Syria

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 27 September 2018

What are we that you are mindful of us?
You made us a little lower than the heavenly beings,
and crowned us with glory and honor.
You made us ruler over the works of your hands;
You put everything under our feet
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is our name in all the Earth.”
(Psalm 8:4-9, slightly altered)

O Lord, our Lord, it is true: how majestic is your name in all the Earth. It is true that all over the Earth people praise you, worship you, serve you, follow you, believe in you.

Our sorrow is that we fail you so often, in so many ways. In our humility we do sometimes wonder how you could have entrusted your precious creation to us. We have taken seriously that we are just a bit below the angels, that we are rulers over all, that everything is under our feet. We have not taken seriously the responsibility, the stewardship, the leadership, the sacrifice that comes with such honor.

Holy God, we remember the six days of creation: all of life, all of nature, all of grandeur, all of the universe, all of humanity. And it was good, you said over and over again. What hopes you had for it all.

Today, we bring forth our sorrows and failures. Lord, in your mercy remember what we forget: the horrors of war in Yemen, the threatening crisis in Ibdil, Syria, the remaining casualties of floods and storms across the United States from this year and last, the bewildering treatment of Muslims and Christians in China, the disregard for women in places high and low, the loss of freedoms near and far, the neglect and disrespect of our environment, the crumbling of economies and infrastructure and work itself.

All this we grieve.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayers that floods recede, waters be cleansed, nations healed, rights restored, ruins rebuilt, Earth honored, life treasured, people respected, faith deepened, and love multiplied.

Loving God, we do not despair. We see the courage of peace-keepers, whistle-blowers, rescuers, volunteers, protesters, prisoners of conscience, people of good will, and leaders with vision.

Thank you, God, for being mindful of us, for allowing us to rule over the works of your hands. May we be equal to such honor. Amen.

Editor’s Note: We apologize to our subscribers that our weekly email did not go out last week. We believe the problem has been fixed, so weekly emails should return to normal as of this posting.

World News This Week in Prayer, Thursday, September 13, 2018

“So we can say with confidence, with boldness, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’ ” Hebrews 12:6

Precious Lord, take my hand,

Lead me on, let me stand,

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.

Through the storm, through the night,

Lead me on to the light.

Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

Words and music: Thomas Dorsey Tune: PRECIOUS LORD

Precious Lord, around and about this incredible world of yours, your children are being threatened by the forces of nature: in the southeastern United States by Hurricane Florence; in the Philippines and Hong Kong by Typhoon Mangkhut; in Hawaii by Tropical Storm Olivia. And our overwhelming response is fear, as we worry about the impending damage from wind and rain.. Uplift us, Loving God. Fill us with the confidence that whatever befalls, you are with us. God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.

God of Peace, around and about this hurting world of yours, your children are threatened by ongoing wars and their sequelae. News of massive military drills being held by Russia and China; air strikes in rebel-held Idlib province in Syria by the Syrian government and the suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, resulting in 68 dead and 165 injured bring worry and suffering. The crackdown in China against minority Muslim groups, especially the Uyghurs, with tens of thousands being sent to political re-education camps causes deep concern and grief. And our overwhelming response is a sense of helplessness, as we see ourselves as unable to make a difference. Uplift these, your own, Loving God. Fill them with confidence and hope that whatever befalls, you are with them and our loving concern supports them. God of courage and hope, hear our prayer.

God of Compassion and Justice, around and about this wonderful world of yours, your children are reaching out to one another in love and daring which we celebrate: Harper Nielson, the 9-year-old Australian schoolgirl, daring to protest her perceived injustice of the national anthem; Elissa Montanti of Staten Island, New York, founding an organization, Global Medical Relief Fund, to bring children injured in war or by natural disasters to the United States for medical care unavailable to them in their home countries; the courage of the Supreme Court of India for their landmark decision to legalize and decriminalize consensual gay sex. Uplift them all, Loving God. Fill them and us with a sense of justice which gives us courage to stand up for what is right. God of all people, hear our prayer.

When our way grows drear,

precious Lord, linger near,

when our lives are almost gone,

hear our cry, hear our call,

hold our hands lest we fall,

Take our hands, precious Lord, lead us home. Amen and amen

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, September 6, 2018

Do not fear, for I am with you,

do not be afraid, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

For I, the Lord your God,

hold your right hand;

it is I who say to you,

“Do not fear, I will help you.”

Isaiah 41:10, 13 (NSRV)

God of Comfort, each of your children come to you with unique hearts and minds and experiences and of every feeling imaginable. While we may not know the feelings and experiences of those near or far, you know what lies in every heart. We ask that you rest your comforting hand on each of your children.

God of Strength, lift up those who can hardly carry on. We pray for the refugees on the Island of Lesbos, Greece who suffer under horrendous conditions in the Moria Migrant Center. We pray especially for the children who do not have the strength or will to live any longer, who are attempting suicide wishing to leave the burdens of earthly life. May your hand of comfort lift them up. Give them your mighty strength.

God of Presence, be with those in Japan who have experienced a terrible typhoon. As your people experience this destruction, be with those who have lost loved ones and with the injured. May your healing presence and abundant love be made known. Help us to understand that your presence is so necessary in every human life: in typhoons and other natural disasters, in a hospital room or hospice, in broken relationships and among defeated souls.

God of Help, at times the lives of your people and the things they care about completely fall apart. Be with the people of Brazil who have lost years of history after the fire at the National Museum of Brazil destroyed over ninety percent of the collection in Rio de Janeiro. As priceless pieces and singular specimens are utterly gone and with the research, work and livelihood of so many upended we ask for comfort as they mourn and try to understand this great loss.

God of Hope, we ask that you sustain the people of Venezuela as rampant inflation continues, that they might know stability and peace. While hope might seem distant, lift up those who have had to live under extreme poverty, increasing crime and daily hunger.

God of Life, be with those in Syria as battles loom imperiling more lives. We ask that you protect all who are in harm’s way. Sustain your people as they face the loss of loved ones and destruction of their communities. End the suffering and may the blessings in life prevail as talks of rebuilding begin.

God of comfort and strength, of presence and help, of hope and life, be with your people around the world and in all the ways needed whether it is to receive comfort or rejoice in new seasons of life. May each of your children know your loving hand. While others might hurt or harm, help us to know that your victorious hand will never harm and will always offer hope.

May your words “Do not fear, I will help you” continually ring as an anthem of hope in our lives.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 2, 2018

On God alone I wait silently;
God my deliverer, God my strong tower.
Paraphrase from Ps. 62, John L. Bell*

When all efforts have been made to cope with natural disasters:
the earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia;
the wildfires in California, USA, Sweden, Siberia, Russian Federation, Greece,
water shortages in Yemen, the UK, Syria, Kenya;

On God alone I wait silently; God my deliverer, God my strong tower.

When people are exhausted from the struggles against injustice and terror:
those forced to care for the children of imprisoned gang members in El Salvador;
the Zimbabweans fearing their Presidential election has been hijacked again;
refugees in the US, Sweden, the European Union, Canada, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Australia and so many other countries;

On God alone I wait silently; God my deliverer, God my strong tower.

When people seek to care for their fellow human beings in need:
Maria Makrogianni (Mama Maria) of Samos, Greece, still feeding refugees from
home having been forced to close her restaurant due to threats on her life;
firefighters (including prisoners) and people of all faiths and none helping those
burned out in Shasta County, California US;
all who act as care givers (paid or unpaid), medics, police, firefighters,
those who keep our communities clean and safe, often with little thanks;

On God alone I wait silently; God my deliverer, God my strong tower.

When families are changing, new life is being formed and others prepare to leave this earthly life:
give us all a sense of thankfulness and proportion as to what is real or imaginary;
help us nurture truth rather than deceit;
humility rather than hubris;
tenderness, love and compassion rather than aggression, hatred and division.
Despite all we like to think, we are not in charge. You are; and we believe you have
a purpose for every season, even the waiting one.

On God alone I wait silently; God my deliverer, God my strong tower. 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

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, May 24, 2018

“God hears ‘amen’ wherever we are.” –Radney M. Foster

We come to you, O Lord, from many places, joining our voices to praise you and to ask for your intercession.

We know You hear us regardless of where we are physically.

• In places where we hope peace is possible: between North and South Korea, between Israel and Palestine, and between the major political parties in many countrys.
• In places torn by war, violence, and all manner of human atrocities: Syria, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.
• In places of political unrest: Venezuela, Italy, and China.
• In places preparing for the Atlantic Hurricane season: the Caribbean islands, Mexico, Bermuda, and the United States, especially Puerto Rico.
• In homeless shelters, in refugee camps, in houses of worship, in cities, on farms, and in all those places we call home.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We know You hear us regardless of where we are emotionally:
those grieving and those celebrating,
those marrying and those divorcing,
the baptized and the buried,
those caring for children and for the elderly,
those laboring and those unemployed,
all people at a beginning or an end.

Lord, grant us thy peace.

We know You hear us regardless of where we are spiritually:
during Ramadan, during morning mass, during the Sabbath;
at the beginning of a yoga practice, a labyrinth, a pilgrimage;
at the end of our lullabies;
and in the midst of our doubts.

In a great universal exhale, we say together,
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, 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 – April 5, 2018

An Aftermath Prayer

(Luke 24:32-33)

Holy God, You defeated doubt and death on Easter morning. You turned the world of what is possible and impossible upside down. You gave us Resurrection.

Now comes the aftermath.

In the aftermath of many things in life we often fail to follow through with our joy, our intentions, our beliefs, our commitment. On that first Easter day some of Jesus’ followers struggled to believe. In the aftermath their tests were many.

God of Easter we count on You in all the days after, when Easter joy fades and circumstances challenge our faith.

In the aftermath of hurricanes across the Caribbean nations, the United States and it’s territories, help us not to forget the work of rebuilding and long recovery.

In the aftermath of refugees escaping Syria, Libya, Eritrea and Myanmar help us not to forget their need for peace and freedom from fear.

In the aftermath of families torn apart by immigration policies help us not to forget their love for each other and your love for the world.

In the aftermath of gun violence help us not to forget our stewardship of life.

In the aftermath of a martyrs assassination 50 years ago and as the tolling of the Clayborn Temple bell echos around the world help us not to forget that the work of freedom and justice calls us.

In the aftermath of misrule in Zimbabwe and Venezuela help us not to forget the yearnings of people to live free.

In the aftermath of religious persecution in China, North Korea and Pakistan help us not to forget the sacred in each worshipper.

In the aftermath of plant closings, wag discrimination, downsizing and outsourcing, help us not to forget that all work has dignity, that all workers need and deserve respect.

In the aftermath of atrocities and continuation of the horrendous civil wars in Sudan and Burkina Faso and Yemen help us not to forget the Prince of Peace who lives still.

In the aftermath of age-old enmity in the Balkans and in the Middle East help us not to forget the truth of Amazing Grace.

In the aftermath of this life, in this age, we pray that we experience your Emmaus-like presence and find our “hearts burning within us” (Luke 24:32-33), compelling us to declare “It is true. The Lord has risen.”

In our aftermath may we live the Good News. Amen.