Editor’s note:
23 August is recognized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. This date was chosen as an acknowledgement of the revolution in Saint Domingue, today the Republic of Haiti, that began in late August 1791 as a slave uprising and ended on January 1, 1804, with a declaration of independence for the new nation of Haiti. Many historians mark this bloody war of independence as the start of the abolition of slavery in Europe and the Americas, and Haiti remains the only nation in the world to ever gain independence through a slave uprising that resulted in a slavery-free state ruled by non-white, former captives.”
One in the communion of saints and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we join our voices in prayer. . .
Liberating God, you called your servant Moses to announce to the ancient Israelites God’s intentions for their release from slavery into freedom. Their story of exodus from captivity forms the foundation of religious faith for millions of people around our world. Help your church to recognize all the ways in which your children are bound and to strive for true freedom for all people. Raise up among us bold leaders to announce your command to all the Pharaohs of our world:
Let God’s people go!
Sustaining God, in your good time you send water to quench the thirst of our earth and sunshine to feed your gardens. Make us good stewards of the land and waters you have entrusted to us. Correct us when we exploit your natural resources and take more than we need. Open our eyes to the ways our abuse of your creation has forced our siblings around the world into hunger, poverty, and refugeeism in the face of drier conditions and more violent weather. Today we pray especially for those affected by fires in Canada and by Tropical Storm Jongdari in South Korea. Make us humble and generous with our resources, so that our actions might speak your words of liberation in the lives of those who are captive to storms, fires, droughts, and floods:
Let God’s people go!
Righteous God, you give us minds to think and hearts to connect to you and one another. Break our hearts on behalf of the over 40 million people worldwide who have been kidnapped into sexual slavery, sold into debt bondage from impoverished families, or born into a situation of forced labor. We especially prayer for women in countries like Afghanistan and Belarus where vulnerabilities to exploitation have continued to intensify. Fill world leaders with your sense of justice, so that they might work to end all forms of modern slavery, creating a world in which every person is treated with the dignity owed to a person who is created in your image. Give us your righteous anger, so that we might shout:
Let God’s people go!
Comforting God, you promise to be with all who suffer in mind, body, and spirit. We pray for those whose bodies and minds are captive to disease or injury and for those whose minds and spirits are captive to grief or fear. We pray today especially for those affected by the school shooting in Sanski Most, Bosnia, for those harmed by the spread of mpox in the Congo, and for all the people of Israel, Palestine, the Ukraine and elsewhere whose souls and bodies are captive to war and injustice. Give us your compassion, so that we might proclaim with our words and our actions the hope that comes from your loving presence:
Let God’s people go!
Reconciling God, you mourn the loss of freedom for each of the 12 million individuals currently incarcerated around the world, 1/3 of which are imprisoned in the United States and China. Help us to remember that we are called to visit those in prison, to acknowledge the humanity of those who have been pushed aside by our societies, and to fight against unjust judicial processes, including excessive sentencing, abuse in prisons, and racial and economic disparities in incarcerated populations. Lift our voices so that we might demand justice with your words:
Let God’s people go!
Renewing God, we praise you for the gift of individuals who have recognized the various types of bondage that entomb your children and have used their voices, bodies, and resources to bring change to our world. Today we remember especially the people enslaved in Haiti in the 1790s who fought for freedom for themselves and future generations. Help us to remember with gratitude those who have gone before us, giving of themselves and even their lives in the fight for freedom for all people. May we honor them and you by continuing their good work until slavery and captivity of all kinds is eradicated and all of your beloved children can live in the freedom of your grace and love. With these faith ancestors, we pray with our mouths and with our actions:
Let God’s people go!
We commit to you these prayers and all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy for our
deliverance and freedom. Amen.
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