Wherever you are right now, take a moment to feel God’s presence and center yourself in that presence.
Holy One, our faith journeys reveal new things to us each and every day. Each journey is different, and each journey brings forth feelings of both faith and doubt, of both righteous anger and of peace. Help us to recognize that no matter what we may be feeling in this very instant, You are with us.
Creator of all life, remind us that we are created in Your own image. And that each and every person we come across is also created in Your image. Fearfully and wonderfully made by you. As we pray for the world, may we realize that these are not just places, but that they are made up of people who are beloved by You.
May your presence be felt among the protesters in Hong Kong, who have been met with tear gas and rubber bullets and arrests. May they be safe and unharmed as they stand up for justice. We also lift up prayers for the justice system in China as a whole, and for the Chinese government. May it be guided gy righteousness rather than fear or control.
May your presence be felt by the thousands affected by the drought in India who have had to evacuate their homes and villages. And for the ongoing problems of drought year after year in these same areas. We pray for your land and for your people, that they may find some aid and comfort in community.
May your presence be felt by all those who have been shut out of houses of worship because of who they love. On this 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City, we recognize how far we have come and how far we still need to go toward equal rights for the LGBTQ+ Community. We forget that in many parts of the world, homosexuality is still punishable by prison or even death. We lift up the people of Botswana, where same-sex relationships have just been decriminalized, and pray for the day where Love is Love all over the world.
May your presence be felt by our children, as we pray specifically for the 5-year-old who died of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the 6 migrant children who have recently died in custody at the United States-Mexico border. May we learn to value all of our children, who are our greatest hope for the future.
And, finally, we pray for all those places in the world that so desperately need to feel Your presence, O God. May they feel the presence of Justice; may they feel the presence of Compassion; may they feel the presence of Love. And may we each be vessels of Your presence all the days of our lives. Amen.
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