Prayers, Sunday 22nd February
1st Sunday in Lent/Te Rātapu Tuatahi o Rēneti
Prayers inspired by: original prayers: Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Ps 32; Rom 5:12-19; Matt 4:1-11, Whaiora Te Moni ‘Rau Angiangi’. Tom Wuest ‘Waiting on the Lord’.
Karanga te reo
Karanga te ngākau pēhi
He roimata te kai
i te ao, i te pō.
E te Atua,
Kia noho haumaru rātou mā
kua wehe atu ki tua o te ārai.
Rātou ki a rātou
Tātou ki a tātou.
We cry out
In our pain
Tears are our food by night and by day
God, may those we love who have passed beyond the veil rest in peace-
Bless we who remain
with your love.
[Bidding and response]
For your grace overflowing – we thank you O God.
For the Church.
E Ihu,
We are your Church,
Your body in this world.
As you were tempted,
Grant us the strength
To help others to leave behind
the worship of the world’s idols.
In all our many ministries and endeavours,
Help us to love You, and to lead others to You,
May we all be formed in the way of Your peace, of Your justice.
For your grace overflowing – we thank you O God.
We pray for the world and for this place.
E te Wairua Tapu
Holy Spirit, may Your presence
Influence those around the world
who make decisions in the places of power,
With the radical love of Jesus
Who sought no earthly power
And so the stones are turned to bread -
Not for the sake of the World, but only in Your holy name.
“Through the obedience of the one man
The many will be righteous.”
In our own land,
May Your presence be felt
among our own decision-makers,
that they understand the many problems
facing our own people,
in our homes, our businesses, in Government,
in our hospitals, our places of learning.
In the coming testing time of Lent,
Pull us together as one,
Called by your light.
For your grace overflowing – we thank you O God.
We pray for our communities and for our own needs.
E te Tokotoru Tapu -
God in three Persons.
Grant us your blessing
Today, and in the days ahead,
In our many communities,
Communities lashed by storms of many kinds;
And hearts held strong.
We lift to you those things that pain us,
That make us anxious.
Our sufferings,
Our unacknowledged needs,
And the needs of those whom we love and care for.
And this week,
may we remember, Jesus,
that we too to forgive and to trust
outwards
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
