Lord, as Messy Church families hear about ‘Who is Jesus?’, we pray for our nation to know you;

To know you as the Son of God, our Saviour, with us from the birth of creation and throughout eternity;

To know that you revealed yourself to us as a baby; as a man you proved your divinity through miracles,

taught us about God as father and how to love one another;

That through Jesus’ death and resurrection we are forgiven and may be with you always;

To know that you are all-forgiving, compassionate, merciful, kind & our closest friend.

Ignite our faith, Lord!

Amen

Father God, thank you that Easter Sunday saw St Peter’s Church bursting with people of all ages, celebrating Jesus’ resurrection.

May this response lead to many finding our church to be their home too, where they belong, find direction and love.

Holy Spirit, please fill us all with the joy of your presence, and the hope of eternal life.

Amen

We praise You, Father, that St Peter’s Church has been able to welcome many people over the days leading up to Easter.

May those who have shown no interest in God yet, begin to notice the miracles of life;

May those who came to Oak Café, Community Pantry, Funkey Monkeys and Meeting Point increasingly sense the closeness of friendship and belonging;

May Youth Group members explore in safety what it might mean to be a follower of Jesus;

May those who came to Easter Encounter have opportunities to revisit those learning experiences;

May those who came to Messy Church be increasingly curious to learn who You are;

May those who enjoyed the Easter Egg hunt share the wonder of exploring your world;

May those who are newly confirmed be drawn to go deeper in faith;

May those who came to quiet worship experience the whisper of your Holy Spirit;

For us all, Lord, please ignite the joy of faith and commitment to You.

Amen

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that Weyfield School was able to come to Easter Encounter,

And for all that the children were able to learn and experience.

Please continue to bless them and their families.

We pray for many to return on Easter Day, to celebrate the wonder of your resurrection.

May the activities that day, for all ages and levels of faith, give each of us a freshness and joy,

as we respond to you, Lord Jesus, our saviour.

And as we worship you in the quieter services of Holy Week,

may your Spirit touch our hearts, with a deeper understanding of your sacrificial love.

Amen

Father, thank you that your son Jesus gave his life for us, and is alive forever!

We are grateful for the opportunity to offer Easter Encounter to all the children of Weyfield School in the coming week.

May every child come to understand the events of Holy Week;

And through the activities, may they experience:

giving thanks to God,

serving one another,

praying for help,

a desire for justice,

forgiving & being forgiven,

the joy of new beginnings & fresh starts.

Lord, please bless each child.

Amen

Lord Jesus, thank you for your wonderful, sacrificial love for us all.

We pray for your guidance, as the activities for our next Messy Church are prepared this week.

May the significance of Palm Sunday, the Last Supper and Good Friday be conveyed in relevant & interesting ways.

May your Spirit clear away barriers, prompt families to come, open ears to listen and soften hearts to be receptive.

May each family be uplifted by your blessing, and take a step closer to you this Easter.

Amen

Lord God, we praise and thank you, that you are our Heavenly Father.

Please help us to align our hearts with yours & to speak of who you are.

Please give to our community all that’s needed, so we can play our part in serving one another

Help us to be forgiving & generous to all, lovingly offering our time in support

Give us the strength to stand against evil activities; help us to seek justice & equality.

May many in our parish accept you and trust in you for always.

Amen

Lord, we pray for a breaking of the cycles of revenge that fuel so many conflicts around the world; please give success to the peacemakers through the power of forgiveness & reconciliation.

Please help each of us to be more attentive during this season of Lent, to the surprising ways in which you are at work.

We pray for all those who are going through wilderness experiences of loss or turmoil, that your spirit will give strength for those lonely journeys & equip us to be supportive companions.

May St Peter’s be a place of welcome, belonging, forgiveness & healing.

Amen

Father, for each person who feels they are struggling in a wilderness,

we pray for you to give wisdom and protection.

In the wilderness of loneliness, we pray for comfort;

In the wilderness of despair, we pray for hope;

In the wilderness of addiction, we pray for strength;

In the wilderness of spiritual doubt & emptiness, we pray for your Holy Spirit to come.

May we be prompted to be the bringer of care, companionship, prayer and love to those around us.

Amen

Lord God, please help us to take seriously your commandment to look outwards to those around us, and to be part of your work on earth.

Give us courage to speak of you whenever we can, and to reveal you through generosity, unconditional love and justice.

Please bless the opportunities for mission that you’ve already given us: in the Oak Café & the Community Pantry, youth and family groups, Meeting Point, schools’ work, & all the conversations we can have during the week.

Please give wisdom and success to our mission partners: Ruth Sayers, International Justice Mission and Street Angels.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are with us always.

Amen

With thanksgiving for all you have provided for us, we hold our lives and our world before you, and ask for your help, Lord.

We need your miracles, Father, to halt wars and persecution in so many places;

We need your healing to soothe and restore;

We need your guidance in our decisions, our conversations and our actions.

By your Spirit, help us to reflect the love of Jesus.

Amen