Prayers you and your church can use for National Reconciliation Week, 27 May – 3 June 2018.
Prayer for Indigenous Australians
Creator God, you made from one man all nations and determined where each should live.
We bring before you the indigenous people of Australia.
We acknowledge the history that has damaged the relationship between them and later arrivals to this land.
Thank you for the steps that have been taken on the journey towards reconciliation.
Deepen this process among us.
Guide national and community leaders to speak the truth in love, to seek justice with mercy and to care for those who are disadvantaged.
Strengthen indigenous church leaders to shepherd your flock faithfully, and strengthen all indigenous Christians to be salt and light in their communities and in the whole nation.
Give indigenous and non-indigenous believers grace to demonstrate the new family you are making in Christ out of people from every nation, tribe, language and people,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Common Prayer p79
Reconciliation Prayer
Holy Father, God of Love,
You are the Creator of this land and of all good things.
We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history
and the suffering of our peoples,
and we ask your forgiveness.
We thank you for the survival of indigenous cultures.
Our hope is in you because you gave your Son Jesus
to reconcile the world to you.
We pray for your strength and grace to forgive,
accept and love one another,
as you love us and forgive and accept us
in the sacrifice of your Son.
Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history
so that we may build a better future for our nation.
Teach us to respect all cultures.
Teach us to care for our land and waters.
Help us to share justly the resources of this land.
Help us to bring about spiritual and social change
to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities,
especially the disadvantaged.
Help young people to find true dignity and self esteem by your Spirit.
May your power and love be the foundations
on which we build our families, our communities and our nation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
This prayer prepared by Wontulp-Bi-Buya Indigenous Theology Working Group, 13 March 1997.
