Iran

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, May 10, 2018

Lord, we come before you

Prayer is communication that invites at-one-ness with You, the source of our being. We call you God, and as revealed in the flesh, Jesus. We ask for empowerment. Transform us with the life-giving force of the Holy Spirit. Make us channels of the your Eternal Love, Light, and Grace. Help us to continue this work of transformation, of ourselves and of all creation.

Lord, in your mercy hear us

As You are One, You call us to this oneness yet we are so divided by what should unite us, our religious beliefs, diverse cultures, resources and desires. You have shown us glimpses of Yourself according to what we are willing and able to receive, then, too often, we become exclusive and possessive. Thinking we own the truth, we denigrate others.

We see this in the tensions in India between Hindus and Muslims leading to the torture, rape and murder of young girls. Coptic Christians being attacked in Egypt. Conflict and sectarian violence continuing in Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Nigeria and elsewhere around the world.

Lord, hear us and forgive us

You call us to care and nurture all creation, yet so often we treat it cavalierly and out of greed, abuse our resources. The continuing deforestation of huge swathes of Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, and even in protected ancient forests such as Poland. New gigantic off-shore platforms near Australia are drawing natural gas resources to meet our insatiable greed for energy.

Lord, teach us stewardship and how to touch the earth lightly for the benefit of all and generations to come.

Lord, hear us and forgive us.

We give thanks for the work in the United Arab Emirates by scientists from Norway who have developed a method to pump liquid clay nano-particles into sandy desert so that crops are planted in seven hours instead of seven years. Water required to grow these crops is also reduced by up to 50%. The blooming of the desert is a closer reality.

We give thanks too for the female armed rangers in southern Zimbabwe who are protecting highly endangered elephants from poachers. Unlike their male counterparts, they are not succumbing to corruption or pressure but are arresting poachers even from their own villages or families. Often having survived abusive relationships, these women can now send their children to school and support them.

Lord, continue to strengthen those taking such creative action in solving problems we humans so often have created.

Lord, we bless your holy Name: hear us and bless us.

We continue to remember all who fear. Remember those experiencing natural disasters such as in Hawaii, U.S., and dust and electrical storms in India. Guide our leaders as we watch such political posturing as between North Korea and the rest of the world. Give us discernment in the Iranian nuclear discussions and in the latest financial crisis in Argentina. Comfort those experiencing the devastating wave of knife crimes in London, England among the young. Be with those imprisoned throughout the world without trial or justice, those lonely, those who feel they have no self-worth.

Help us to reach out as need presents itself in all its forms. We have heard your Truth. Prompt us to act on it and live it in our daily choices and decisions.

Lord, hear and answer our prayers for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ who opened the way for Your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 3 May 2018

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul. (African American spiritual)

O God, when our hearts are breaking, when our souls are wounded, to whom else shall we turn? Where else shall we bring our prayers, our concerns, our woundedness, our confusion, but to you? For you have the words of eternal life, those words of comfort and peace for which we long, even as tears for the hurts of this world course down our faces.

Together, we pray for the people of Armenia, Honduras, Libya, Malaysia, and Turkey, as unrest over elections continues, as the people yearn for justice and truth and integrity from their political leaders. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Together, we pray for the victims of the two suicide bomb attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, along with the families of those killed including 8 journalists and photographer Shah Marai; for the victims of the blast at a mosque in northeast Nigeria which has killed more than 27, as the people yearn for hope and peace and safety. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Together, we pray for those seeking the abatement of nuclear threats in Iran and North Korea, as people everywhere fear for the continued well-being of this planet and its inhabitants. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Together, we pray that the supporters and opponents of DACA and immigration in the United States might come to some just agreement, even as those in the caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum long only to be seen as people of worth. And our hearts yearn with them.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

O God of all creation, you call us all your children and so, when our hearts are breaking, when our souls are wounded, we turn to you. We bring our prayers, our concerns, our woundedness, our confusion to you. For you have the words of eternal life, those words of comfort and peace for which we long. And so, guide our steps as we work for peace and justice. Guide our words as we speak out for what is right. Open our hearts to the truth of your love and acceptance and compassion, that we might be your presence in this world of ours. Let this be so. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 7th November 2017

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1-2, NRSV)

God of comfort, we live in a world that increasingly reveals its disconnection from you. We feel the deepening of the artificial divisions of nation, race, and religion as the Supreme Court in the United States allows a ban to go into effect that will prevent refugees and families from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States. Wars and the threat of new conflicts abound, and fears mount as countries like North Korea demonstrate their military might with ever-escalating missile tests. We cry out to you in our exile and ask, ‘How long, O Lord?’ Bring to us the comfort that you have promised. Be present with us in our pain and fear and worry. Cause us to see your face in the faces of our neighbors both near and far.

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ (Isaiah 40:3-5, NRSV)

God of glory, we long for the day of your revelation. Your children around the world continue to suffer in places like Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Myanmar, and so many others. The earth cries out for justice as natural resources are abused and protected lands are exposed, like in the United States’ Bears Ears National Monument, which is set to lose 85% of its acreage in a policy change. The impact of pollution grows in places like Delhi, India, where toxic air quality levels have threatened the health of residents for weeks. Guide us in preparing the way for your coming. Give us hearts for service and wisdom to act with justice.

Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’ (Isaiah 40:9, NRSV)

God of hope, in this season of Advent, remind us of the glad tidings of great joy that come to us as a baby in a manger. Open our eyes to the good news of Christ’s presence in our lives and in the lives of all people, especially those who suffer and are in need. And give us hope in the glorious future of your coming kingdom, when your justice shall reign and your love shall transform the world.

See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep. (Isaiah 40:10-11, NRSV)

Amen.

World News in Prayer – Thursday, 16 November 2017

Note: The writer this week is using the framework of the Liturgy of the Hours (Opus Dei i.e. Work of God) so sanctifying the day with prayer.

The one who made the Pleiades and Orion,
and turns deep darkness into the morning,
and darkens the day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea,
and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
the Lord is his name, Amos 5:8 (NRSV)

Matins (MIDNIGHT) Dear Lord we ask your mercies on your people of Ezgeleh, Iran and the over 500 villages that have endured a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. Sustain them as they are digging frantically through the rubble for survivors. Be with the families and medical teams as they care for the 7,100 injured. Wrap your care around those in deep grief for the 445 dead as the nation enters three days of mourning. Guide those conducting house-to-house searches and inspections in the city of Halabja and surrounds in Iraq where 7 people are dead and 535 people were injured. We pray that the Darbandikhan Dam can be secured and that villages below are evacuated. Help us to comfort one another during times of deep loss.

Lauds (SUNRISE) A moment of silence as we allow the Light of Christ to enter our hearts.

Prime (6:00 A.M.) In the bright mountain forest of the Cerro Pelon Sanctuary in Mexico Monarch butterflies arrive from their ancient flyways. Traveling through endangered habitats of the US and Canada they endure. God, you eternally are forming this earth. You grant us pleasure and cameraderie as we unite to protect and preserve something as beautiful as a butterfly and a caterpillar’s foraging plant – each a unique essence in your splendid creation. Help us as stewards to see the connections.

Terce (9:00 A.M.) Somewhere on this earth it is always morning and children are going to school. Protect them. Give them nourishment and caring attention as they live, learn and play with one another. Be with the families who have lost children to gun violence and again most wrenchingly near Corning, California, USA where the Rancho Tehama Elementary School children and community members experienced a murderous shooting spree. Be with those who mourn and receive the gratitude of the many who were saved due to quick action by school staff, citizens and police. Descend upon us Holy Spirit as we care for one another.

Sext (NOON) Even in the brightness of day violence against children “knows no boundaries,” as described in the just released UNICEF report. God have mercy. Bring your protection and comfort to children throughout the world who are mistreated in their homes, to those who witness domestic violence, endure sexual violence, forced labor, trafficking and have no safe place to live, grow and play. Take into your eternal peace those who have been murdered. Bring awareness to the caregivers and communities who are a safety net for these your most vulnerable. Strengthen our resolve and amplify our voices as light is shined on violence. Sustain our partnerships in education, child welfare, and justice and health systems. Infuse your mysterious force of Love in our daily work.

None (3:00 P.M.) Oh, Holy Spirit, come among us. Soothe our cares and our worries. Help us to find some serenity in spite of all the news that seems to flood over us. Be close, guide and protect all involved in the political upheaval in Zimbabwe whose people have already suffered so much for so long. Sometimes it is hard to take it all in. Help us to find peace, respite, a friendly smile or to be that warm embrace when everything seems at opposite ends.

Vespers (6:00 P.M.) Somewhere on this earth it is becoming evening and suppertime and family time. Some of your people sit in tents and some in fine houses with secure roofs and safe walls. Others flee and have no food. Many are homeless. Dear Lord, we ask you to help us to sit with the refugee and listen, with those experiencing war, natural catastrophe and the long, long after shocks of deprivation. You are our refuge.

Compline (9:00 P.M.) And for all of these hours, the gift of Life this day, in this moment, in all of its sadness and losses, its joys and recoveries, we rest in You. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 3, 2017

The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14

There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;

There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

God of grace and glory, God who knows our hearts and minds, you can see, you can feel the pain of your children as we attempt to honestly bring to you our concerns for the people of this world, our sisters and brothers in so many places, people who are striving for good and honest and just government in Venezuela and Brazil, in Syria and Iran, in Kenya and Turkey and Pakistan. We lift up those abducted in the night, those arrested, jailed, and persecuted for speaking out for justice and their stance against the governments they believe are not functioning in the best interests of the people.

The Lord upholds those who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Even as migrants continue to risk everything crossing into Europe, preyed upon by smugglers, as people in Central America continue to flee gang violence, human trafficking and threats to their lives, so many national governments are attempting to limit immigration, tightening immigration laws, heedless that our sisters and brothers desperately need both sanctuary and hope, and so we lift up both the refugees and those in government, that hearts might be opened and lives saved.

The Lord upholds those who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Send your protective mercy to the firefighters in Western Canada and USA as forests and fields, families and communities come into harms way and a smokey haze fills the region impacting the health of elders and those with respiratory conditions.

The Lord upholds those who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Even as our hearts are heavy, you gift us to see glimmers of light which shine from unexpected places: the man who gave a ride to a stranger in need in North Carolina, USA who now continues to offer rides to strangers in need he encounters; the young Wal-Mart employee in Oklahoma, USA who paid for the groceries of a harried and struggling foster mom at the check-out counter; and 8-year-old Roxy Gettes who became the youngest girl to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya with her family. We lift up all who continue to inspire us and give us hope in the goodness and beauty of life.

The Lord upholds those who are falling; and raises up all who are bowed down.

As we look toward the wonder of the total solar eclipse later this August, and are reminded how marvelous and consistent are the forces of nature that are outside of our control. We lift up those in Kenya, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who are working to save the elephants, as well as those policy-makers in China who are working to outlaw the ivory trade. Keep us ever mindful of our role as stewards taking seriously our responsibility to care for this amazing world.

The Lord upholds those who are falling; and raises up all who are bowed down.

God of grace and glory, God who knows our hearts and minds, help us in our determination to be the people you have created and called us to be. When we become discouraged, lift us up. When we think it is all up to us, fill us with humility. When our hearts become fearful and fretful, remind us of your unfailing love, which flows even through us.

The Lord upholds those who are falling; and raises up all who are bowed down.

In this promise, we live and move and have our being. Amen and Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, June 22, 2017

Lord,

I can see the cherries ripening on the tree outside. The raspberries redden almost quicker than I can pick, but there are those for whom there will be no harvest. As sparrows happily investigate the fruit, they remind me, everyone is of more value than sparrows. Deep down we really know this, however much we demand to know where You are. So, we boldly pray for our world and all the events and circumstances which in such a brash way demand top billing in the news.

We pray for the people of Texas, Louisiana and all along the Ohio River Valley, U.S.A. and all of those who suffer from the effects of flash flooding and tornadoes from tropical storm Cindy.

We pray for the people of northern Britain where torrential thunderstorms follow summer heat.

We pray for the people of Portugal; the fire fighters, those killed, injured and those who care; as wildfire burns across their mountains.

We pray for the people of the Central African Republic where fighting continues a day after a ceasefire came into force.

We pray for the people of South Sudan who the world seems to have abandoned.

We pray for the people of Eastern Africa as drought deepens and now, as in Southern Africa crops are being threatened by the Fall Armyworms.

We pray for the people of the Middle East, today, thinking of Saudi Arabia with the announced change of crown prince, of Yemen with the continuing conflict, famine and now cholera, and of Qatar being blockaded and how all these events work together.

As Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan we pray for our Muslim neighbors; those caught in the car attack near the Finsbury Park mosque, London, U.K.; the sadness of Syria; the effect of a Kurdish independence vote on Iraq and for Iran and Turkey.

We pray for the Philippines as the Government continues its battles against ISIS and communist rebels. In doing so we cannot fail to think of the mounting pressures in the Korean peninsula; of the many conflicting claims around the South China Sea and of the asylum seekers held by the Australian government on Manus Island and Nauru.

We pray for the people of Venezuela as medical crisis and food shortages grip and for the people of Argentina where one in eight children suffers in poverty and food insecurity.

Lord, all this is happening as I sit here complaining that it’s too hot, on the hottest day in June for 40 years in Britain. Remind me that it’s not really that hot and there are many who would love it to be as cool as this! In all these situations and many more You are here asking what we are doing for we are worth more than sparrows. We give thanks that You hear our prayers and make them worthwhile.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, June 15, 2017

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
therefore ask the overseer of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.
—Matthew 9.37-38

Harvest by Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Maybe the harvest is not bringing people to Christ
but gathering the fruits of the Spirit
God has sown in you
for the sake of the world.

Maybe it’s not an act of taking,
but receiving.

The harvest is plentiful
but few are the people who have gathered,
who have received the gifts, the grace,
the love growing in your heart,
and feasted on those fruits
to be strengthened to go out
and heal the wounded,
and be good news for the broken of the world.

The field stretches to the horizon.
There are more trees in this orchard
than stars in heaven.

What grace have you not yet harvested?
Go into that good harvest.
Here is a basket for your labors. Go.
Called together in the Spirit’s embrace, let us pray for the mending of God’s world.

Holy God, Loving God, Steadfast God, Compassionate God, looking at this world which You have created, this world over which You have given us stewardship, it is so easy to become discouraged and disheartened, to forget Your call to harvest Your grace, and to be good news for those who are broken. Sometimes all our tear-clouded eyes can see is the heartache and heartbreak which holds us in its thrall, making it difficult to see anything other than darkness and despair:

*Despair about an unknown blast which went off in eastern China, leaving at least seven people dead and over sixty-five others injured.

*Despair about a suicide car bombing into a hotel restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, where at least nineteen are dead and many others wounded

*Despair about the fire in the Grenfell Tower in London, England, where at least seventeen people have died and dozens of others are in hospitals, many of them in critical condition.

*Despair about the shooting in Virginia, US, at a Congressional baseball game practice, where six people were shot and the gunman was killed.

*Despair about Ohio, US student, Otto Warmbler, released by North Korea after seventeen months in captivity, who is in the hospital suffering from a severe neurological injury.

*Despair about the hundreds of civilian casualties in Raqqa, Syria, due to US-led air strikes.

*Despair about hot car deaths – deaths of children being left alone in vehicles during hot weather – occurring in the US, as three children have died in the last week.

*Despair about the road-rage shooting and killing of 2-year-old Laylah Washington of Memphis, Tennessee, US.

Holy God, Loving God, Steadfast God, Compassionate God, looking at this world which You have created, this world which You call us to co-create with You, open our eyes and our hearts to see the harvest of Your grace-filled love which is being made manifest in countless places, through countless people, children of Your own creation.

*The harvest of over one hundred and twenty migrants, who had been abandoned by traffickers without food or water in the Sahara desert, by Niger authorities.

*The harvest of the organization My Stealthy Freedom in Iran, led by Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist who boldly organized #whitewednesdays to protest a law forcing Iranian women to wear head scarves.

*The harvest of the work of 26-year-old Rahmatullah Arman, who, through Teach for Afghanistan, has placed 80 graduates from Afghan universities into twenty-one schools to teach 23,000 students in the hope of reducing the country’s 60% adult illiteracy rate.

*The harvest of the election in Ireland of Leo Varadkar, of Indian descent, as the country’s youngest and first openly-gay prime minister.

Holy God, Loving God, Steadfast God, Compassionate God, looking at this world which You have created, this world which You love, we Your people reach out this day. We reach out with grief and gratitude, with worry and wonder, and with tears and triumph. We open ourselves to Your Spirit as it longs to fill us with the gifts of Your grace, to empower us with the strength and courage to speak truth, and to work for justice and the healing of wounds we encounter and cause. May it be so, today and every day.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, May 11, 2017

[Jesus said to the disciples,] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:1-6, ESV

God of solace and peace, through Your Son, You spoke to us a word of comfort: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” And yet we look around the world and we find many reasons to be troubled. We see suffering and broken relationships that we know are the result of our sin, and we confess these sins to You. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We have allowed this beautiful planet in which You lovingly prepared a place for us to suffer from our neglect and abuse. Officials in Nepal have announced the highly polluted state of air in the sacred site of Lumbini, the historic birthplace of Buddha. The future of the Paris, France climate agreement, which has already been ratified by 140 countries, is uncertain in light of comments made by the president of the US that he wants to pull out of the deal. We strip the earth of natural resources with little concern for its impact on our world or for the safety of those who do the work; this week, at least 42 people have died in an explosion at a coal mine near Azadshahr, Iran. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, overusing and abusing the earth for our own purposes. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We skew the good news, turning “I am the way, the truth, and the life” from an invitation into a threat. We forget Your message of love and inclusion of all, announcing that there is no room in our communities for people who look different from us or act differently than us. We turn a blind eye to the suffering of children in war-torn areas, like those suffering from a cholera outbreak in Yemen due to a breakdown in infrastructure. Even as 250 more refugees have drowned this week in shipwrecks off the coast of Libya, we continue to ignore the desperation of refugees who risk everything to escape the fear and pain of life in their home countries. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, denying the humanity of people we see as different. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We ignore the path You’ve left for us to follow, choosing to put our trust in our own power or in the power of earth’s corruptible and fallible human rulers. Political anger and unrest grow around the world, with two more polarizing elections leading to the victories of Moon Jae-in in South Korea and Emmanuel Macron in France. Nearly 20 government officials have been convicted and sentenced for negligence and abuse of power in Shenzhen, China after their part in a landfill landslide which resulted in the deaths of 73 people in 2015. Many of Your children suffer at the hands of those in power, like the hundreds of innocent people who were affected by tear gas used on protesters when the gas seeped into homes, schools, and a hospital in Caracas, Venezuela. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, placing our hope in earthly powers that can only disappoint us. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

Even as many countries around the world celebrate Mother’s Day, we silently watch as families experience estrangement, abandonment, and every form of abuse. We turn away from the pain of those who have lost their parents or for whom experiences of parenthood have been difficult. We ignore the isolation felt by people who cannot or choose not to have children. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, neglecting to see and respond to the needs of those around us. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

Despite all of the pain in the world, You direct us: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” For, in the words of Your Son, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” Remind us, O God of welcome, that, unlike the overcrowded inns of Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth, there is plenty of room for everyone in Your kingdom. And unlike the spaces of our world, where people of different colors, shapes, opinions, languages, and abilities are rejected or at best begrudgingly tolerated, in Your kingdom everyone truly belongs. Fill our hearts with gratitude for this good news, O Lord, and embolden us to be Your hands and voices in the world, that we might build an image of Your all-encompassing house of love and reconciliation here on earth, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, May 4, 2017

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – John 10:10b

Never-ending God, we long for abundant life. All too often we settle for what our minds believe we deserve. But that isn’t abundance. Or, as we strive to live abundantly, we do so at the expense of others, or the environment, or even ourselves. In our human economy we see all things as finite. We believe there is just enough to go around, maybe not even enough. But in your divine economy there is enough for all to have full cups, overflowing cups…Help us, O God, to see that reality, to live into that truth!

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Forgive us, O God, when our near-sightedness leads to death and destruction. Comfort the family of Abdullahi Sheikh Abas who was mistaken for an Islamic extremist and killed in Somalia. Be with the families of all who are killed because of misunderstanding, prejudice and hate. Surround the families of the miners in Iran who gave their lives trying to save the lives of their trapped coworkers. Jesus said there was no greater gift than to give our lives for our friends. Yet we long for a world where that gift is rendered unnecessary. Be also with the people of the indigenous tribes of the Amazon, as they face attacks from outsiders. Be also with the activists and government officials in Brazil as they seek to find a way to help protect our neighbors.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Support the community near Madrid, Spain, where there have been explosions at a chemical plant. Injuries to the workers and to the environment demonstrate the frailty of our search for abundance. Help us to turn our focus to you, O God. Be also with the people of Beijing and Northern China as they suffer under a dust storm, and the people in the Midwest United States as they deal with flooding. Help us, Sustaining God, to see how we can support the abundance of life on the Earth, and not diminish it.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Jesus came that we might have abundant life. Empower us, O God, to work toward co-creating that abundance with you today, and every day.

Amen.