O God who holds each one of us,
We lift our hearts in prayer for the students around the globe who have just started a new school year. Help students, educators, and grown ups who raise children navigate the busier season and the additional stress that may bring. This time of year brings additional tasks for most of us, and the sudden change of pace can cause anxiety. With all the changes and challenges we face, we often think ‘how can I possibly manage this?’ In these times, remind us that you are there holding the burden alongside us.
As the days get darker and colder for some of us, or as the days get lighter and warmer for others, may we find moments to be still and feel your presence in all of creation. May we find moments of joy in the regathering with friends and communities we missed over the time apart, knowing that in the outstretched arms of those we care about, you are there wrapping us in your arms.
We are grateful for the countries around the globe that provide free school lunches for students, especially as the number of undernourished people has grown over the past several years. Help us to address the underlying causes of world hunger. As we recognize that the world has just experienced the hottest summer ever recorded, may we see the ways extreme weather impacts hunger. May we see how climate change impacts the Middle East and Africa at a disproportionately high rate. May we see how conflict, economic disparities, and racial inequalities also impact hunger. We pray that you wrap your loving arms around those who do not have enough nutrition, and around those who govern, that together we might make change through your love.
As we turn our hearts and minds to extreme weather, we pray for southern Brazil, where a cyclone and its aftermath has left at least 27 dead, and thousands forced from their homes; and to Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece, as deadly flooding has left at least 10 dead. May you reach out your hands through the helping hands of those who aid all who have been impacted by flooding.
And, as we turn our hearts and minds to conflict, let us pray for Ukraine, where at least 17 have been killed in a missile attack on a market in Kostyantynivka, and many others have been wounded. May your strong arms of justice bring about the kind of change that leads to peace and teaches us to use our arms for your peace rather than injury.
O God who holds each one of us, help us to feel your presence – a presence that brings more moments of hope, more moments of joy, and a life-changing understanding of what love is.
Amen.
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