Prayers for Worldwide Links

THE MOTHERS' UNION
SOUTHWARK WAVE OF PRAYER
11th - 15th AUGUST 2011
for the dioceses of

Aba, Calabar, Niger Delta North, Uyo (Nigeria), Butere (Kenya)
and Northern Territory (Australia)

Prayers are included for our Link Diocese of Oxford, and for our Anglican Link, Zimbabwe. 

(this service can be downloaded in pdf form by clicking here)      

Leader:  We meet in the name of God,
All:        Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Reading: Psalm 100

Confession 
Leader:  Psalm 51 v 1-4 
All:        Father, forgive us

Leader:  As we meet for this wave of prayer let us say the Mothers' Union prayer.

Loving Lord
We thank you for your love so freely given to us all.
We pray for families around the world.
Bless the work of the Mothers’ Union
as we seek to share your love through the encouragement, strengthening and support of marriage and family life.
Empowered by your Spirit, may we be united in prayer and worship,
and in love and service reach out as your hands across the world.
In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Leader: Heavenly Father, rejoicing in our differences and our diversity, we bring before you our thanksgivings and the needs of our diocese and our linked dioceses in the unity of your love. 

Aba is situated in the south east of Nigeria in the rain forest region with a population of more than one million, scattered over an area of 5,000 square miles.
We give thanks for the service of Bishop Ezuoke and the Diocesan President, Mrs Stella Ezuoke on their retirement, and pray for the next diocesan bishop and diocesan president. We also pray for Mrs Jane Chika Nwaogu and all the MU Workers.  We give thanks for their Mothers’ Union continued work with widows, orphans, the aged and destitute and ask a blessing on the gifts given out. 
We pray for the country situation with kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and many other vices against innocent citizens.  Give thanks that, despite these trials, the women have continued to press on and God has remained faithful.

Uyo in Nigeria is known as the Missionary Diocese.
We pray for Diocesan President Mrs Grace Orama, and MU Worker Mrs Furo Ojekwu and all MU members. We give thanks for the Efik language bibles and their ongoing distribution. We give thanks for training of girls in skills and ethics, the mothers of the future.  We pray for the work being done with children of the clergy who are seen as delinquent or wayward. We pray for the clergy fathers that they will build stronger and better relationships with their children.

Calabar in Nigeria, a diocese with 23 churches. 
We pray for the work of the MU under the guidance of their president Lady Dorothy Tunde-Adeleye.  We give thanks, Lord for the Mary Sumner Clinic, and pray for the ongoing work of the Girls' Guild and Girls' Brigade.

Niger Delta North in Nigeria with 80% of the churches in rural areas and 20% in the urban city of Port Harcourt.  We pray for Lady Franca Comfort Chinda, the Diocesan President, and for all the members and their work with those in need.

 Butere  is a small but heavily populated diocese in rural Kenya.
Our prayers are offered for Mrs Jesca Sande, Diocesan President, and the Rev’d Margaret Were, Mothers’ Union Worker. We give thanks for their encouraging letter and their proposed programme which emphasises the work they are doing in family relationships eg ‘Living with unsaved husbands’; ‘Sexuality at old age – menopause; ‘Mother/daughter-in-law relationship’.  God bless this work.

Zimbabwe: We pray for our friends in Zimbabwe and give thanks for the improved situation.  We pray for strength and hope for the clergy who are being persecuted.  We pray for wisdom for the leaders of the country and for protection for our Christian family seeking to show God’s love and compassion to all.

Africa: We give thanks for the joyful trust and thankfulness shown by our Christian brothers and sisters in often very difficult circumstances.  We pray for those suffering with HIV/AIDS.  We pray for those who mourn and the many young orphans.  We pray for the availability of medicine for all those in need of it.  God bless Africa.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Northern Territory covers one sixth of Australia with less than 1% of the nation's people.
We give thanks to Pam Powell for her six years as Diocesan President and welcome back again Robyn Pinkerton as DP. We give thanks and pray for the work done with the young mums-to-be through Anglicare who educate, support, and offer friendship. We pray for the MU support fund for indigenous women – education, health care and bibles for Aboriginal Australians.

Oxford Diocese  We pray for our MU neighbours and the work they do.

Southwark diocese covers the area between the south bank of the Thames, through the suburbs of London, the villages and towns of East Surrey, to the borders of Gatwick airport.
We give thanks and pray for Elizabeth Pullen, our Diocesan President, and our new Bishop Christopher.  Grant them wisdom and anoint them with your holy spirit. We give thanks and pray for the ongoing success of the Bye Buy Childhood campaign.  We pray for your blessing on families on holiday at this time through our Away From It All project. We give thanks for the love, fellowship and service of all our members.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Leader:  As members of a worldwide society, we bring our prayers and concerns for the world, to Jesus our Saviour and friend, confident that he will hear us.

Heavenly Father, you call people of every race and every age, every culture and every tradition, to share in prayer and fellowship; help us to become aware of the whole world, to take up the burdens of other people, and use our talents in the service of society, always working to your honour and glory, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy  Spirit.  Amen.

Leader: Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Saviour taught us.

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.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For the kingdom, the power, and  the glory, are yours, now and for ever.  Amen.

Leader: The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
Let the distant shores rejoice.  Psalm 97 v 1

We conclude our worship as we share the grace with one another.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all today and always. 
Amen.

Books used in compiling this sheet were: The Prayers we Breathe, Worldwide Voices, both published by the Mothers' Union, New Patterns for Worship published by Church House, and Prayers for worship by Bill Hughes.