kainga,
ka noho ia i raro
i te taumarumarutanga o te Kaha Rawa.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
May those who have passed beyond the veil
rest in the shadow of your wings o Lord.

Rātou ki a rātou
Tātou ki a tātou.

May your light be with we who remain in this living world.

[Bidding and response]

E te Atua be gracious to us in our sin; we long for you.

For the Church.

E te Karaiti
We are Your body in this world.
Bless our ministries, that in all we do we point the way to You.
Strengthen us to recognise and acknowledge our sin in Your church;
Strengthen us to set our hearts on Your redemption;
to know how to ask for your forgiveness
when we fall short of what Your body should be.

E te Atua be gracious to us in our sin; we long for you.

We pray for the world and for this place.

E te Wairua Tapu
Holy Spirit,
You bear witness throughout the world;
to political conflict, the trampling of justice, lack of mercy,
hard-heartedness and the deliberate infliction of pain upon others;
sins beyond counting.

Soften the hearts
of world leaders,
and of our decision-makers here at home,
that they may, in this time of repentance,
Learn from Jesus,
who refused all the kingdoms of the world,
and “all their authority and splendour.”
May we all hold to Your hope.

E te Atua be gracious to us in our sin; we long for you.

We pray for our communities and for our own needs.
God of life
Bless us, in our communities, our families, and in our homes
We lift to you our needs, our aches and our hopes.
You are our refuge and our fortress, our God, in whom we trust.

And this week,
may we remember the beginning of Christ’s journey
to the Cross, the pathway to our redemption.
E te Atua be gracious to us in our sin; we long for you.

Amen.