Intercessions
7th December 2025
Almighty God, you sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah. Inspire our Ministers, who are stewards of your truth, to turn our disobedient hearts to you, so that when Christ comes again to be our judge we may stand with confidence before his glory.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Faithful God we pray for your blessing to be upon this congregation, upon the Church throughout the world and particularly the Church of Bangladesh. May your presence be seen vividly in what we do and say each day. We pray that your joy and your love will flow freely in and through us and that we might never be perfect examples of your love in action.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Creator God, with axe and winnowing fork you clear a holy space where hurt and destruction have no place, and a little child is King. Clear the trouble spots of our world from hatred and despair and sow seeds of joy and peace so that shoots of hope may spring forth and all people, whatever their creed, race, colour or gender may live together in harmony with one another.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Father God, you enfold those on the margins of society with love and you experienced through Jesus what it was like to be excluded. Your son befriended the despised like Zacchaeus; the shunned prostitute; the untouchable lepers and all those who the establishment labelled as sinners. We ask you to help those at the edges of our communities and give them hope through the patience and encouragement of all of us who claim to be your people.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Merciful God, we remember all whose illness stems from a mental health issue, who often suffer in silence because of stigma and who reach out for help that is often not there because of stretched services. Help us to break through the ignorance that causes stigma and recognise that mental illness is as real as a broken leg or influenza and give them hope through the patience, encouragement.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Loving God, we pray for those whose hearts have been saddened by the death of someone close and dear to them, for members of our families who have died and whose anniversary we recall. Help us to experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit within us, and the fellowship of the church family around us until we are reunited once more in your heavenly kingdom. We pray at this time for the family and friends of Duncan and Melanie.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Glorious God, source of joy and righteousness, enable us as redeemed and forgiven children evermore to rejoice in singing your praises. May what we have sung and spoken with our lips become strong belief in our hearts and what we believe in our hearts become our way of life, throughout this Advent and in the years to come.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.