Loving God, it is sometimes difficult to find the words to pray when our hearts and souls feel weary about all that is happening in our world. We look for comfort and hope, but sometimes the situations that surround us need a miracle.
As we come to you in prayer this week, let us remember to care and love for one another.
As people of Christ, let us pray for the ones whom Jesus blessed.
We pray for those who are poor in spirit. We give thanks for those who are giving their lives in service to others even when it is an inconvenience or danger to their own lives. Thank you for the firefighters who are working hard in California, U.S. For dogs who are being trained to sniff out bowel cancer in the United Kingdom after successfully sniffing out COVID and Parkinsons, and for firefighters who were able to rescue a man and his dog from an icy lake in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. During times when the news is often painful to hear, we need these good news stories to remind us of the wonderful things humanity is capable of.
We pray for those who mourn. We pray for those who died in a tragic plane crash when an American Airlines flight collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter in Washington, D.C., U.S. 67 individuals have been presumed dead in what is being called the deadliest U.S. Air Disaster in more than 20 years.
We pray for places around the world where death, disease and destruction are their current reality. We pray for Uganda, where an Ebola outbreak has begun. For the many countries around the world including Ukraine, which are now being denied U.S. foreign aid, and for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Rwandan-backed rebels are seeking to assert control over the largest city – Goma.
Creator God, in these times we pray that justice will be served, support given, and accountability be made. We pray for the family and friends of those affected, and we ask that your great mercy and love will shine through even in the darkest valley.
We pray for the meek. We give thanks for unsung heroes who do not get as much attention or acclaim as they deserve. We are grateful for Innocent James of Northern Tanzania who has been turning cement bags into backpacks that include a small solar panel which acts as a reading light. James has been able to employ 85 rural workers in his company, and has given new opportunities to underserved communities. We give thanks for Andy Emmott from England who offered his own kidney to an 11-year-old girl after his own daughter had died of kidney disease at the age of 8. And we give thanks for those who crowdfunded the rebuilding of a deer shelter for the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Centre to the tune of $33,000 in Alaska, U.S.
We pray for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. We pray for situations of injustice around the world, including this week’s exposure of the shocking abuse and discrimination against migrant workers in Canada who were working under its Temporary Foreign Worker Program. For the deportation of many undocumented migrants in the United States, and for Israel’s delayed reciprocal hostage release in Palestine.
In moments of such atrocities and heartbreak, we pray for a better society where all will come to know and love one another as siblings. We pray for those who speak up against the horrors this world brings, and for those who continue to believe that grace, peace, and light are possible.
We pray for the merciful. We pray for communities which currently feel unsafe due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest statements including the LGBTQIA+ communities, undocumented migrant workers, people of colour and now, the disability community who have been blamed for this week’s fatal air crash in Washington, D.C. We give thanks for voices like Mariann Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington DC (U.S.), who speak truth to power even when it means threats to their profession and even to their lives.
We pray for the pure in heart. We pray for the many celebrations of diversity that are and will be occurring around the world – including Black History Month (February), and the celebration this week of the beginning of the Lunar New Year. We give thanks for those who were strong voices, advocates, and allies in the past for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and all people of colour. We pray that we may have more opportunities to get to know one another as friends and companions on this journey.
We pray for all peacemakers both at home and abroad. We pray for those who are holding firm to community building, despite increased worldwide pressures to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. We give thanks for Syria, where the newly-appointed President Ahmed Al-Sharaa aims to build an inclusive transitional government representing the diverse communities in his country. We give thanks for countries like Sweden that have stepped up to give foreign aid to Ukraine, and for individuals like United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who this week appealed for an additional $500 million in donations to investigate, end and assist the survivors of human rights abuses around the world, including illegal detention, slavery and torture.
We pray for those who are persecuted because of righteousness. We pray for the family of Yomi Adetula, a respected 54-year-old church leader in Nigeria who was shot at the morning church service on January 19th by a gunman reportedly affiliated with a cult targeting Christians. For Pastor Nguyen Manh Hung of Vietnam who was arrested on January 16th for a Facebook post criticizing Vietnam’s Communist Government, and for Fei Xiaosheng, an artist and musician in China who is being detained for 40 days after publicly supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and independence from China.
Eternal One, we praise you for being present in our world – in the tension of righteousness and unrighteousness. Thank you for walking beside us when our common beliefs are now being challenged. Thank you for being present in countries and circumstances that truly need your mercy.
Amen.
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