World in Prayer

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, October 11, 2018

(Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer, Prayers of the People Form VI)

In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

Silence

For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.

For this community, the nation, and the world; for the victims of Hurricane Michael in the United States; for all of the participants in the #MeToo movement, which is erupting in India;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation; for scientists, doctors, and nurses; for those who are grieving; for those who are marrying or divorcing; for those celebrating a new birth;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression,

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble, especially those in China‘s Xingiang region, where camps have been legalized to “re-educate” Muslim Uighurs;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

For peace and unity, especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church, as a Ukrainian sect seeks to separate from Russia;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.

For bishops and other ministers; for priests and preachers; for rabbis and imams;
For all who serve God in his Church.

For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.

Silence

(The People may add their own petitions)

Hear us, Lord;

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.

Silence

(The People may add their own thanksgivings)

We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.

We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in
your eternal kingdom.

Silence

(The People may add their own petitions)

Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon each of us;
We put our trust in you, for your mercy is great. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer, Thursday, October 4, 2018

Holy One,

Shape our prayers to the Gospel of Your Son. Teach us to see as you see and to feel as you feel. This is our prayer.

This day and each day, we lift up our prayers for each and every person who needs to see you in their lives and to feel your presence around them. We pray for hope in the midst of everything that goes on around us. We pray for the faith that when we, all Your people of every background, come together, good things can happen. This is our prayer.

We pray for the survivors of the plane crash last week near an island runway in Micronesia, we are grateful for their lives. And we pray for the one person who was killed, as we mourn this loss. May all who are affected find comfort in Your loving arms.

May we remember that each member of your divine design, no matter how far away, is connected to each of us as a sibling through Your love. This is our prayer.

We pray for the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi, Indonesia, where thousands were injured and more than 70,000 were displaced. We pray for the thousands who were killed and mourn these losses. May all who are affected find strength and be given help as their lives are now so drastically changed. May we offer what we can to show them that they are never alone, especially when dealing with such great loss. This is our prayer.

We pray for the survivors of sexual assault around the world whose voices are silenced, who are too afraid to speak up, who have been told they ‘asked for it.’ May they reclaim their voice and find strength to release themselves from any burdens of shame or guilt.

As the hearings for Brett Kavanaugh took place this past week in the United States and deliberations for his vote into the Supreme Court are about to take place, shine Your light on the decision makers that they may be guided by Your love. May we be emboldened to fight against ingrained attitudes of oppression and dominance as we work toward a more just world. This is our prayer.

We pray for communities that come together, like the Kudumbashree, the all-female volunteers in Kerala, India, who have volunteered hours of their time every day to clean up their neighborhoods and towns since the catastrophic flooding in August. May they accomplish even more than their wildest dreams. May we be inspired to work together for the good of all of your creation. This is our prayer.

As we long to see your reign here on Earth, give us the endurance and loving hearts to do Your work as we await that day. This is our prayer. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 27 September 2018

What are we that you are mindful of us?
You made us a little lower than the heavenly beings,
and crowned us with glory and honor.
You made us ruler over the works of your hands;
You put everything under our feet
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is our name in all the Earth.”
(Psalm 8:4-9, slightly altered)

O Lord, our Lord, it is true: how majestic is your name in all the Earth. It is true that all over the Earth people praise you, worship you, serve you, follow you, believe in you.

Our sorrow is that we fail you so often, in so many ways. In our humility we do sometimes wonder how you could have entrusted your precious creation to us. We have taken seriously that we are just a bit below the angels, that we are rulers over all, that everything is under our feet. We have not taken seriously the responsibility, the stewardship, the leadership, the sacrifice that comes with such honor.

Holy God, we remember the six days of creation: all of life, all of nature, all of grandeur, all of the universe, all of humanity. And it was good, you said over and over again. What hopes you had for it all.

Today, we bring forth our sorrows and failures. Lord, in your mercy remember what we forget: the horrors of war in Yemen, the threatening crisis in Ibdil, Syria, the remaining casualties of floods and storms across the United States from this year and last, the bewildering treatment of Muslims and Christians in China, the disregard for women in places high and low, the loss of freedoms near and far, the neglect and disrespect of our environment, the crumbling of economies and infrastructure and work itself.

All this we grieve.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayers that floods recede, waters be cleansed, nations healed, rights restored, ruins rebuilt, Earth honored, life treasured, people respected, faith deepened, and love multiplied.

Loving God, we do not despair. We see the courage of peace-keepers, whistle-blowers, rescuers, volunteers, protesters, prisoners of conscience, people of good will, and leaders with vision.

Thank you, God, for being mindful of us, for allowing us to rule over the works of your hands. May we be equal to such honor. Amen.

Editor’s Note: We apologize to our subscribers that our weekly email did not go out last week. We believe the problem has been fixed, so weekly emails should return to normal as of this posting.

World News This Week in Prayer, Thursday, September 20, 2018

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” – 1 Corinthians 11:26

We come before you today, O God,
a mixture of emotions,
with a plethora of experiences.
Guide our hearts as we look on this world in which we live,
so that we might see it through your eyes.

All-too-often, we focus on the negative.
We focus on the death, not on the resurrection.
We see the brokenness.
Shattered, fragmented, torn-asunder lives.
And, rest assured, there is pain.
Grief, fear, anxiety…they are all VERY real.
There is no denying that we are a broken and hurting people;
living in a broken and hurting world.

Hurricanes and tropical storms wreak havoc around the world,
floods have killed over 100 in Nigeria,
Zimbabwe has declared a cholera emergency,
women and girls are attacked, mistreated, and abused,
needles have been found in strawberries in Australia,
and relationships suffer around the globe.

And yet, we are called to live abundant lives. (John 10:10)
We are promised that God’s kingdom is not only coming,
it is already in our midst. (Luke 17:21)
There are reasons to celebrate,
children are being born into loving homes,
teachers are transforming lives and guiding young minds,
people, young and old, are coming to a deeper relationship with God,
a 9-year-old girl in foster care celebrates one year with the same parents
(for the first time in her life).

Transform us, Holy One, ever more into who you have created us to be.
Open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds
so that we may be agents of transformation in this world,
shining the light of your love into the darkness around us.
Remind us, we pray, that the darkness has never overcome the light. (John 1:5)

World News This Week in Prayer, Thursday, September 13, 2018

“So we can say with confidence, with boldness, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’ ” Hebrews 12:6

Precious Lord, take my hand,

Lead me on, let me stand,

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.

Through the storm, through the night,

Lead me on to the light.

Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

Words and music: Thomas Dorsey Tune: PRECIOUS LORD

Precious Lord, around and about this incredible world of yours, your children are being threatened by the forces of nature: in the southeastern United States by Hurricane Florence; in the Philippines and Hong Kong by Typhoon Mangkhut; in Hawaii by Tropical Storm Olivia. And our overwhelming response is fear, as we worry about the impending damage from wind and rain.. Uplift us, Loving God. Fill us with the confidence that whatever befalls, you are with us. God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.

God of Peace, around and about this hurting world of yours, your children are threatened by ongoing wars and their sequelae. News of massive military drills being held by Russia and China; air strikes in rebel-held Idlib province in Syria by the Syrian government and the suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, resulting in 68 dead and 165 injured bring worry and suffering. The crackdown in China against minority Muslim groups, especially the Uyghurs, with tens of thousands being sent to political re-education camps causes deep concern and grief. And our overwhelming response is a sense of helplessness, as we see ourselves as unable to make a difference. Uplift these, your own, Loving God. Fill them with confidence and hope that whatever befalls, you are with them and our loving concern supports them. God of courage and hope, hear our prayer.

God of Compassion and Justice, around and about this wonderful world of yours, your children are reaching out to one another in love and daring which we celebrate: Harper Nielson, the 9-year-old Australian schoolgirl, daring to protest her perceived injustice of the national anthem; Elissa Montanti of Staten Island, New York, founding an organization, Global Medical Relief Fund, to bring children injured in war or by natural disasters to the United States for medical care unavailable to them in their home countries; the courage of the Supreme Court of India for their landmark decision to legalize and decriminalize consensual gay sex. Uplift them all, Loving God. Fill them and us with a sense of justice which gives us courage to stand up for what is right. God of all people, hear our prayer.

When our way grows drear,

precious Lord, linger near,

when our lives are almost gone,

hear our cry, hear our call,

hold our hands lest we fall,

Take our hands, precious Lord, lead us home. Amen and amen

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, September 6, 2018

Do not fear, for I am with you,

do not be afraid, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

For I, the Lord your God,

hold your right hand;

it is I who say to you,

“Do not fear, I will help you.”

Isaiah 41:10, 13 (NSRV)

God of Comfort, each of your children come to you with unique hearts and minds and experiences and of every feeling imaginable. While we may not know the feelings and experiences of those near or far, you know what lies in every heart. We ask that you rest your comforting hand on each of your children.

God of Strength, lift up those who can hardly carry on. We pray for the refugees on the Island of Lesbos, Greece who suffer under horrendous conditions in the Moria Migrant Center. We pray especially for the children who do not have the strength or will to live any longer, who are attempting suicide wishing to leave the burdens of earthly life. May your hand of comfort lift them up. Give them your mighty strength.

God of Presence, be with those in Japan who have experienced a terrible typhoon. As your people experience this destruction, be with those who have lost loved ones and with the injured. May your healing presence and abundant love be made known. Help us to understand that your presence is so necessary in every human life: in typhoons and other natural disasters, in a hospital room or hospice, in broken relationships and among defeated souls.

God of Help, at times the lives of your people and the things they care about completely fall apart. Be with the people of Brazil who have lost years of history after the fire at the National Museum of Brazil destroyed over ninety percent of the collection in Rio de Janeiro. As priceless pieces and singular specimens are utterly gone and with the research, work and livelihood of so many upended we ask for comfort as they mourn and try to understand this great loss.

God of Hope, we ask that you sustain the people of Venezuela as rampant inflation continues, that they might know stability and peace. While hope might seem distant, lift up those who have had to live under extreme poverty, increasing crime and daily hunger.

God of Life, be with those in Syria as battles loom imperiling more lives. We ask that you protect all who are in harm’s way. Sustain your people as they face the loss of loved ones and destruction of their communities. End the suffering and may the blessings in life prevail as talks of rebuilding begin.

God of comfort and strength, of presence and help, of hope and life, be with your people around the world and in all the ways needed whether it is to receive comfort or rejoice in new seasons of life. May each of your children know your loving hand. While others might hurt or harm, help us to know that your victorious hand will never harm and will always offer hope.

May your words “Do not fear, I will help you” continually ring as an anthem of hope in our lives.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – 30 August 2018

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Psalm 13:1-2 (NRSV)

How long, O Lord?
Our hearts and souls echo the cry of the Psalmist.
Around the world and in our communities, people hurt one another in countless ways.
Clergy, teachers, business leaders, and seemingly countless others abuse their power, resulting in the deep suffering of communities, our fellow humans, and even you, O God.
We pray for all victims of abuse at the hands of clergy and religious leaders.
We pray for the Rohingya of Myanmar who have face what the UN Secretary General called “horrendous persecution.”

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
Psalm 13:3-4 (NRSV)

So much of the news we hear, O God, shakes us to our core. It seems like no matter where we turn we find brokenness, pain, and heartache. We pray for men, women, and children experiencing homelessness, who don’t have many of their basic needs met. We pray for those affected, and the families of those killed, by earthquakes in Venezuela and Iran. We pray for the flora and fauna of our world, as hundreds of sea turtles have been found dead off the coast of Mexico after being caught in an illegal fishing net. We pray for the thousands fleeing flooding after a dam burst in Myanmar.

But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 13:5-6 (NRSV)

God, we lift our hearts and our voices to you.
We give you praise, because in the midst of our fear and brokenness, there are glimpses of your presence and your love:

Cartoon artists who are challenging stereotypes by depicting female superheroes who are also Muslim.
Children who are growing, learning, and finding their voices as they try to create a more just and loving world.

We pray for the government and parents in China, as they debate removing the limits on family size.

Simple acts of kindness, often unnoticed by the crowds, bring light and hope into the world. Let us never forget, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5 NRSV)

Help us, O God, to focus on the light of your love.
Help us to believe Jesus’ promise of abundant life.
And, help us to lift our voices to you in praise, for you have dealt bountifully with us.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 23, 2018

God of compassion

God of green earth and snow
God of darkness
And illumination
God of new things
And of things torn apart
God of waters and maker of dry land
God of tender souls clinging
God in this moment and across all sunrises and the universe

Help us to understand our place in this troubled world, this vast and complex mystery. We ask for a deepening of our caring for our neighbor.

Be with the people of Kerala, India, with nearly 800,000 living in 4,000 emergency relief camps. Sustain them as monsoons continue to cause massive flooding, landslides, and strain resources. Be with rescue teams as they move people to safety. Support community leaders as they discern where to turn their attention in this catastrophe – to straining dams, deforested areas, impassable roads and railways. Comfort those who mourn the over 350 dead and missing.

Bring comfort to the people of Ghazni, Afghanistan, under siege as war continues. Be with those fleeing, those in harm’s way and those unable to leave. Have mercy on the suffering and be with those who have lost over 400 loved ones. Comfort those in the Shia neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi who mourn the 34 people killed in a suicide bomb attack in front of the education center in Kabul. Bring relief to the injured and those who mourn as a cease-fire offer receives further rocket launches, killings and abductions.

Come Holy Spirit, walk the streets of Pacaraima, Brazil, as residents are attacking migrant encampments of people fleeing Venezuela. Open the borders of our hearts to recognition of the universal need for a home.

Care for your people in Indonesia and especially on the quaking island of Lombok. Landslides, unstable and stressed buildings, people moved to living in tents, so much loss in this catastrophe. We ask for your compassion for those who mourn for the dead, 436 and rising. Sustain the hearts and hands of those who rescue and tend.

Teach us to love in powerful ways, in earnest ways that speak out against malice, prejudice and injustice. Bring wisdom, right action and compassion during the unprecedented worldwide displacement of over 68.5 million people. Protect and sustain the 44,000 people newly displaced today and each day around the world. Open the hearts of those who want to deny refugees a place of safety – in the US, for example, where President Trump’s administration is rumored to be considering a second sharp reduction in the number of refugees who can be resettled in the country.

Be with the people of Assam, India, as their leaders sort citizens from non-citizens. Help us to grow in humanity, called insaniyat in Hindi.

Sustain the teams who courageously work at the wildfire front lines day and night, with nearly 2 million acres burning in the US and 2,500 hectares in Canada, with yet more fires around the world, from The Great Dividing Range, Australia, to the coast of Greece. Comfort those who flee waiting to return uncertain of what they will find. Bring strength to those involved in the longer-term care, as overwhelming anxiety and grief is sorted and sense made of loss. Protect the wildlife. Protect us all from the consequences of the ashes spreading through the atmosphere, even to places distant from the fires themselves.

Holy Spirit come beside us. May we speak words that offer dignity and R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Inspire us even in these times of dread to make a joyful noise and walk in your light.

God of Love
God of fields and harvests
Of clouds, rivers and forests
God of night
And of broad noonday
God of the broken, sick and near death
God of the healed
God in this moment and across all sunsets and the universe
We call to you with these prayers for the people.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 16, 2018

God, today is one of those days when it is hard to pray. One of the days when life feels so overwhelming that shutting down might seem like the best option. And on days like today, we have this community of prayer that lifts us up. Right now, we pray for each one reading this prayer right now, each one hearing this prayer right now, and each one needing prayer right now. Although we may be unknown to each other, we are known to you, O God of all people.

Whatever our daily lives may bring, it can be easy for us to get caught up in ourselves and forget You and Your beloved children. We often look past the struggles of others and choose frustration rather than empathy. We often see one another as competition rather than brothers and sisters. Help us to really see, and know, each other – that we may feel our connection to You and to Your world more and more each day, we pray.

Holy One, we lift up our prayers for your Divine creation all over the world:

For the 48 people who have been killed and the 67 who were injured in the suicide bomb explosion at an education center in Kabul, Afghanistan.
For the 39 victims of a collapsed bridge in Genoa, Italy, and the survivors of the 40 vehicles that fell 45m (148′) in Tuesday’s collapse.
For the thousands of victims of the abuse by more than 300 priests accused of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania, USA, over several decades.
For the 47 or more people who overdosed on synthetic marijuana, or K2, in New Haven, CT, USA on Wednesday.
For the more than 21 victims of the boat carrying school children that sank crossing a flooded area near the Nile River in Sudan, Africa.
For the more than 100 people thought to be dead in devastating monsoon floods in India – the worst in almost a century.

Comfort those experiencing grief and loss. Relieve those who are suffering. Bring strength to those who are hospitalized, confined to homes, or undergoing tests. We pray the day when we all recognize that no matter where we are from in the world, what we look like, or what we believe, we are bound together as one human family.

Eternal God, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are sustained, although we know You are always with us, on the days when it is hard to pray for ourselves, on the days when Your love may feel a little further from us, may we be lifted up by our sisters and brothers, who You have created for this very purpose. And on the days when we feel strong, may we be moved to honor Your creation with our thoughts, prayers, and actions.

We ask all of these things in Your many Holy names. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, August 8, 2018

Holy One,
our lives push us forward each day, distracting and distressing us. We move through the motions and meet the demands laid out before us. We have many priorities and not enough time. We make decision after decision that pulls our attention away from you. Yet, you are here. We declare this; we believe this. You are here, among us, within us, around us. You are the One who is Word Made Flesh, God with Us, True Light from True Light, the One who will not let us go, no matter how far we might flee from your presence. We cannot ascend to heights, dive to depths, lie down or rise up without your wings enfolding us.

And so, as we come to our prayers, we prepare once more to turn our thoughts, our attention, our lives back to the Creation which you so lovingly shaped and in which you so graciously dwell. We turn our attention back to you, to see this world with your eyes, to love with your heart, to work with your hands for the presence of your Kin-dom on earth.
We pray for the people and all creatures in earthquake-striken Indonesia, as aftershocks grip the region. We also remember the sites of past natural disasters, like Puerto Rico and Pakistan. Wherever nature unleashes deadly force, we pray that relief might come swiftly, aid might be distributed fairly, and all who all those struggling with loss and might find that they are surrounded by love and provision.

We pray for the families of the children who have been killed in a brutal school bus attack in Yemen. We also remember the nearly 10,000 who have died in the civil war thus far.
We pray for the people and creatures caught in the whirlpool of violence along the Gaza-Israel border, as new rockets have been fired in the past week. We pray for the families of those who have had someone killed in recent months, including the 1 Israeli soldier and the more than 150 Palestinians. Wherever there is violence, break into the chaos, O Lord. Shatter the grip of hate, unlock the cords of fear, blind us with your light and give us the chance to see each other again with your vision of mercy and peace.

We pray for those struggling with a heat wave across Europe and drought across Australia. May communities look out for each other and may we more fully and wholly steward your Creation. Wherever climate change is being felt more radically, show us how to care for each other and for your creatures. Open our eyes to the resources you have given us. Embolden, empower, and enable our political leaders, our business leaders, and our selves to care more fully for your Creation.

We pray for those who wait and watch and weep this night, this day, and in the hours in-between. We remember those who struggle silently with illness, whether it is mental or physical or emotional. We pray for those who seek your face to shine upon them. In all these things, we rejoice that you draw near us. No matter where we are, no matter what we do, we are your children. May we hold this truth close to our heart, close to our day.
In your most steadfast, gracious, and holy name, AMEN.

This Week’s Prayer

God of compassion