South Africa

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 8, 2019

‘Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him on those who hope in his steadfast love..’ ~ Ps 33:18

‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen….. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.’ ~ Hebrews 11:1 and 8

God beyond all definition, in our finite humanity we like to pin everything down, delude ourselves into thinking we are in control, we claim to be logical and strain to understand all that is and all we experience. We forget too often that all things come from you, and of your own do we give you. You are the creator of all life and all that makes our planet and universe.

God of wonder and power: give us the humility to be open to your presence in all its forms.

This world is a beautiful place, yet we humans too often make it fearful, threatening, damaged and damaging for each other and all the creatures and environments you have given us. We recall the devastation following fires, droughts and floods in the Arctic, Zimbabwe, USA, various parts of Europe, India, and Asia. We give thanks for the scientists coming together to warn world leaders, and all of us, of the calamitous environmental changes wrought by our stripping the planet of resources needed to combat climate change and absorb the carbon contributing to this. May we learn how to nurture and live in harmony with nature, taking only what is essential to life, not our greed.

Come fill us with your light, love and wisdom: so we may be channels for you to lighten the darkness where we are.

As warring madness and violence escalates, even by the young and towards the young, and all who are deemed to be vulnerable and ‘other’, help us to stand up to the bullying tactics in language, attitude and deeds in all walks of life and by leaders as well as people like ourselves. We remember all those killed and grieving through acts of violence, in El Paso, TX, and Dayton, Ohio, USA, in Kabul, Afghanistan, in Syria, in Cape Town, South Africa, and so many other countries around the globe.

God, draw near and comfort those who grieve, care for those wounded. Strengthen and encourage those trying to bring peace to our communities and neighborhoods. We give thanks for all those of good heart and love, and those of faith or none who nevertheless live a life of love and peace and reconciliation in all that they do and are.

Lord hear us, and answer our prayers.

We remember those political representatives throughout the world, their families and staff being threatened because of their role in serving their communities. We hear of threats against Members of Parliament in the UK, leaders in the US, in Russia, Australia, Latvia. Sadly the list is endless. Governments too often incite this through false propaganda on social media. May we learn to engage our brains before spreading rumors and gossip which poison minds and relationships.

Lord hear us, and answer our prayers..

We remember the parents in Russia being threatened with having their children removed from their care – just for participating in peaceful protests allowed under the 1993 Russian Constitution. We also remember the illegal change in the status of Kashmir by India and the continued fighting and tension between them and Pakistan.

Heavenly Father, you take the long-term approach, while so many in politics go for the short-term option, not thinking out the possible consequences of their words and actions.

Mothering God, you gave us life. Teach us to value it in all whom we meet and all that we seek to do. May this be incorporated into all our institutions and goals.

Lord hear us, and answer our prayers.

In the words of Martin Luther King, ‘all that it takes for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing.’ May this truth enter our beings. Forgive us when we are judgmental and full of unrighteous belief that we are right and others have to change to be like us. Instead let each one of us change, to be like you and as revealed especially to us in the incarnate Christ.

Purify our hearts, and by your Holy Spirit, transform us into people of love as you are Love. Teach us to live and love all whom you have created, and all that you have created. May we touch each other and the earth lightly as sacred gifts from you. You God are our Rock, our Life and everlasting love. AMEN

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, April 25, 2019

Holy One,

Your Name is above all names, it is so high that we cannot attain it, yet still we seek it. And when we cannot find you, when we do not understand what is happening, when our hearts quake with fear and our spirits tremble with unknowing, when we stumble and search and seek after your face, a beloved face that seems so far from us, that is when YOU call us by name. As you did with Mary on Easter, you pierce through the mystery and call us, claim us, love us. As you did on Easter, you reveal that you are not removed from the world, but that you are here, with us, through death and life, in the tomb of decay and the garden of growth, you are with us here in the world.

Reveal yourself to us today.

Where we see violence and destruction in the bombings of churches throughout Sri Lanka, where we watch the aftermath of shootings, as in New Zealand, reveal the wings of your comfort, the shelter of your arms, the balm of your care.

Where we see vigilante militias along the United States border treat refugees and asylum-seekers as criminals, reveal the power of your justice, the commitments of your love, and the renewal of your protection.

Where we see the violence in Libya where hundreds are dying and over one thousand wounded in the battle for control of the capital, Tripoli, reveal your compassion and wisdom to bring these fighting factions to achieve peace for the country’s people.

Where we see the brutality of domestic abuse and the secrets of family pain, as with the family found in the cave in Spain, reveal to us how you grieve the loss of your children, how you rage at the ways we abuse each other or do not to see the abuse of each other, how you call us to commit again to caring for your vulnerable ones.

Where we see political protests in places around the word, like Sudan and Hong Kong, reveal how you lift up the lowly and bring down the mighty from their thrones. We know that not all shouting voices should be given the megaphone, yet we also know that what we think of as power and might, will pass away as grass in your sight.

Where we see the erosion of environment and the increasing anxiety over resources, with loss of rainforests in Brazil and months of drought in Australia, reveal how you have poured your care into every aspect of Creation, and how you demand that we more faithfully steward this world entrusted to us.

Where we see tragedy and death this week from the natural elements in the Philippines from earthquakes, landslides in Columbia and floods and mudslides in South Africa, reveal your consoling arms to surround these victims and their bereaved loved ones in love and strength to endure their loss.

Where we need to see your face, Lord, we pray that you will show up before us and remind us again that nothing, not even death, will separate us from you.

You have called to us before. Call to us now.

Amen.

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.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, July 19, 2018

Jesus said to the disciples, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:31-34 NRSV

Amid the chaos and confusion, the demands on our time and attention, we long to hear you call us away for a time of rest and renewal. God of Grace and mercy, the news weighs heavy on our hearts. Sometimes we don’t even know where to start, how to make an impact in this world. It can feel as though everyone we encounter is a sheep without a shepherd. Fill our hearts with the compassion of Jesus, that we might both find the rest we so desperately need, and the strength and courage to do the hard work of mercy, justice and reconciliation.

God, we pray for all those in political offices, that they might lead with the best interests of the people, and the planet, in mind. We pray especially for the leaders of Israel and Palestine, that they might make steps toward a sustainable peace.

We pray for researchers seeking to detect and cure cancer and other diseases, as Australian researchers may have developed a blood test which can detect melanoma at an early stage, and may lead to saving many lives.

We pray for police, first-responders, EMTs, and all public servants, as they serve others in difficult and trying situations. We pray especially for the firefighters who are battling overwhelming wildfires in Sweden, and for the neighboring countries who are providing much-needed resources.

We pray for all those who labor, sometimes working in nearly unbearable situations, to afford us the comforts we desire. We pray for miners and all who work in dangerous professions as five miners have died in a South African copper mine.

We pray for business leaders, that they may realize the impact their decisions have on families, and on the environment we all share. We pray for just and fair trade practices as leaders in Japan and the European Union have recently come to a significant trade deal.

We pray for families, that parents are able to provide the needed support and be the role models our children deserve. And, we pray that all children would have their basic needs met, especially when their parents are unable or unwilling to meet those needs.

And God, we pray for ourselves, that we might hear your voice, discern your will for our lives, and have the courage and strength to work for justice. And may we find peace and rest…so we might be empowered to show the compassion of Christ to all those around us.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, May 31, 2018

Jesus asked “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Lord Almighty, Son and Spirit, you who live in community know that we are always separate from one another but invite us into your family. You give us a way to live together for our mutual comfort and support.

We give thanks for those, who understanding our need for mutuality, find ways to live in greater support:

We give thanks for the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service, celebrating 90 years since its inception/inauguration. We pray for all those who work for the service and those who need it.
We give thanks for all air ambulances, their staff and supporters, especially the volunteer workers. We pray for those in trauma who need these ambulances. We name those in floods in English Midlands and South East and Western North Carolina in the USA.
We give thanks for all diplomats and ambassadors who, by their work, seek to bring people into closer understanding. We pray for all who need their help as our world “shrinks” and we find more ways to get into trouble while abroad. We name Korea and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family.
We give thanks for those who, understanding the need for each person and country to have their own land, seek to promote peaceful interdependence not violence, especially where land is unfairly owned, where mineral rights are grabbed and water becomes a commercial weapon. We name South Africa; Rwanda; Mozambique; all countries along the course of the river Nile.
We give thanks for those who have studied our living, moving, changing earth especially those who study storms and volcanoes, giving rise to the production of power from wind, wave and geothermal sources. We pray for those who live with the fact that our earth is too big to control. We name Hawaii; Iceland; India.
We give thanks for those prepared to stand against separation and abuse. We pray for those suffering all kinds of discrimination, abuse and exclusion – such as the Windrush Generation in the UK and media programs which take action.

Who are my mother, brother, sister? All those whom God has created.
May it be so.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 19th April 2018

We call ourselves to remember, dear God, that you are one. We call you to hear our prayer as we struggle for focus. Our world, your world, changes so drastically. We pray for the immediate survivors of the deaths of the famous, like Barbara Bush in the United States and Winnie Mandela in the Republic of South Africa, and of the humble. We pray that we may take from our sharing of all these lives, at whatever distance, things that in surprising ways, can be made to work together for good. We pray that we grow in depth and concentration in our love for you, for we know we are all part of the working together.

We pray for a centering vision for our leaders and for ourselves. As the world works toward a first face-to-face meeting between the heads of North Korea and of the United States, we pray for the wisdom of the negotiators. We pray for abundance of life for all Koreans, North, South and in diaspora.

We pray that diplomatic relations between the United States, United Kingdom, France and Russia persevere in negotiations towards a peaceful solution to any interference in the Syrian civil war so that the innocent civilians of this war-torn country suffer no more.

We pray for a corrective vision for histories, our own history as well as the history of others. We see anti-Semitism rising in Germany, Hungary and elsewhere. We see the presence of alternative views legislatively outlawed in Poland and ridiculed in the United States. We pray that outrageous claims may be replaced by a still more outrageous calm, in our hearts, in our minds, in our speech and in our communities.

We pray for an inclusive view of ourselves and others. Even baboons have worked collaboratively to escape a biomedical research facility with a record of fines and violations in the United States. We pray for refugees and for those who receive refugees. We pray for ourselves, that we may entertain angels unaware.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, April 12, 2018

[Jesus] stood among them and said to them, ‘Shalom be with you.’ ~ Luke 24:36

God of creation and creativity, you’ve given us the gift of language and communication so that we might speak of and learn about you, however feeble our understanding might be. We often take the gift of words for granted, forgetting the deep richness of meaning in the words you speak to us. Remind us especially today and always of the meaning of Jesus’ words to his disciples and to us: “Shalom be with you.”

Remind us that the shalom of God means a commitment to peace for all people. Bring calm and reason to world leaders who threaten one another economically, politically, and militarily, especially in Russia, China, and the United States of America. Send people of good faith and compassion to negotiate healing and peace in places of long-lasting and complicated conflict like Syria, Palestine, Myanmar, Central African Republic, South Sudan, and so many other countries around the world where your children continue to suffer.

Remind us that the shalom of God means a commitment to justice for all people. Send your shalom to all governments leaders who are committed to improving lives and working for the prosperity of all. Make us aware of the fragility of our human hearts, so that we can guard against further instances of corruption like those currently playing out in South Africa and Brazil, where key government leaders have been charged or convicted. Remind us of our own role in creating communities of equality, where all people can live in safety and wholeness.

Remind us that the shalom of God means a commitment to health for all people. Bring healing to all who suffer illness in mind, body, and spirit. We pray especially for those who have been abused like Yoshitane Yamasaki, a man in Japan who was kept in a cage by his father for 20 years, and childless women in Guinea, where a scammer sold harmful herbs that made the women’s stomachs swell and told them that they had become pregnant. We pray also for the grieving families of the children who died in a bus crash in Himachal Pradesh, India.

Remind us that the shalom of God means a commitment to wholeness for all people. Embolden us to fight for change as we remember the empty and broken feelings of those who have lost loved ones to violence: the families of students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, USA; the families of those killed and injured in Muenster, Germany, when a van drove into a crowd; and the families of those who mourn the senseless deaths of people they love due to gun violence, terrorism, and hate.

Remind us that the shalom of God means a commitment to safety for all people. Fill us with compassion for people who live in danger every day in Douma, Syria, where gas attacks threaten lives, and in Offa, Nigeria, where violent robberies have become routine.

Remind us that the shalom of God means a commitment to your future kingdom in all its fullness. Give us the boldness to pray as you taught us, “Thy kingdom come,” and then to act on that prayer, working for peace where there is war, justice where there is need, health where there is illness, wholeness where there is loss, and safety where there is fear and danger. Fill us with your shalom, so that we can carry your message of hope, love, and joy to the ends of the earth.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, February 15th, 2018

It seems very odd, Lord, that people call for January to be a month to try being vegan when Lent was a period, 40 days, in the time before world trade hit our food markets when it was a necessity. We pray for those to whom being vegan is not a life style choice but a necessity forced on refugees, rough sleepers and displaced people. We think especially of those in the Cape provinces of South Africa where drought is forcing extreme measures as water may run out in a matter of weeks.

It seems very odd, Lord, that people think shooting in a school will solve their problems rather than ask you. We pray for all those dealing with the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, USA, for those who grieve, those who are injured and those treating trauma, giving thanks for all who cope as the incident unfolds.

It seems very odd, Lord, that people rake over old scandals rather than seek your moral code for how to live together as a society. We pray for the people of Haiti and other countries where foreign aid workers have inflicted life style problems to the detriment of those they were sent to help. We pray for the Governments of both donor and recipient countries especially those who, lacking perspective, trash all that has been achieved.

It seems very odd that prescription drugs are sold illegally for uses they can’t possibly treat, promote household chemicals as cures for fatal illnesses, while others poach endangered species and prey on people for body parts.

We pray:

for the women of Pakistan, trying to open bank accounts but whose spinal fluid was abusively taken.

for the churches of Limpopo province, South Africa, where insecticide was used on their congregations.

for those who are willing to pay, and those who take their money to poach, for the short terms gains from shark finning, rhino and elephant poaching.

We ask that things seen as of little media interest in the face of –

the political crises in South Africa and Israel;
the collapsing health care in Gaza, Syria and Jordan;
the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh;
the banking investigation in Australia

may be recognised as the major events they are for the future of our whole world.

We pray for those killed and injured in the tragedy of incidents and life-affecting disasters –

in the plane crash in Moscow, Russia;
in the helicopter crash at the Grand Canyon, USA;
in the bus crash in Hong Kong;
in the train crash in central Austria;
in fighting and air strikes in Syria,

and may all those involved in rescue and emergency aid operations be recognised for the vital work and care they administer.

Lord, it might seem odd to us that we do so little: a smile here, a hug there, a donation, a prayer. Help us not to forget that the small thing we do today enables another to do a bigger thing tomorrow until all becomes part of your vast generosity. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018

Holy One,

We keep scrolling through the news, forever flicking from catastrophe to exhilaration to trauma, over and over and over again. Make us stop. Force us to take a break. Teach us how to breathe. Show us how to behold–rather than barrel through–your world.

We pray that we might take a break and breathe and behold the world, as you do.

May we breathe and behold those who are preparing for the Winter Olympics. We pray for the safety and well-being of these awe-inspiring athletes.

May we breathe and behold those who are preparing for elections and the transition of power in Venezuela, Germany, and South Africa. We pray for citizen voices to be heard, debate to remain non-violent, and appropriate authority respected.

May we breathe and behold those in need of drinkable water, whether they live in Cape Town, South Africa or Flint, Michigan, USA. We pray for provisions to keep your children satiated in the present and regulations to keep your children safe in the future. And we pray that we might never, ever, ever, ever, take for granted the gift of water and other resources from your Creation.

May we breathe and behold those who remain in battle zones and under siege in Syria. Even when the words seem to dry with despair on our lips, we still lift to you our prayers of grief, anger, fear, frustration, and deep lament for Syrian citizens and refugees. Hold these, your children. Breathe your Spirit into them. Remind them at that they are not alone, no matter how long the conflict drags on.

May we breathe and behold those who work to lift up the last, the lost, and the least here in our United States. As our media and legislators fixate on the wealthiest, most glamorous among us, we pray for the conviction to look for you in the face of the stranger, immigrant, prisoner, impoverished, abandoned, and weak.

We pray for the hearts and minds and strength to breathe and behold you in the world around us. We pray that we might learn to love you not just in word but in action, here and now and always.

In your holy name we pray. Amen.

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

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever. ~ Psalm 111:10

…we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ~ 1 Corinthians 8:1

…anyone who loves God is known by him. ~ 1 Corinthians 8:3

Holy God, revealed in the incarnate Jesus, the Christ, and gifted to each one of us through your Holy Spirit, we often struggle to live in or even sing of your majesty and transforming love. Fill us with thankfulness for all the light and love we receive even in the middle of hard times. This light and love is your gift to the darkness and brokenness in each one of us and in the world.

Come fill us with your light, love and wisdom, so we may be channels for you to lighten the darkness where we are.

Often, Father God, we think we’re okay or doing not so bad, yet in our willful blindness we miss the pain and suffering in our communities: those who lose jobs, run into financial difficulties, lose homes, cannot pay for food, education and basic necessities; the lonely; those grieving; those bullied and maltreated for whatever reason. We all need help at different times, yet sometimes we get cocooned in our routine and safe lives, choosing to be unaware of the fragility of what we think makes us safe and secure. You God are our Rock, our Life and everlasting love.

Come fill us with your light, love and wisdom, so we may be channels for you to lighten the darkness where we are.

The relentless saga of egotistical arrogance continues in so many in leadership in all countries, businesses, governments, and organisations. Even leaders of faith groups seek self-aggrandisement and power over others. The havoc this wreaks is mirrored in all your world: in Eastern Ghouta, Syria; in Jalalabad, Afghanistan; in Kurdistan; in the Gambia trying to recover from the crimes committed by its former leader; in Yemen; in Austria; and in the wake of devastation following natural disasters in the USA, Mexico, France, Japan, and Cape Town, South Africa. Father God, give those in leadership understanding that the better way – your way – is to serve with compassion and lead in justice, truth and equity.

Come fill us with your light, love and wisdom, so we may be channels for you to lighten the darkness where we are.

We give thanks for the loving example of two sets of parents in India – one rich and Hindu, one poor and Muslim – where their newborn sons were switched at birth in error. After 3 years, they are continuing to bring up each other’s children while working to be part of each other’s lives. One parent said, “We all come from the same source and only become Hindu and Muslim once here.” Teach us to live and love all whom you have created, and all that you have created. May we touch each other and the earth lightly as sacred gifts from you.

Come fill us with your light, love and wisdom, so we may be channels for you to lighten the darkness where we are.

Holy and awesome God, your Son’s authority is found in integrity and living truth, not the assertion of power over others. Open our imaginations to new dimensions of your love, and heal us of all that severs us from you and one another and your Creation, that we may grow into the vision you unfold before us. Amen.