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World News This Week in Prayer, Thursday, February 28, 2019

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.

Longing for truth, we turn to you.

Make us your own, your holy people,

Light for the world to see.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.

Shine through the darkness.

Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Words and music by Bernadette Farrell

Tune: Christ, Be Our Light

O God, there are days when the light seems dim, when our hearts are torn apart, and so we come to you in prayer for:

those within the United Methodist Church in the United States whose hearts are breaking over the decision to continue to forbid same-sex marriages and the ordination of LGBTQIA clergy;
those whose lives are breaking due to toll that clergy sex-abuse within the Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist churches has taken on them;
and those who continue to use your Name and Word to bludgeon others into submission to their way of believing.

For all these children of yours, we pray for your light to shine and grant them hearts of compassion and peace;

God of grace, hear us.

O God, there are days when the light seems almost gone, when our hearts are confused and angry, and so we come to you in prayer for:

the leaders of the United States and North Korea who are meeting in Vietnam to discuss denuclearization;
the parliament of Britain as they struggle with a decision regarding Brexit;
the government of Venezuela, as they destroy humanitarian aid at the border with Brazil, preventing it from reaching their people who are in desperate need;
the governments of India and Pakistan, as animosity and military action between the two countries escalates.

For all these children of yours, we pray for your light to shine and grant them hearts of wisdom and justice;

God of grace, hear us.

O God, there are days when the light begins to shine again and our hearts are filled with hope, and so we come to you in prayer for:

the House of Representatives of the United States voting to invalidate the emergency declaration regarding border security;
the on-going work of the American Civil Liberties Union to prevent further separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border and to re-unite families already separated;
the courageous young people, continuing the March for Our Lives Movement and the countless women worldwide in the #MeToo movement, all working to shine the light on the need for gun control and on sexual abuse.

For all these children of yours, we pray that your light continues to shine to grant them hearts of courage and daring;

God of grace, hear us.

For all these people and situations, we pray, confident in your hearing, healing presence in our lives and in our world, as we sing:

Many the gifts, many the people,

Many the hearts that yearn to belong.

Let us be servants to one another,

Signs of your kingdom come.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.

Shine through the darkness.

Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Amen. Let it be so.

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.

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.

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.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, November 29, 2018

Holy One,

When what we have is yours and what we receive is a gift from you, we offer up our words of prayer in the knowledge that you are the Word from whom all our prayers flow. We pray with grief for the things that have broken your heart; we pray with joy for the things that have made you dance.

We pray with awareness that we cannot fix the world, but, instead, we can learn to see and taste and touch and know this world as your Creation. In this time and space, we try to take our next step of faith and in so doing, we hope to discover you.

We pray for that which fills us with grief: the devastation from wildfires in California (USA); the violence inflicted on asylum-seekers at the Mexico-United States border; the ongoing conflicts in Yemen; the cruel treatment of the Rohyinga in Myanmar; all who care for someone who struggles with addiction and mental illness; all who wait and watch and weep at the bedsides of loved ones this week.

We pray for that which fills us with fear: the unfolding havoc of climate change around the world; the flaring tensions between Ukraine and Russia; the continued fallout from the murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi; the precariousness of a Brexit deal; the rise of raging, hate-filled political rhetoric in countries near and far from us.

We pray for that which gives us strength: the compassion of strangers who care for migrants in the Mediterranean and in Central America; the rise of women leaders in Ethiopia; the energy of students who fight gun violence in the United States; those who believe we belong to each other; those who live as if we belong to you.

Lord, teach us how to love what you love. Show us how to nurture what you nurture. Reveal to us how to speak your Word, today and in the days to come.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, November 15, 2018

Thanksgiving Prayer

“Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!”
(verse 2, “Now Thank We All Our God,” by Martin Rinkart)

Holy and loving God, in this season where those in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, we remember seed time and harvest, bounty and want, “all the ills in this world and the next.” Yet in the middle of all that makes us “perplexed” we come to You in prayer, with grateful hearts.

Along the migrant caravan trails – crossing through Mexico from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador -we give thanks for the acts of kindness among ordinary citizens who share from their widow’s mite: food, blessing, care.

From the fire-ravaged towns of California, U.S., and flood and landslide-swept path of Typhoon Yutu in the Philippines, the we give thanks for the heroism of firefighters, first responders, search and rescue teams, and medical staff in the long work of protecting and healing. Your “peace which passeth all understanding” includes wiping away all tears of those who have perished, all who grieve. Thank you for hope itself, when all seems beyond hope.

Within the heartache of hate-filled violence in the U.S. against Jewish worshippers in Pittsburgh and college students in Thousand Oaks, amidst the terror with which Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face the idea of forced repatriation to Myanmar (possibly beginning as early as this week), we find gratitude for such outpouring of love from mourners, families and people of all faith. Bind us together with such strength that the perpetrators of hate will tremble, bow down, and be resurrected in love.

In remembrances of the first World War to end all wars, we give thanks for stories of sacrifice in the face of war, and determination after. May our Prince of Peace yet find a home in the hearts of all. We give thanks for acts of courage and conscience that still seek to turn swords into ploughshares.

Around our own Thanksgiving tables, filled with aromas of abundance, may we smell the cooking fires of refugee camps across the world. We give thanks for aid workers and charities and missionaries who welcome those who have been abandoned, targeted or turned out. Like Jesus with the 5,000, may gratitude for what is too meagre turn into a miracle of more than enough.

Holy God, from Your house to ours, from our house across the world, we receive the gift of love, and determine to share it in word and deed, gratefully.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, October 25, 2018

Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”

Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”

The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”

Matthew 25:34-40 (CEV)

God of all wholeness and peace, our world yearns for your presence. We call out to you day after day, wondering why we do not see you and why we feel so abandoned. And yet, time and time again, you remind us that we only need to look around us to find you. Help us to look with clarity and compassion into the faces of your children, no matter how unimportant they might seem, so that we might find you there.

Help us to see you in the faces of those who mourn. As news breaks of the deaths of seven children and many others suffering from a virus outbreak at a health center in New Jersey, United States, remind us of the deep pain of those around the world who have experienced the loss of a child. Open our ears to listen and open our arms to comfort.

Help us to see you in the faces of those who suffer. As we hear about inhumane conditions in the prisons of Madagascar and the forced “re-education” of Uighur Muslims in China, fill us with a thirst for justice for all people who are abused due to poverty, gender identity, and all other vulnerabilities.

Help us to see you in the faces of those who are being affected by disasters. As a major hurricane makes landfall in Mexico keep survivors of all disasters, both natural and human-made, safe from harm, and help us to keep them in our hearts.

Help us to see you in the faces of those we consider our enemies. As the President of the United States threatens to withdraw aid from countries that allow refugees and asylum seekers to travel across their borders toward the United States, remind us of the humanity of all people, regardless of their skin color, language, and country of origin. Remind us that everyone, from the most powerful leader of a nation to the most vulnerable and impoverished of refugees, is a beloved child of God.

Help us to see you in the faces of all people, for we are all made in the image of God. Remind us of our connection to all of your children as members of your universal family. Fill us with your love and compassion, so that we might act as your hands, feet, and voices in the world. Make your presence known and felt in all places, so that your kingdom might grow to the ends of the earth.

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, July 12, 2018

God of Many Names

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.” Psalm 46:1-2

Holy and Loving God, we come to You from many places, the physical and spiritual. We use different names and descriptions and ideas when we talk about You, or come before You in prayer or to worship. Some call You Wisdom, Father, Judge, Lord, Mother, Creator, the All Merciful, Almighty and the Ground of All Being. Some know you as Omniscient, Omnipresent, Allah, Dios and Triune and others as the all-pervading eternal.

You heard our cries in a million ways and a billion voices. With the miracle of the entire Thai soccer team rescue and their reunion with families the world pauses to gives great thanks. Comfort the family of the diver who sacrificed his life in the rescue. Be with the grieving families who have lost loved ones during a storm that capsized a tourist boat off Phuket, Thailand.

Across every imaginable boundary and dark water we pray for mercy, miracle, intervention and protection. We do not fully understand the mystery of prayer, meditation and vigil, but we are wise enough to say, “Thank you, God”.

Loving God, we offer prayers on behalf of the many known and unknown needs and crises, fears, hurts and deepest sorrows imaginable, the looming conflicts that beg for resolution, a release. Your children and their coach, alone, in a dark cave, with waters rising and air diminishing, their waiting is a reminder of the suffering in this world that longs for comfort, refuge and complete healing. We ask your mercy for the families escaping violence in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, who seek asylum in the US and for those parents and children separated at US – Mexico border we ask for their swift reunion and healing from the traumas. God have mercy. Renew our faith. For whole villages fleeing war in Syria and Yemen we call upon You God and Your mercy spread out for all people. End these wars. Bring Your peace on earth. For citizens afraid of government, or of other citizens; for neighborhoods under menace of guns, opioids and gangs; for people weakened by disease, those blinded by prejudice and dominated by fear – we pray.

My God, O Lord, it can seem so dark.

And like our Thai soccer youth and coach, we treasure Your presence of light in the persons of doctors, nurses, divers, and soldiers, people of courage and conviction and skill who never lose hope.

Bless those,

whose life is love,

whose love is faith,

whose faith is action,

whose action is of You.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, July 5, 2018

This week’s prayers are adapted, with permission, from a prayer written for U.S. Independence Day 2018 by Leslie Barnes Scoopmire.

(Inspired by the Preamble to the United States Constitution)

In peace, we pray to You, Lord, God:
from our rising to our resting
we give You thanks and praise for all your blessings.

We give you thanks for the 12 boys and their coach found alive after being trapped in a cave in Thailand by rising waters, for the divers who reached them with food and supplies, for all who are working to rescue them, and for the millions throughout the world who have held them in prayer during the search.
We give you thanks for the breakthrough in-vitro fertilization technique that may save the Northern White Rhino species – now down to two surviving females and no living males– from extinction; for all the gifts of this Earth, and all who work to protect and preserve them.

May we seek to form a more perfect union
with You and with each other,
loving our neighbors as ourselves,
sharing each other’s burdens,
seeking to relieve each other’s wants.

We pray for an end to the posturing and tit-for-tatting in the tariff wars started by U.S. President Donald Trump against Mexico, Canada, China and the European Union. We pray for sanity, caution, compassion and courage among U.S. leaders as Trump threatens to pull out of the World Trade Organization and violate its rules with impunity. We pray for all whose livelihoods are at stake.
We give thanks that all 329 municipalities in Bangladesh have agreed to join the United Nation’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign. Low-lying, densely populated Bangladesh is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, hit every year by cyclones that are becoming more frequent and more intense due to climate change. The UN Campaign will develop local action plans and improve infrastructures to prepare for disasters.

May we establish true justice as our foundation,
justice that builds and creates
rather than subjugates and destroys,
and work for an end to oppression, poverty, and prejudice,
remembering always the many mercies
we ourselves have received.

We pray for those who would want to make national criticism illegal. We pray for Poland, which has reduced the penalties in its controversial law against accusing the Polish nation of complicity in the Holocaust. In response to international pressures, jail time is no longer among the penalties.
We pray for the five people killed in a shooting at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Md. (U.S.), and for the courage and commitment of the remaining staff in getting out that day’s newspaper anyway. We pray for the countries where a free press is banned, for those who spread fake news and inflame the public against the media, and for all truth-seekers and truth-tellers everywhere.
We pray for the day when ethics will outweigh profit-making in every business venture. We give thanks that Kenya’s public prosecutor has ordered the arrest of two farm managers and several government officials over a dam which collapsed and killed more than 47 people in May. The dam had been constructed by unqualified staff and also broke environmental laws.
We pray for the day when compassion will universally be valued more highly than conformity. We pray for North Korea, where a high-ranking military officer was executed for giving out extra rice and corn rations to his troops.

May we ensure tranquility
by defending and protecting each other
in compassion and mercy,
that true liberty may be a blessing for all
grounded in our common life together.

We pray for the success of the peace agreement signed this week between South Sudan and rebels, where the past five years of fighting have displaced one in three South Sudanese from their homes. We pray that the promised ceasefire holds, that safe passage is indeed provided through which food, water and medicines can reach those in desperate need.
We pray that Russia, the U.S., and Jordan will use their influence to broker an immediate end to the fighting in southwest Syria – as they did last in persuading the Syrian government and rebels to create a de-escalation zone along the Jordanian border.
We pray for the eventual safe home-coming for the Rohingya people, still trapped in exile in the no-man’s-land between Myanmar and Bangladesh. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited the camps earlier this week, hearing “unimaginable” accounts of atrocities.

May we work for the welfare of all
by giving of ourselves in unity, gentleness, and sacrifice,
rooted in God’s love,
grounded in the call to welcome and protect
those who turn to us for help or refuge,
and protecting the least among us always.

We pray for those whose homelands are no longer a place of safety. We pray for those from Africa trying to reach Europe, for those from South and Central America trying to reach the United States, for the many refugees trying to find someplace – anyplace – where they will be welcome.
We pray for the countries in the European Union that have reached a deal in principle on how to handle African refugees and migrants, but differ sharply on the implementation details, with no country yet willing to set up the “secure migrant processing centers” called for in the agreement.
We pray for the families separated by the U.S. “zero-tolerance” policies against would-be immigrants and asylum seekers. We pray for the children – some as young as toddlers – expected to represent themselves in immigration court.
We pray for all who have settled into new countries, only to find that those, too, are not places of safety. We pray for the 3-year-old refugee in Boise, Idaho (U.S.) who died after a man with an extensive criminal background stabbed her, five other children and three adults at her birthday party. We pray for all migrants who face distrust and anger, and all who harbor suspicion and hatred towards them. We pray for all who want to live together in peace.

May we secure the blessings of life, liberty, and happiness
and free ourselves
from all that chains us-
fear,
want,
suspicion,
jealousy,
division,
injustice-
and fully embrace and celebrate each other
in all our diversity.

Bless us and keep us, O God,
that we may dwell in peace, equality, and security all our days. AMEN