Wednesday Evening Prayer – 29th November 2023

Wednesday Evening Prayer – 29th November 2023 Readings: Psalm 69. 17-38; Ecclesiastes 9.7–16; Revelation 12.1–6.

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 Wednesday Evening prayer from the Anglican ‘A prayer book for Australia’.

We share 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

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 69.17–38

¹⁷ Hear me, O Lord, as your loving-kindness is good:

turn to me, as your compassion is great.

¹⁸ Do not hide your face from your servant:

for I am in trouble—O be swift to answer me!

¹⁹ Draw near to me and redeem me:

O ransom me because of my enemies !

²⁰ You know all their taunts:

my adversaries are all in your sight.

²¹ Insults have broken my heart:

my shame and disgrace are past healing.

²² I looked for someone to have pity on me,

but there was no one:

for some to comfort me, but found none.

²³ They gave me poison for food:

and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

²⁴ Let their table become a snare:

and their sacrificial feasts a trap.

²⁵ Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see:

and make their loins shake continually.

²⁶ Pour out your wrath upon them:

and let your fierce anger overtake them.

²⁷ Let their camp be desolate:

and let no one dwell in their tents.

²⁸ For they persecute where you have stricken:

and multiply the pain of those whom you have wounded.

²⁹ Let them have punishment upon punishment:

let them not receive your forgiveness.

³⁰ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living:

let them not be written down among the righteous.]

³¹ As for me, I am poor and in misery:

O God, let your deliverance lift me up.

³² And I will praise the name of God in a song:

and glorify him with thanksgiving.

³³ And that will please the Lord more than an ox:

more than a bull with horns and cloven hoof.

³⁴ Consider this, you that are meek, and rejoice:

seek God, and let your heart be glad.

³⁵ For the Lord listens to the poor:

he does not despise his servants in captivity.

³⁶ Let the heavens and the earth praise him:

the seas and all that moves in them.

³⁷ For God will save Zion:

he will rebuild the cities of Judah.

³⁸ His people shall live there and possess it,

the seed of his servants shall inherit it:

and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

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

Ecclesiastes 9.7–16

⁷ Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. ⁸ Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. ⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. ¹¹ Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the skilful; but time and chance happen to them all. ¹² For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them. ¹³ I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed important to me. ¹⁴ There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege-works against it. ¹⁵ Now there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ So I said, ‘Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.’

2nd Reading

Revelation 12.1–6

¹ A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ² She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. ³ Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴ His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. ⁵ And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; ⁶ and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

 

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

Stir up, we pray you, O Lord,

the wills of your faithful people,

that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,

may by you be plenteously rewarded;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

10 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.

Almighty God, We thank you for your church and its place in our world and ask that you bless the whole church. Bless our bishops, ministers, parish ministry teams, and their volunteers and lay people, give us all courage to proclaim the good news of Christ in our schools, workplaces and homes.

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. Help us to minister to their needs in generous ways.

God of Grace Hear our prayer

 

God, we ask your blessing for the people listed on the Anglican cycle of prayer:

• The Diocese of Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands – The Church in the Province of the West Indies
• The Parish of Mundubbera-Eidsvold-Monto: the Visiting clergy
• Anglicare SQ St Bart’s Youth Accommodation (Nathaniel House)

• The southern Queensland prison ministry team

• Parishes seeking new incumbents.
• Anglican schools seeking new chaplains

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 2.16–17