Prayer of Intercession Oct 2005
Bruce Van Voorhis – Hong Kong
Bruce Van Voorhis – Hong Kong
Kowloon Union Church
October 2, 2005
Lord of Creation, Lord of Compassion, Lord of Peace, we lift up to you today the joys and burdens of our hearts. (silence)
Our hearts are heavy once again, Lord, after another senseless bombing—the second deadly explosion in Bali in three years. Comfort the families and friends of those who have lost their lives and have been injured. Bring peace to our troubled and confused world, Lord.
We also remember in our prayers today, Lord, the people whose lives have recently been devastated by typhoons in Asia and hurricanes in North America. We pray for your strength and comfort to be with them as they begin to rebuild their lives and their communities. Out of these disasters, may your people come together and find the human spark that unites all of us with each other and with you.
We continue to pray for the people of Iraq whose lives have been consumed by war, violence and suffering for far too many decades. We pray that fear, hate and hostility will soon give way to the joy and comfort of peace, that daily death tolls will cease to exist, that violence will no longer inhabit this land.
As people of faith, we remember in the ecumenical prayer cycle today our sisters and brothers in Central Asia. We especially pray for the people of Afghanistan, who, like the people of Iraq, have lived with violence daily for so long. We pray for your wisdom to guide them as they reconstruct their nation. May the differences of ethnicity and sect be celebrated instead of be barriers to peace. May women experience the same respect as men. May those who covet political and economic power find instead the joy of your spiritual power.
In our own church community, we pray for the asylum-seekers and refugees in our midst who have come to Hong Kong to escape the violence of their own countries. May their daily needs be met, Lord, and may their anxieties and uncertainty be replaced with peace of mind and a secure future that no longer is filled with doubt and fear.
On this day when we partake of the bread and wine, we thank you once again for the gift of new life. May this act of renewal awaken in us deeper reflections of the meaning of our faith. Lead us closer to you, Lord, and to your purpose for our lives in this world.
We lift up our prayers today to you, Lord, the Lord of Creation, of Compassion, of Peace. Amen.
With Peace,
Bruce Van Voorhis
Bruce Van Voorhis serves as missionary with the Asian Human Rights Commission located in Hong Kong. He serves as a writer and editor with the Commission.