Prayer

Prayer of the People, 29 September 2019

Heavenly Father — Praises be yours! 

In your mercy and grace you have brought us into your communion— the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your majesty is on display in Creation and your wisdom in your Church. Your faithfulness and love reaches even to the most frustrated corners of our globe.

A collective shout has come up from children giving voice to the groans of Creation. This world groans under the weight of failed stewardship. And we say with them, Come Lord Jesus!

You are bringing all things under the administration of Jesus Christ our Lord. Yet, we can hardly claim to walk in perfect union with Him. Help us Lord. Have mercy on us Lord. Forgive us for taking your name in vain. Under the banner of your name some have cloaked themselves in deceit and have ushered themselves and others into destruction. 

Grant us the humility and the prophetic unction required to join you in the healing of the nations. Grant us your healing too Oh Lord.

Heavenly Father, may your Spirit bring healing in downtown Vancouver. Bind up the wounds of trauma and release people from fear by establishing circles of friendship and healing through the presence of Jesus.

May your Spirit fortify your church in Iran with love and courage.
May you uphold your servants who have been imprisoned in China.
May you embolden your people to keep loving their neighbours in Indonesia.
May you sustain your labourers upholding the Living in the Bahamas.

Free us Oh Lord from our captivity to the urgent. It’s become so normal to us that we hardly hear your voice during the day and even the night. Call us into your communion even as we lay down our worries with you.

(Please join me in the Lord’s prayer)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

Prayer of the People, 25 August 2019

Heavenly Father,

We rejoice in you today as we enter your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You have given us a seat at the table through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. This grace is real to us through Your Holy Spirit who pours out your love into our hearts and does not disappoint. Thank you!

Thank you for lifting us up from the pit of despair.
Thank you for redeeming us from the destructiveness of our sin.
Thank you for transferring us from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of your Son.
Thank you for causing us to sit, walk, and stand with you.

We fear that we are not as beautiful, successful, unique, powerful, and loveable as we need to be. Oh Lord, this fear holds us down, winds us up, and drives us into all kinds of self-righteous, protective, and problematic decisions. Help us Lord! Give us wisdom from heaven to order our steps and help us to think rightly about ourselves and this world we live in. Let the joy of your salvation work powerfully within us.

Give us courage Lord to extend our hands to others with mercy and grace.
Give us courage Lord to open our mouths against injustice and racism.
Give us courage Lord to proclaim the goodness of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
Give us courage Lord to interrupt unbelief and loneliness.
Give us courage Lord to turn strangers into friends.

As our friends and family return from countries and assignments all around the world, we ask you to fortify them with your love. We lift up the people of China, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Brazil, Yemen, Syria and Turkey — grant them true wisdom, peace and freedom Lord; may hate, fear, bitterness and violence — the tools of the evil one — not be the tools of their leaders. May your Word flourish in all these peoples and may you raise up brothers and sisters for us through the Gospel of Jesus.

We yearn for your Kingdom to be fully established in our hearts and on our campus so we pray as Jesus teaches us:

(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

Prayer of the People, 21 July 2019

Heavenly Father,

We praise you and rejoice in your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your delight and joy is evident in the beauty of your creation. We see your mystery and majesty expressed in the glories of the night sky and in the wonder of energy passing from  neuron to neuron between synapses. 

There is no space that has kept you from your Creation. We believe for you have revealed yourself. You have made yourself known. You have not left yourself without a witness. 

Even our sin has not kept you from us. Though it ruined our view, though it kept us in darkness, you have ripped the dividing veil through the obedience of Jesus Christ and have given us grace to receive you through your Spirit.


You have triumphed over rebellion.
You have triumphed over pride.
You have triumphed over sorrow.
You have triumphed over despair.
You have triumphed over apathy.
You have triumphed over death.

At the Cross it looked like you got tripped up by death. But we are reminded that You laid down your life — for you gave Jesus authority to lay down His life and to take it up again. And so He did! And you have given us grace to call Him Lord.

Hallelujah!
Oh what love!
We live in the glory of your resurrection, 

Now what shall we say? If you are for us, who can be against us? So, how long Lord? How long shall we wait?

As we wait Lord, your children are calling out to you in our struggles. We intercede today for the dear people of Sudan, Yemen, Columbia, and Venezuela. Bring peace Oh Lord, and raise up witnesses for your Son among them.

We intercede for Iran, Britain and the US, who seem to be on a collision course for conflict. We ask for peace in the whole Mediterranean region so that people may thrive in the knowledge of you.

We intercede Oh Lord for our brothers and sisters who living, serving, and pouring out their lives in the neighbourhood around Oppenheimer park here in Vancouver . We ask you for the grace to love our neighours well. May your Spirit bring more life out of the chaos.

We intercede for the dear student families we met during the Kids Activity Evenings who reside in the space between what they know and what they don’t yet know. We ask that you would give them light and wisdom to see and to be embraced by You.

We ask this in the Name of Jesus and we pray as He taught us…
( join me in the Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

Prayer of the People, 30 June 2019

Heavenly Father,

We rejoice to gather before you and pray. Together with your Son and in the power of your Holy Spirit we cry, “Abba. Father.” 

You have turned our mourning into new song.
You have turned our despair into hope.
You have turned our death into victory.
You have given us a happy dance.
You have set us free.

Hallelujah.

Let freedom ring out in our hearts today. Remind us of the Cross of Jesus for He has become our righteousness. Establish your Kingdom in our lives.

Set us free from twisted pride.
Set us free from the performance trap.
Set us free from willful sins.
Set us free from blinding selfishness.

Only you can set us free from the shame that accuses us. Set us Free O Lord.

We have no one else who has the Words of Life but You! So deliver us from evil. Fortify us with your love so that we are disturbed by that which abuses your dear children.

Come Lord Jesus, Come.

We rejoice today in theses miracles of freedom:
We have lifted up the name of Jesus Christ as Lord.
We have gathered in your name.
We have held your Word and given it away.
We have proclaimed the Gospel freely.
We have spoken out against injustice.

We have received the prophetic word.
We have prayed for your deliverance.
We have announced your forgiveness.
We have freely given your gifts for the common the good.
We have sought the truth and found it.

Oh Lord, such miracles! Help us to treasure them rightly and to go forth in the joy of our salvation and in the power of the Spirit as wise stewards of such freedom. So, we pray again for ourselves and our brothers and sisters among the nations, as Jesus teaches us:

(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

Prayer of the People, 23 June 2019

Prayer of the People

23 June 2019

Heavenly Father,

We enter into your communion, the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
 today by the blood of Jesus poured out at the cross. You have opened the way for us to come before your throne of grace in our time of need.

You are the One who brought the heavens and the earth out of the chaos.
You are the One who saved Hagar from her lonely tears.

You are the One who rescued Israel from Egypt’s oppression. 

You are the One who delivered David from Saul’s jealousy.

You are the One who lifted Jeremiah from the muddy pit.

You are the One who fortified Hosea in the face of unfaithfulness.

You are the One who has made our lives so precious. May your Word prevail in our lives.

We grieve today with the family of retired UBC professor, Peter Winterburn who died Friday in Chile during a robbery. May you comfort and help his family.  

We lift up to you the people of Sudan. Please let your peace prevail. May the violence stop and may the conflicted parties work out a way for good governance in the pursuit of common good.

We acknowledge the mindless ease with which we have benefitted from the domination of others. Across Canada this past week Indigenous peoples celebrated their continued presence among us and have invited us to appreciate aspects of your common grace among them. Help us Lord to listen.

We set before you the city of Athens, Greece and pray that you would bless our friends who are labouring to meet the needs of refugees even when such mercy is unpopular. Strengthen them. Fill them with your Spirit. Give them wisdom. Meet their financial needs and even today fill them with the joy of your salvation.

All truth is your truth O Lord. So we pray Lord Jesus that this place would be a community in pursuit of the truth in all our relationships. Even today Lord, Meet us in the conflicts this interchange creates. You have said Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness and who suffer because of your Name. Fortify us with your love Lord and Let us all be set free by the Truth. 

Join me now in the Lord’s Prayer — 

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.