Wednesday Evening Prayer – 3rd January 2024 Readings: Psalm 10; Isaiah 32.9-33.4; John 3.22-36.
Led by Felicity Scott, Liturgical Assistant at St John the Baptist Anglican Church Bulimba, QLD, Australia.
The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website.
https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com
Welcome to Evening prayer from the Anglican ‘A prayer book for Australia’.
We proclaim the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ:
GOD in his infinite mercy, forgives all sins, and through our baptism in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we are given a rebirth into new life, free from the burden of all sin. ALLELUIA
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy, you who truly and earnestly repent of your sins and intend to lead a new life, following God and walking in his Holy ways, draw near with faith, confident in God’s forgiveness to all who confess their sins. We confess our sins in penitence and faith;
Heavenly father I have sinned in thought word and deed please hear my confession:
I confess to greed of life, paving the way for my own profits and the profits of my neighbours instead of those of the Father.
Father, forgive me.
I confess to blasphemy of word, instead of honouring the Fathers holy name in all my speech.
Father, forgive me.
I confess to commanding my way in the world, by using the Fathers’ power to gain my wants and desires; instead of conforming to my purpose through the fathers will.
Father, forgive me.
Merciful Father: I turn to you in faith, pardon me and set me free from all my sins, through Jesus Christ. Amen
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,Blessed be God forever.
Let us Pray.
1
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed;
and all people shall see it together.
Isaiah 40.5
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
2 The Opening Canticle, A Song of Praise
God be gracious to us and bless us:
and make your face to shine upon us,
That your way may be known upon earth:
your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God:
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy:
for you judge the peoples with equity
and govern the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God:
let all the peoples praise you.
Then the earth will bring forth its increase:
and God, our own God, will bless us.
You, O God, will bless us:
and all the ends of the earth will fear you.
Psalm 67
3 The Opening Prayer
The day is now past, and the night is at hand.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence may be kept.
Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you as our evening sacrifice; make us a light for all the world,
delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen.
4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each.
Psalm 10
1Why do you stand far off, O Lord:
why do you hide your face in time of need?
2The ungodly in their pride persecute the poor:
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3For the ungodly boast of their heart’s desire:
they grasp at profit, they spurn and blaspheme the Lord.
4They say in their arrogance ‘God will not avenge:’
‘There is no God’ is all their thought.
5They are settled in all their ways:
your statutes, O Lord, are far above them,
and they do not see.
6They snort defiance at their enemies,
they say in their heart ‘I shall never be shaken:
I shall walk secure from anyone’s curse.’
7Their mouths are full of oppression and deceit:
mischief and wickedness lie under their tongue.
8They skulk about in the villages:
and secretly murder the innocent.
9Their eyes watch out for the helpless:
they lurk concealed like a lion in a thicket.
10They lie in wait to seize upon the poor:
they lay hold on the poor
and drag them off in their nets.
11The upright are crushed and humbled before them:
and the helpless fall into their power.
12They say in their heart ‘God has forgotten:
he has covered his face and sees nothing.’
13Arise, O Lord God, lift up your hand:
forget not the poor for ever.
14Why should the wicked spurn God:
why should they say in their heart ‘He will not avenge’?
15Surely you see the trouble and the sorrow:
you look on, and will take it into your own hands.
16The helpless commit themselves to you:
for you are the helper of the fatherless.
17Break the power of the ungodly:
search out their wickedness till it is found no more.
18The Lord is king for ever and ever:
the heathen have perished from his land.
19You have heard the longing of the meek, O Lord:
you turned your ear to their hearts’ desire,
20To help the poor and fatherless to their right:
that they may no more be terrified from their land.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
God of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed.
1st Reading
Isaiah 32.9-33.4
9Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice;
you complacent daughters, listen to my speech.
10In little more than a year
you will shudder, you complacent ones;
for the vintage will fail,
the fruit harvest will not come.
11Tremble, you women who are at ease,
shudder, you complacent ones;
strip, and make yourselves bare,
and put sackcloth on your loins.
12Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vine,
13for the soil of my people
growing up in thorns and briers;
yes, for all the joyous houses
in the jubilant city.
14For the palace will be forsaken,
the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watch-tower
will become dens for ever,
the joy of wild asses,
a pasture for flocks;
15until a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
17The effect of righteousness will be peace,
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever.
18My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.
19The forest will disappear completely,
and the city will be utterly laid low.
20Happy will you be who sow beside every stream,
who let the ox and the donkey range freely.
1Ah, you destroyer,
who yourself have not been destroyed;
you treacherous one,
with whom no one has dealt treacherously!
When you have ceased to destroy,
you will be destroyed;
and when you have stopped dealing treacherously,
you will be dealt with treacherously.
2O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.
3At the sound of tumult, peoples fled;
before your majesty, nations scattered.
4Spoil was gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
as locusts leap, they leapt upon it.
2nd Reading
John 3.22-36
22After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized.23John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized—24<<John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison.25Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew.26They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’27John answered, ‘No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.28You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.”29He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled.30He must increase, but I must decrease.’31The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all.32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony.33Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true.34He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.35The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands.36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.
The readings may be followed by a period of silence for reflection, a hymn or
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
7 The Canticle, The Song of Mary (Magnificat)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord:
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
Who has looked with favour on his lowly servant:
from this day all generations will call me blessed;
The Almighty has done great things for me:
and holy is his name.
God has mercy on those who fear him:
from generation to generation.
The Lord has shown strength with his arm:
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones:
and lifting up the lowly.
God has filled the hungry with good things:
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel:
to remember the promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears:
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 1.47–55
8 The Prayers
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
9 The Lord’s Prayer and the Collect of the Day
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Prayer of the Week
Almighty God,
you have shed upon us the light of your incarnate Word:
may this light, kindled in our hearts,
shine forth in our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
10 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
Let us pray
Almighty God, we thank you for your church and its place in our world and ask that you bless the whole church. Bless all clergy, and volunteers, with modern thinking and progressive plans to bring a safe and inclusive church into being throughout our country.
God of Grace. Hear our Prayer
Generous God, we ask that you show generosity by remembering the homeless, the destitute, the sick, the aged, and all who have none to care for them. Heal those who are broken in body or spirit and turn their sorrow into joy. Send people to minister to their needs in generous ways.
God of Grace Hear our prayer
Loving God, we ask your blessing for those listed on the Anglican cycle of prayer:
- The Diocese of Brandon – The Anglican Church of Canada
- The Diocese of Armidale:
- The Lakes Anglican Church:
- Anglicare SQ Community Aged & Disability, West (St George)
- Cannon Hill Anglican College
- All Parishes seeking new incumbents.
- All Anglican schools seeking new chaplains.
- All Prison ministry chaplaincy teams
God of Grace; Hear our prayer
11 The Evening Collect
Lighten our darkness, Lord, we pray:
and in your great mercy defend us
from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of your only Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
12
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
Amen.
2 Thessalonians 2.16–1
