Australian Daily Prayer

6th Friday of Easter

1
Through Christ let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
Hebrews 13:15
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 God's Grace
We have complete freedom:
to go into the most holy place by means of the death of Jesus
He opened for us a new way, a living way:
through the curtain, through his own body.
Since we have a great high priest
set over the household of God:
let us draw near with a sincere heart and a sure faith,
With hearts that have been made clean
from a guilty conscience:
and bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:19-22
3 The Opening Prayer
The night has passed and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence may be kept
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever. Amen.
4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each.
1  May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, 
   the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2  Send you help from his sanctuary 
   and strengthen you out of Zion;
3  Remember all your offerings 
   and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4  Grant you your heart’s desire 
   and fulfil all your mind.
5  May we rejoice in your salvation
      and triumph in the name of our God; 
   may the Lord perform all your petitions.
6  Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed; 
   he will answer him from his holy heaven,
      with the mighty strength of his right hand.
7  Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, 
   but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
8  They are brought down and fallen, 
   but we are risen and stand upright.
9  O Lord, save the king 
   and answer us when we call upon you.
1  Sing merrily to God our strength, 
   shout for joy to the God of Jacob.
2  Take up the song and sound the timbrel, 
   the tuneful lyre with the harp.
3  Blow the trumpet at the new moon, 
   as at the full moon, upon our solemn feast day.
4  For this is a statute for Israel, 
   a law of the God of Jacob,
5  The charge he laid on the people of Joseph, 
   when they came out of the land of Egypt.
6  I heard a voice I did not know, that said: 
   ‘I eased their shoulder from the burden;
      their hands were set free from bearing the load.
7  ‘You called upon me in trouble and I delivered you; 
   I answered you from the secret place of thunder
      and proved you at the waters of Meribah.
8  ‘Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: 
   O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9  ‘There shall be no strange god among you; 
   you shall not worship a foreign god.
10  ‘I am the Lord your God,
      who brought you up from the land of Egypt; 
   open your mouth wide and I shall fill it.’
11  But my people would not hear my voice 
   and Israel would not obey me.
12  So I sent them away in the stubbornness of their hearts, 
   and let them walk after their own counsels.
13  O that my people would listen to me, 
   that Israel would walk in my ways!
14  Then I should soon put down their enemies 
   and turn my hand against their adversaries.
15  Those who hate the Lord would be humbled before him, 
   and their punishment would last for ever.
16  But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat 
   and with honey from the rock would I satisfy them.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
Holy God, through your beloved Son you reconciled all things to yourself, making peace by the blood of his cross: fill us and those for whom we pray with your peace and joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed

Deuteronomy 29:2–15 (Listen)

1 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper2 in all that you do.

10 “You are standing today, all of you, before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes,3 your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, 12 so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today, 13 that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14 It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, 15 but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.

Footnotes

[1] 29:2 Ch 29:1 in Hebrew
[2] 29:9 Or deal wisely
[3] 29:10 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew your heads, your tribes

(ESV)

1 John 1–2:6 (Listen)

The Word of Life

1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our1 joy may be complete.

Walking in the Light

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Christ Our Advocate

2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Footnotes

[1] 1:4 Some manuscripts your

(ESV)

The reading 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, Saviour of the World
Jesus, Saviour of the world,
come to us in your mercy:
we look to you to save and help us.
By your cross and your life laid down,
you set your people free:
we look to you to save and help us.
When they were read to perish,
you saved your disciples:
we looked to you to come to our help.
In the greatness of your mercy,
loose us from our chains:
forgive the sins of all your people.
Make yourself known as our saviour
and mighty deliverer:
save and help us that we may praise you.
come now and dwell with us, Lord Christ Jesus:
hear our prayers and be with us always.
And when you come in your glory:
make us to be one with you
and to share the life of your kingdom.
8 The Apostles' Creed may be said
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
9 The Prayers
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
10 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.
Almighty and everlasting God,
we thank you for your servant N,
whom you called to bring the gospel
to the people of...(to the...people):
raise up in this and every land
evangelists and heralds of your loving reign,
so that the whole world may know
the unsearchable riches of our Saviour Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
O God, our heavenly Father,
who raised up your faithful servant N
to be a bishop in your Church
and to feed your flock:
give abundantly to all bishops and other pastors
the gifts of your Holy Spirit,
so that they may minister in your household
as true servants of Christ,
and stewards of your holy mysteries;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
11 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
12 The Morning Collect
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed; guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
13
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Peace be to us all, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ephesians 6:23
1
Peace to those who are far off.
Peace to those who are near.
Ephesians 2:17
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
2 The Opening Canticle, The Lord's Servant
He was despised; he was rejected:
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
As one from whom people hide their faces:
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Ours were the sufferings he bore:
ours the torments he endured,
While we thought he was being punished:
struck by God and brought low.
He was pierced for our sins:
bruised for no fault but ours.
His punishment has won our peace:
and by his wounds we are healed.
We had all strayed like sheep:
all taking our own way;
But the Lord laid on him:
the guilt of us all.
Isaiah 53:3-6
3 The Opening Prayer
The day is now passed 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
1  I will exalt you, O God my King, 
   and bless your name for ever and ever.
2  Every day will I bless you 
   and praise your name for ever and ever.
3  Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; 
   his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4  One generation shall praise your works to another 
   and declare your mighty acts.
5  They shall speak of the majesty of your glory, 
   and I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
6  They shall speak of the might of your marvellous acts, 
   and I will also tell of your greatness.
7  They shall pour forth the story of your abundant kindness 
   and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8  The Lord is gracious and merciful, 
   long-suffering and of great goodness.
9  The Lord is loving to everyone 
   and his mercy is over all his creatures.
10  All your works praise you, O Lord, 
   and your faithful servants bless you.
11  They tell of the glory of your kingdom 
   and speak of your mighty power,
12  To make known to all peoples your mighty acts 
   and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; 
   your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14  The Lord is sure in all his words 
   and faithful in all his deeds.
15  The Lord upholds all those who fall 
   and lifts up all those who are bowed down.
16  The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, 
   and you give them their food in due season.
17  You open wide your hand 
   and fill all things living with plenty.
18  The Lord is righteous in all his ways 
   and loving in all his works.
19  The Lord is near to those who call upon him, 
   to all who call upon him faithfully.
20  He fulfils the desire of those who fear him; 
   he hears their cry and saves them.
21  The Lord watches over those who love him, 
   but all the wicked shall he destroy.
22  My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, 
   and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
Holy Spirit, sanctifier, cleans us from all hypocrisy, unite us to one another in the bonds of peace and love, and confirm us in holiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed

Numbers 20:1–13 (Listen)

The Death of Miriam

20:1 And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.

The Waters of Meribah

Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them, and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

Moses Strikes the Rock

10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” 13 These are the waters of Meribah,1 where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy.

Footnotes

[1] 20:13 Meribah means quarreling

(ESV)

Luke 7:11–17 (Listen)

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

11 Soon afterward1 he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus2 gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Footnotes

[1] 7:11 Some manuscripts The next day
[2] 7:15 Greek he

(ESV)

The reading 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, A Song to the Lamb
You are worthy, our Lord and God:
to receive glory and honour and power.
For you have created all things:
and by your will they have their being.
You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain:
and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God:
and they will reign with you on earth.
To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honour and glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 4:11; 5:9b-10
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.
Almighty and everlasting God,
we thank you for your servant N,
whom you called to bring the gospel
to the people of...(to the...people):
raise up in this and every land
evangelists and heralds of your loving reign,
so that the whole world may know
the unsearchable riches of our Saviour Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
O God, our heavenly Father,
who raised up your faithful servant N
to be a bishop in your Church
and to feed your flock:
give abundantly to all bishops and other pastors
the gifts of your Holy Spirit,
so that they may minister in your household
as true servants of Christ,
and stewards of your holy mysteries;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
10 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
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 the God of all grace, who has called us to eternal glory in Christ, restore, establish, strengthen us. To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:10-11