A call to prayer: Cultural inclusion

This week we are called to prayer by our women who lead us each day in a prayer that is both filmed and written. From 18-25 June 2023 tune in for prayers on: openness to God, cultural inclusion, those suffering loss and grief, those under pressure to conform, women of Carey Baptist College, relationships, Baptist women in positions of leadership, and people who have ceased attending church.

Get daily Baptist NZ app notifications of these prayers by turning on the ‘Prayer or devotional content’ notification in app ‘settings’. Or follow along on Facebook. Please consider sharing these daily prayers on your local church Facebook pages.

Thank you to Baptist Women New Zealand who have called us to pray.

Today

Chris Beales-White, member of the Carey Baptist College board and Paraparaumu Baptist Church, prays for cultural inclusion. Listen to Chris pray in this video, or read the text below:

God of all nations,

We pray for our Baptist faith communities.

Thank you for the many different people you have placed in our faith communities. For the cultures, languages, identities and heritages.

It is your people that enrich our understanding and worship of you.

Lord we acknowledge that our churches have not always valued the diversity reflected in your people.

Forgive us for where our traditions and practices have excluded and limited the richness of the church you desire.

Help us to continue to navigate, learn from and be strengthened by Te Tiriti Hikoi, our bi-cultural journey together.

May this journey take us closer to your Kingdom here in Aotearoa.

We pray our Baptist faith communities would be spaces that all people can thrive, contribute and worship as their whole selves.

That your church in Aotearoa would be a glimpse of the picture in The Book of Revelation of the great multitude from nations, tribes, people and languages praising you.

Amen.