Daily Anglican Prayer – Wednesday Morning – 20th May 2026 Readings NRSVUE: Psalm 48; Numbers 24.1-11; 1 Corinthians 12.14-31 . Led by Felicity Scott, an Anglican prayer minister in Queensland, Australia. The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website. https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com Welcome to Wednesday Morning prayer. We proclaim 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 With faithfulness we respond to the good news: We acknowledge Christ our Saviour and accept with gratitude, that we are forgiven for all wrong doings, past and present. To honour the gift of forgiveness, we release our burden of guilt and rise up to live in the glory of God forever more. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God forever. Let us Pray. 1 Rejoice always pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. 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 Blessed are you, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: For you have blessed us in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, You chose us to be yours in Christ, before the foundation of the world: That we should be holy and blameless before you. In love you destined us to be your children, through Jesus Christ: according to the purpose of your will, to the praise of your glorious grace: which you freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1.3-6 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. Psalm reading… Psalm 48; 5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow We consecrate this day to your service, O Lord; may all our thoughts, words, and actions be well-pleasing to you and serve the good of our brothers and sisters; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed. 1st Reading Numbers 24.1-11 1 Now Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens but set his face toward the wilderness. 2Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him, 3and he uttered his oracle, saying, “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, 4 the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down but with eyes uncovered: 5How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! 6 Like palm groves that stretch far away, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. 7 Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall have abundant water; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God, who brings him out of Egypt, is like the horns of a wild ox for him; he shall devour the nations that are his foes and break their bones. He shall strike with his arrows. 9 He crouched; he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.” 10Then Balak’s anger was kin-dled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but instead you have blessed them these three times. 11Now be off with you! Go home! I said, ‘I will reward you richly,’ but the LORD has denied you any reward.” Hear the word of the LORD. Thanks be to God 2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 12.14-31 14Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many members yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, 24whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work powerful deeds? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. Hear the message of Christ. Thanks be to God. 7 The Canticle, We praise you O God: we claim you as Lord. All creation thanks you: The Father everlasting. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven: The cherubim and serafim sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might: Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Father of majesty unbounded: Your true and only son, worthy of all praise, the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal son of the father. When you took our flesh to set us free: You humbly chose the virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death: And opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory: We believe that you will come to be our judge. Come then, God, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood: And bring us with your Saints to glory everlasting. 8 The belief and principle is said I believe in God, creator of heaven and earth, whose love and merciful forgiveness endures everlasting. I believe in Christ the saviour, whose example of love and compassion, taught us a restored way to live, in collaborative unity with all people. I believe in the Holy Spirit, whose divine guidance brings us together to be one with the Holy Trinity. Amen. 9 The Prayers Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. God 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. Prayer of the Week following the Seventh Sunday of EASTER O God, the king of glory, You have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ, with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: We pray you, leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to the same place, where our Saviour Christ, has gone before. Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one god forever and ever. Amen 11 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need. Let us pray Wednesday prayers Lord, we give you thanks, that through your son Jesus Christ, you have shown us the way to live in your righteousness. You made us in your likeness, you gave your only son Jesus Christ who gave us forgiveness of sin, bring us together as one, different in culture but given new life in Jesus Christ. Reconciled, forgiven, sharing you with others as you have called us to do. We pray for reconciliation with you God and reconciliation with each other and ask for strength to remain in your presence in all we do. Humbly, in faith we Pray – LORD hear our prayer Saviour God, we remember with love all those that have passed this week. We thank you for the faithfully departed and your servants in every age. We ask that our ancestors and all your saints may be brought to the joyful resurrection and the fulfilment of your glorious kingdom. Humbly, in faith we Pray – LORD hear our prayer God of justice, we know you seek out those who murder the innocent. We are not asking calmly for you to intervene, we are screaming for your involvement. Remove us we beseech you Lord, from this cold world of violent darkness. Bring us into the bright day. Hear our cries of anger as we remember the recent death of Kumanjayi (koo-man-jye-ii) Little Baby in Alice Springs and also all the other children before her who died in the same vein. We ask you to sternly steer child murderers away from thoughts of violent acts, to save our children from becoming their victims.
