Note: Today’s service includes two prayers responding to the devastating terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday 14 December.
Invocation
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Good morning, heavenly Father.
We worship you, the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Good morning, Lord Jesus.
We worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world.
Good morning, Holy Spirit.
We worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Opening sentences
One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
Who is it that you seek?
We seek the Lord our God.
Do you seek him with all your heart?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your soul?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your mind?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your strength?
Amen. Christ, have mercy.
Declaration of faith
To whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life,
and we have believed and have come to know
that you are the Holy One of God.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
King of endless glory.
Hebrew Bible reading
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
You, Lord, showed favour to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins…
I will listen to what God the Lord says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants —
but let them not turn to folly.
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
The Lord will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.
Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.
New Testament Reading
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
Lord God,
we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us
and restore us to the joy of your salvation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
We cry out to you, O God,
in shock and grief
in the wake of the horrific violence at Bondi Beach.
Hold in your eternal love the people who were killed.
Surround their families and friends with compassion
in the depths of their sorrow.
Hold in your care the survivors, the injured,
and all who witnessed the attacks.
Guide the authorities responsible for investigating
what happened, and help them as they work
to prevent such devastation
from ever happening again.
Have mercy on all who are afraid.
Give courage.
Have mercy on all who are in grief.
Give comfort.
Have mercy on all who are in pain.
Give healing.
Stir up Australians of all faiths and none
to stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbours.
Make us builders of a community
where everyone has safety, and dignity, and peace.
Amen.
Pause for reflection
Today, we are praying for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
We are thankful for:
- those who have remained in these countries through years of conflict and oppression
- Christians who bear witness in the region even though they are small in number
- the many who have provided for humanitarian assistance and peace-building
- refugees from these countries who are enriching the societies in which they now have made their home.
We pray for:
- those who continue to bear physical and emotional scars from years of conflict
- victims of monsoons and other disasters in the region
- economic development to improve life for all people and the environment
- political stability amid competing powers.
In our own place in the world, we pray for:
- all whose decisions involve questions of justice, mercy and peace
- federal, state and local politicians
- church leaders, ministers, pastors, teachers, and missionaries
- all the churches of our city or region
- our local congregation and its ministries
- our local communities, businesses, and schools
- the needs of our families and friends
- our personal needs, challenges and opportunities
Pause for reflection
Prayer in the wake of violence
O Lord, you who ask us to do the impossible—
to bless our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us,
and to love those who seek us harm—
we pray that you would do the impossible in us:
Help us to love our enemies as you love them and to remember
who our true enemy is: Satan, death, and the spiritual forces of evil.
Perform also a miracle in our enemies by your Spirit,
and in your sovereign might, restrain the power of evil in this world.
We pray this in the name of the One
who does impossible things. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Contemporary Prayer
Incarnate Lord, why do we easily consider our bodies
as shameful or something to get beyond,
when you’re quite fond of them?
Forgive us for trying to be more spiritual than you are
by denying our human earthiness.
Overtake us with joy that you have come physically to this world,
taking a face and sharing our flesh, for truly being our Immanuel,
“God with us.” Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13, NIV
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.
Pause for reflection
Sending Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray
that we may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, we pray that this day
we may take up our cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, we pray that this day
you will fill us with yourself
and cause your fruit to ripen in our lives:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
three persons in one God,
have mercy upon us. Amen.
Canticle
Christ, as a light, illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield, overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sources:
– John Stott, quoted in Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott (Downers Grove: IVP, 2010).
– Northumbria Community Trust, Celtic Daily Prayer (London: HarperCollins, 2015), https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/offices/morning-prayer/
– Philip F. Reinders, Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible Through the Year (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2013), https://seekinggodsface.org
– World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle
– “Prayers of Confession/Prayers of who we are,” https://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/?p=400
– Arthur Bennett (ed.), The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975).
– Trevin Wax, Psalms in 30 Days (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2021).
– Jeanie Gushee & David P. Gushee, A Morning and Evening Prayerbook (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012).
– St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne, https://cathedral.org.au/2025/12/15/pray-for-bondi/amp/
– W. David O. Taylor, https://www.wdavidotaylor.com/blog/prayers-for-a-violent-world
iDigress 