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This Week’s Prayer

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 21 February 2019

[Italics are quotes from “Ella’s Song” by Sweet Honey in the Rock.]

We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Almighty God, we pray for all who fear for their lives around the globe, living in war-torn areas, living in fear of terrorism, and living under oppressive governments, including:

  • the civilians in Baghuz, Syria that have been evacuated from the area occupied by the Islamic State, and for as many as 200 men, women, and children that may still be there.
  • the people of Haiti, where political unrest has led to destruction and death, including a young boy, Roberto Journal, who was unarmed, following his mother’s instructions, and allegedly killed by a police officer.

May we all be moved to work for change and toward safety for all of our neighbors in all areas of the world.

Until the killing of black men, black mother’s sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers’ sons,
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Holy One, we lift up all survivors of sexual abuse, especially as we are so often reminded in the news of the growing tide of sexual abuse scandals involving priests around the world. We pray this day for:

  • all students from the religious Antonio Provolo Institute for the Deaf in Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina, where one of the worst cases yet among the global abuse scandals has been uncovered.
  • all youth who have recently come forward as victims of the devastating sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse they suffered within the Community of St. John in Switzerland.

May they each be comforted by Your peace and strength, and may they find the courage to speak out.

To me young people come first;
They have the courage where we fail,
And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale,
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Compassionate God, while the economics and morals of oil production and distribution are complicated, we all mourn when we see an entire country’s economy in such jeopardy that its people are starving:

  • in Venezuela, where sanctions from the United States have accelerated the unprecedented collapse of its oil output and set off a domino where millions of people are unable to get basic supplies, leading to starvation and illness.
  • in Iran, where sanctions from the United States are choking its entire economy and hurting its people, even those who have nothing to do with its ballistic missile program.

May we look beyond our own agenda and see that when Your people hurt, we all hurt.

Struggling myself don’t mean a whole lot; I’ve come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives;
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Loving God, we pray for those affected by political and racial discord as fighting over the United States-Mexico border wall intensifies and tensions increase:

  • for those fleeing danger to come to the United States hoping to be safe; for the undocumented immigrants who still are not reunited with their families; and for all those who are facing persecution because of their immigration status.
  • for the government officials involved in decision making, that they be guided by love, and therefore guided by You.

May we learn to solve crises with love instead of with hatred.

Not needing to clutch for power,
Not needing the light just to shine on me;
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny;
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

May Your Holy Spirit guide us into becoming partners with You in this world’s transformation as we who believe in freedom are transformed into agents of Your justice, mercy, and love. Amen.

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World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 21 February 2019

[Italics are quotes from “Ella’s Song” by Sweet Honey in the Rock.]

We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Almighty God, we pray for all who fear for their lives around the globe, living in war-torn areas, living in fear of terrorism, and living under oppressive governments, including:

  • the civilians in Baghuz, Syria that have been evacuated from the area occupied by the Islamic State, and for as many as 200 men, women, and children that may still be there.
  • the people of Haiti, where political unrest has led to destruction and death, including a young boy, Roberto Journal, who was unarmed, following his mother’s instructions, and allegedly killed by a police officer.

May we all be moved to work for change and toward safety for all of our neighbors in all areas of the world.

Until the killing of black men, black mother’s sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers’ sons,
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Holy One, we lift up all survivors of sexual abuse, especially as we are so often reminded in the news of the growing tide of sexual abuse scandals involving priests around the world. We pray this day for:

  • all students from the religious Antonio Provolo Institute for the Deaf in Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina, where one of the worst cases yet among the global abuse scandals has been uncovered.
  • all youth who have recently come forward as victims of the devastating sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse they suffered within the Community of St. John in Switzerland.

May they each be comforted by Your peace and strength, and may they find the courage to speak out.

To me young people come first;
They have the courage where we fail,
And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale,
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Compassionate God, while the economics and morals of oil production and distribution are complicated, we all mourn when we see an entire country’s economy in such jeopardy that its people are starving:

  • in Venezuela, where sanctions from the United States have accelerated the unprecedented collapse of its oil output and set off a domino where millions of people are unable to get basic supplies, leading to starvation and illness.
  • in Iran, where sanctions from the United States are choking its entire economy and hurting its people, even those who have nothing to do with its ballistic missile program.

May we look beyond our own agenda and see that when Your people hurt, we all hurt.

Struggling myself don’t mean a whole lot; I’ve come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives;
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Loving God, we pray for those affected by political and racial discord as fighting over the United States-Mexico border wall intensifies and tensions increase:

  • for those fleeing danger to come to the United States hoping to be safe; for the undocumented immigrants who still are not reunited with their families; and for all those who are facing persecution because of their immigration status.
  • for the government officials involved in decision making, that they be guided by love, and therefore guided by You.

May we learn to solve crises with love instead of with hatred.

Not needing to clutch for power,
Not needing the light just to shine on me;
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny;
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

May Your Holy Spirit guide us into becoming partners with You in this world’s transformation as we who believe in freedom are transformed into agents of Your justice, mercy, and love. Amen.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News in Prayer – Thursday, 14th February 2019

Creator God,

It doesn’t seem enough to say we thank you for the beauty of your creation.  When we think of all that happened from the growth of our planet, its place in the solar system and the most we can say is “thanks”.  You know the gratitude of our hearts, the deep meaning we want to place on these words, you accept and understand.   Thank you, our God.

 

This week Lord, the doomsayers have been out in force: the increasing loss of the icecaps and glaciers; the effect of insecticides, even those long banned, on all insects; the threat to wildlife from dogs and domestic cats turned feral.  Then a sliver of good news: NASA satellite data shows an increase in leaf area on plants and trees across the amazon; India and China are planting major areas with trees.

 

This week, a teenager in Ohio, USA has used technology to research vaccinations and has now received them.   Teenagers in Bristol, England have researched the bus boycott of 1963 and discovered their missing history.  For the power of the internet for good we give thanks.

 

This week, emergency supplies pile up and rot in Hudayah, Yemen and on the Columbia / Venezuela border, we pray that warring politicians will see the harm they do in power struggles and the power of the internet will become good for their countries.

 

This week as more warnings about dams holding toxic sludge emerge and other industrial mining problems become widely known we pray for the people of Brazil and the open cast mining areas  of Appalachia, USA.

 

This week, Lord, help us to understand what we have done to our planet and how we need to make changes in our lives.   Wild fires have burned across Tasmania, Australia and New Zealand; the effects of last autumn’s fires still devastate lives across California, USA; floods across Chile and Northern Australia; from Cincinnati to California, USA we recognise the multiple environmental crisis across the world.

 

We give thanks for the many small steps being taken by individuals and groups across the world to highlight and tackle this. Machynlleth, Wales has become the first town in Wales to declare a “climate emergency”, following the example of others globally. It is focussing on measures to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint. Villagers in Jenjarom, Malaysia  are fighting to have the government close illegal factories dealing with Western rubbish poisoning their land, water and air.

 

The heavens declare your glory, God.  Help us rediscover the sacred in our world and environment which you have made so we “touch the earth lightly”*.

Thank you for hearing our prayer and for your answers.

Amen

 

*”Touch the Earth lightly” – (New Zealand), Lyrics: Shirley Erena Murray   Music: Tenderness – Colin Gibson

© 1992 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, February 7, 2019

Holy One,

We pray to see the world as you see it.

We pray to have our hearts rejoice with what delights you.

We pray to have our hearts break with what grieves you.

The world has wonder, but also pain. When our spirits are full of tumult and questions, we turn to you. You gather in all that we spill out. You hold all that we cannot grasp. We have so many emotions, you sit with us and we rest in your presence.

Loving Lord, gather us in. Gather us in as you do with all your children.

Gather in your children who are living with the rising unrest in Venezuela, who seek economic and political security, who worry about the next days food. Hold each and all of those who live in trepidation and instability around the world.

Gather in your children who are dealing with political frustration in Britain and France, as well as many other countries. Where a select few make decisions for a great many, offer a new vision that might lead to the flourishing of all citizens.

Gather in your children who live amid horrendous violence in Syria and Yemen. Where we see conflict that seems like an indiscriminate mess, you see each person who cries out for a home, for a safe place to rest their head, feed the hungry and for peace that will let them raise their young ones without fear.

Gather in your children who are hurt by racism and systems of oppression in the United States, particularly after the exposure of some Virginia, politicians’ past decisions and behaviors. When we mock an entire group of people and ignore history for the sake of frivolity, you see beautiful people, worthy of attention and the need for tough and honest conversations about racism, the need to build meaningful relationships through the work of justice. Show us the way.

Gather in your children who live in habitats filled with crisis, including those living in the aftermath of the 2018 California, USA fires and in Australia with its extreme heat and extensive brush fires. Bring to fruit in us a deeper understanding of your Creation, that we might be stewards of its resources and understand and address climate change in the same spirit, as you love this world.

Gather in your children who worry about where their next meal is coming from, how they will pay the bills. Gather in your children who wait for the doctor’s call or the test result or exam grade. Gather in the many whose wellbeing is always at risk and seems to hang in the balance.

Gather all of us.

We need your light, your love, and abiding grace.

Gather us, each one into your arms, all day, each day, until the last day.

Amen.

 

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News This Week in Prayer – January 31, 2019

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver,
until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.  ~ Malachi 3:2-3

Day after day, O God, we call to you for change and redemption in our broken world.  But Malachi reminds us that often change and redemption must begin with us, in the refining and purifying of our own lives and our own habits.  As we look at the news across the world this week, help us to see our own shortcoming reflected in the stories we read:

  • Remind us of the consequences of our abuse of the earth and our desire for lifestyles of convenience at the expense of your creation as freezing temperatures in the United States and record heat in Australia cause the deaths of people and animals.
  • Remind us of our responsibility to each other as unrest in Venezuela and Zimbabwe continues to disproportionately hurt vulnerable populations like women and those experiencing poverty.
  • Remind us of the effects of our desire for power and control as we watch millions of your children suffer in war-torn countries like Yemen, Syria, and South Sudan, where daily suffering is too often and too easily ignored.
  • Remind us of our power to effect change in our political systems, even as we watch with weary eyes as Brexit conflict continues in the United Kingdom, hateful and incendiary language continues to pour from government leaders in the United States, and countries around the world continue the trend of turning inward and denying their duty to care for the last and least of those you created and love.

Be with us, Holy One, as we look at the mirror that shows us who we truly are, facing with boldness the role that our sin plays in the suffering of our world and even our own friends and families.  Remind us that we can face our sinful selves without fear because we know that your purifying and refining grace have worked and will continue to work in each of us, transforming us into the people you call us to be so that we, in turn, might participate in your great mission of transforming the world.  Teach us to pray with deep conviction and purpose, God of love and redemption, so that we might learn that, in the words of Mother Theresa, “prayer changes us, and we change things.”

Amen.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News This Week in Prayer – Thurs., January 24, 2019

Heavenly Father, we find ourselves in abundance. We feel great sadness but also great love in our world. We worry about those who feel forgotten; we worry about the people who tell stories of persecution because their difference is seen as criminal. We turn to you, Holy Creator, to free us from worry and to bless our hurting neighbors with abundant kindness.

We pray for the political leadership in the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. May their citizens may be led out of turmoil and towards harmony.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for those who are at the beginning: those who are starting new jobs, those who are moving, and those who are welcoming new children.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for the unemployed and the unpaid.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for families: couples who are marrying, women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, couples who are divorcing, the caregivers, and the ones needing care.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for all who work for justice and for all who seek the truth.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for the people improving our communities: the blood, bone marrow, and organ donors; the educators; the volunteers; and the funders.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for the people who feed us: the hands in the fields and on the farms, the hands that package and test foods, and the hands that cook meals.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for those working in health care and for those in their care, for the hungry and the obese, for the disabled, and for those who are healing.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for all people making difficult choices.
Bless them, O Lord.

We pray for those who are at the end: the coming home, the graduating, the retiring, the grieving, and the dying.
Bless them, O Lord.

We thank you for the abundance of grace you give to each of us so that we may give grace to the world.
Bless us, O Lord. Amen.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, January 17, 2019

As the words of the Spirit echo in our ears,
“You are my child, my beloved.”
“You bring me delight and joy.”

The news of the week shakes us back to reality,
the world is not as it could be,
the heavenly kingdom struggles to break forth.

Grant us courage in the face of our challenges, Ever-present God.
Help us to mount up with the wings of eagles.
Sustain us, that we may run without wearying.

Show us how to support our neighbors impacted by the government shutdown in the United States,
many of whom are required to work, without receiving their pay.
As the days drag on, and the bills mount, guide us to open our hearts, and hands to support one another.

Be present, Giver of Comfort, with the families of those killed in the siege in Nairobi, Kenya.
Bring peace in the lives of those impacted by the attack, and those who responded to give aid.
Work in all of our hearts to bring about a more peaceful world, we pray.

We pray for leadership in Parliament in the United Kingdom,
as confidence is shaken, and the way forward is uncertain.
May your spirit guide decision-making for the good of all people.

Send your spirit, like a dove, to descend on all who are anxious, we pray:
our neighbors in Mexico struggling with shortages of gasoline,
our neighbors in Australia where nearly 40 suspicious packages have been sent to consulates and embassies,
our neighbors struggling in their relationships,
our neighbors suffering with cancer, diabetes, and a myriad of other illnesses.
our neighbors who are worried, depressed, alone…

Guide us, Holy One, to open our eyes and see the joys in life as well:
Where new love blossoms and steadfast love gives hope,
Where new jobs bring excitement, and long-standing employment brings fulfillment,
Where change brings new opportunities, and tradition brings stability…

Open our eyes
to acknowledge the shadows of life
even as we celebrate rays of hope and healing.

Speak to us again, so that we may remember,
We are your children,
We are your beloved.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, January 10, 2019

And a voice came from above, “You are my beloved child; I love you.” – Luke 3:22

Baptized in water, sealed by the Spirit, marked with the sign of Christ our king:
Born of the Spirit, we are God’s children; joyfully now God’s praise we sing.
                                                    Michael Saward, tune: BUNESSAN

 Holy One, you who love us beyond measure, you who regard each of us as your own beloved child, we come to you thirsty for the Good News; thirsty for forgiveness, thirsty for justice, thirsty for healing for this earth and all its peoples. Open our eyes, minds, and hearts to the realities of the world in which we live, that we might be filled with your compassion for all those who are in need or in pain, those who are lonely or in danger, those who are without a voice, and those for whom daily living is a trial beyond belief.
Hear us, Gracious God; your mercy is great.

We pray for all those for whom home has become a dangerous place: for the refugees fleeing to the United States from Central America; for Rahaf Al-Qunun, a young Saudi woman who has been granted refugee status by the United Nations and is being welcomed by Australia; for people from South Sudan, Yemen, and Syria who have been forced to flee home for their very lives. May they find a home in your compassionate love, and may we do our best to provide that love in our own lives and neighborhoods.
Hear us, Loving God; your mercy is great.

 We pray for all those for whom justice has become a fleeting dream: for the people of the DR Congo, where the presidential election is still in dispute; for Nazanin Zafhari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian citizen who has been held in an Iranian prison for 1000 days and is being denied medical care; for the countless numbers at the southern border of the United States who long to have their requests for asylum heard; for those caught up in the United States criminal justice system for minor crimes and misdemeanors. Grant us courage to speak up and speak out when we see such injustices; grant us the awareness to see these people as our sisters and brothers, your own beloved children.
Hear us, Just God; your mercy is great.

We pray for those for whom freedom of speech is at risk, especially for the people of Venezuela and Guatemala. When they need someone to speak for them, let us not turn away but speak out in ways that are both daring and healing, that the leaders may know that their citizens have sisters and brothers in other places who care deeply.
Hear us, Courageous God; your mercy is great.

 We pray, with thanksgiving, for the ways in which the schools of Capetown, South Africa, are making welcoming accommodations for transgender students, letting them know that they are of value, telling them with actions that they are God’s beloved children. Open our hearts to reach out to those in our own countries, in our own neighborhoods, in our own families, who need our hospitality and our acceptance, even as we need yours.
Hear us, Welcoming God; your mercy is great. 

All of this we pray in the name of the One who Loves, the One who Comes, the One who calls us each sister or brother. Amen.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, January 3, 2019

Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31

Heavenly God,

How can we ever thank you? How can we thank you for another year of life.  Another year of blessings. Another year of your presence in our lives, whether we choose to hold on to you or not. Here we stand, Lord, at the beginning of a new year of life remembering this past year and thinking ahead to the next. While there is so much to consider, worry and look forward to in the next year, there is still so much to remember from the last. Help us, God, to gives thanks for the good and send us comfort for all the things which brought your people hurt, distress, and sadness in the last.

Lord in your mercy;  renew our sense of gratitude.

Lord, we lift up all who have struggled this past year, in particular those who have been left behind after their dear ones have gone to be with you in their new heavenly homes.  We lift up the many who have and continue to suffer and die in Yemen.  We lift up your children in all war-torn places who continue to suffer due to conflicts, wars, and crises which cover so many places and yet about which little is known in other parts of the world.  We ask that you walk alongside your dear children. May your strength wash over them as a blanket of healing.

Lord in your mercy;  renew our strength.

While this next year may bring pain and heartache to some of your children, may we find hope in knowing that you will always walk with us regardless of what may happen.  We ask that you be with the many families who are still separated from their little children at Mexico’s border.  While so many of us will never understand this kind of separation, we know that your presence is so necessary for your terrified children and their devastated parents.

Lord in your mercy;  renew our hope.

As we reflect on this past year, we remember all those who will no longer be a part of our lives in the coming days and months. We already know that our lives will not be the same without them, and yet we know that their memories will live on with us even though their presence feels so far from us. We particularly pray for the many who have died and the many still missing because of the volcano eruption and landslides in Indonesia.  May you bring solace to those overcome with worry because of their still missing loved ones.

Lord in your mercy;  renew our memories.

God, while it may seem that this year will be the same as the last, help us to cling to you and have the courage to share your hope and divine love with everyone we meet as we re-imagine our lives as not only our own, but as your own blessed children. For this and for your hope, we give thanks.  May you continually nurture our voices that we might share your love with all. Hear these words, Lord, that we might continually draw near to you.

Lord in your mercy;  renew your people.

Amen.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World in Prayer – Christmas 2018

Love.

Love, said poet Christina Rossetti, “Love came down at Christmas.”

Love spoke to Mary in the voice of the angel Gabriel. Love said: “Fear not.”

Fear not, when you have seen a vision of hope and glory, healing and joy that transcends the universe. Fear not when you are called to be the bearer of wonder and awe. Fear not when you foresee that your path lies through sorrow. Fear not when your very existence will challenges the status quo.

Love spoke then, and speaks to us now: Fear not!

Love spoke to Jesus. In the breath of oxen and ass, Love said: “You will never be alone. You are loved.”

You are loved, you who are vulnerable. You are loved, you who are lost. You are loved, you who are lonely. You are loved, you who are in pain. You are loved, you who will do great things, and you who do not know what to do.

Love breaths on us now: You are wrapped in Love. 

Love spoke to the world in the gleam of a star. Love said: “Come.”

Come, you who are wise, and you who are simple. Come, you who seek, and you who think you know. Come, you who want to learn, and you who will tell the tale. Come meet that which is all new, and yet holds the wisdom of the ages.

Love shines on us now: Take the risk. Come!

Love spoke to Herod, in the visit of the wise men. Love said: “It is not too late. It is never too late. Choose Love.”

It is not too late, it is never too late. Not even for tyrants or terrorists, not for bullies or thieves, not for the power-hungry or the wealth-hoarders. It is not too late for you to become more than you ever thought you could be. It is not to late for you to become Love.

Love visits us now: Choose Love!

And this is the prayer of God, for all the peoples of God:
Be Blessed, for you are the Blessing.
Be Love, for you are the receivers of Love.
Be Peace.
Be Light.
Be Life.
You are Love.

As is our custom every year at Christmas, we offer our love, prayers and blessings for every person, tree, shrub, mountain, stream and living creature in every nation on earth:

Afghanistan … Albania … Algeria … American Samoa … Andorra … Angola … Anguilla … Antarctica … Antigua and Barbuda … Argentina … Armenia … Aruba … Australia … Austria … Azerbaijan … Bahamas … Bahrain … Bangladesh … Barbados … Belarus … Belgium … Belize … Benin … Bermuda … Bhutan … Bolivia … Bosnia and Herzegovina … Botswana … Brazil … Brunei Darussalam … Bulgaria … Burkina Faso … Burundi … Cambodia … Cameroon … Canada … Cape Verde … Cayman Islands … Central African Republic … Chad … Chile … China … Christmas Island … Cocos (Keeling) Islands … Colombia … Comoros … Congo, Republic of (Brazzaville) … Cook Islands … Costa Rica … Côte D’ivoire (Ivory Coast) … Croatia … Cuba … Cyprus … Czech Republic … Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) … Denmark … Djibouti … Dominica … Dominican Republic … East Timor (Timor-Leste) … Ecuador … Egypt … El Salvador … English Name … English Name … English Name … English Name … Equatorial Guinea … Eritrea … Estonia … Ethiopia … Falkland Islands … Faroe Islands … Fiji … Finland … France … French Guiana … French Polynesia … French Southern Territories … Gabon … Gambia … Georgia … Germany … Ghana … Gibraltar … Great Britain … Greece … Greenland … Grenada … Guadeloupe … Guam … Guatemala … Guinea … Guinea-Bissau … Guyana … Haiti … Holy See … Honduras … Hong Kong … Hungary … Iceland … India … Indonesia … Iran (Islamic Republic of) … Iraq … Ireland … Israel … Italy … Ivory Coast … Jamaica … Japan … Jordan … Kazakhstan … Kenya … Kiribati … Korea, Democratic People’s Rep. (North Korea) … Korea, Republic of (South Korea) … Kosovo … Kuwait … Kyrgyzstan … Lao, People’s Democratic Republic … Latvia … Lebanon … Lesotho … Liberia … Libya … Liechtenstein … Lithuania … Luxembourg … Macau … Macedonia, Rep. of … Madagascar … Malawi … Malaysia … Maldives … Mali … Malta … Marshall Islands … Martinique … Mauritania … Mauritius … Mayotte … Mexico … Micronesia, Federal States of … Moldova, Republic of … Monaco … Mongolia … Montenegro … Montserrat … Morocco … Mozambique … Myanmar, Burma … Namibia … Nauru … Nepal … Netherlands … Netherlands Antilles … New Caledonia … New Zealand … Nicaragua … Niger … Nigeria … Niue … Northern Mariana Islands … Norway … Oman … Pakistan … Palau … Palestinian territories … Panama … Papua New Guinea … Paraguay … Peru … Philippines … Pitcairn Island … Poland … Portugal … Puerto Rico … Qatar … Reunion Island … Romania … Russian Federation … Rwanda … Saint Kitts and Nevis … Saint Lucia … Saint Vincent and the Grenadines … Samoa … San Marino … Sao Tome and Principe … Saudi Arabia … Senegal … Serbia … Seychelles … Sierra Leone … Singapore … Slovakia (Slovak Republic) … Slovenia … Solomon Islands … Somalia … South Africa … South Sudan … Spain … Sri Lanka … Sudan … Suriname … Swaziland … Sweden … Switzerland … Syria, Syrian Arab Republic … Taiwan (Republic of China) … Tajikistan … Tanzania; officially the United Republic of Tanzania … Thailand … Tibet … Timor-Leste (East Timor) … Togo … Tokelau … Tonga … Trinidad and Tobago … Tunisia … Turkey … Turkmenistan … Turks and Caicos Islands … Tuvalu … Uganda … Ukraine … United Arab Emirates … United Kingdom … United States … Uruguay … Uzbekistan … Vanuatu … Vatican City State (Holy See) … Venezuela … Vietnam … Virgin Islands (British) … Virgin Islands (U.S.) … Wallis and Futuna Islands … Western Sahara … Yemen … Zambia … Zimbabwe

Be Peace.
Be Light.
Be Life.
You are Love.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, December 20, 2018

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Luke 4:18-19, Isaiah 61:1,2

Oh Lord,

We pray for those who are silenced because of oppression, whose words no one hears. You brought your Christ light to the world. Help us to remember, to know and live in this great love. Help us to spread the Good News.

You hear the sobbing and quaking fear of a child. You see the tears and hear the weeping of parents as families are torn apart.  You hear the cries of children isolated for days, weeks, and months from their families.  We call, we pray for the release of the over 140 children still separated from their families because of U.S. policy. They are not forgotten. How many more hunger at borders, camps and detention centers around the world? Help us to practice mercy with others, the mercy you have given us.

We pray for those who are speaking for release of the imprisoned, the captive and those suppressed. Help us to find our way in doing the same, in small acts of kindness and generous hospitality.

Help us in our silences when we can’t find the words and when we do speak, when we try to polish the words to get them just right and when we stumble and stutter and struggle to speak to you. Open our hearts that we may love with kind words, true words, thoughtful words and necessary words.

Help us to hold deeply in our hearts the truth that behind the published word there are the journalists who are working in harm’s way, taking risks as they interview those being silenced, photographing atrocities and bringing to our awareness unutterably evil deeds.

We pray for those who courageously investigate and report the news, as a tally released this week reports that 348 journalists are currently imprisoned and detained.  Sixty are held hostage and eighty were killed in 2018, the highest number ever.  We pray for those imprisoned and censored in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt.

Comfort families in their distress. Console journalist colleagues and sustain the news bureaus as they continue to shoulder their resolve in telling the stories and reporting facts in all corners of the world, rushing again and again to each new crisis and staying as conflicts continue over decades.  Help us to protect and defend these liberties.

Help us to hear one another’s words; to listen freshly, with curiosity, and to absorb what friends, family and strangers have to say. Calm our ever-present ability to deny, interrupt and discount.  Restore our sight to see Christ in the other.

We pray to grow in tolerance and kindness.

All this we ask in your name, in this season of Advent as the world swirls around us..

May your Peace and your Good News be received on this earth.

Amen.

Filed Under: Prayers, Weekly Prayers

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