Weekly Prayers Archives - Page 66 of 70

A Game That Transcends Language: A Prayer at the Opening of the World Cup in Brazil (June 12, 2014)

Creator God, in the midst of economic, political, and social turmoils, we thank you for the opportunity to gather for another World Cup. We thank you for open fields that ignite children’s imaginations, for communities and governments that promote healthy activities, for the opportunity to teach teamwork and sportsmanship. We praise you for giving us […]

Your Spirit Moves Among Us: A Pentecost Prayer for Tiananmen Remembered, Nigeria, and Moncton (June 5, 2014)

World in prayer – Prayers for Pentecost 2014 Gathered together, surrounded by the grace of the Spirit, we enter into this holy time of prayer seeking Divine wisdom and courage to live faithfully and justly. Let us join together in prayer. Creator God, we feel your Spirit move among us in the gentle breeze, in the […]

Wind Who Makes All Winds That Blow: A Pentecost Prayer for the Church and a Groaning World (June 5, 2014)

Wind who makes all winds that blow, gusts that bend the sapling low, gales that heave the sea in waves, stirrings in the mind’s deep caves: aim your breath with steady power on your church, this day, this hour. Raise, renew the life we’ve lost, Spirit God of Pentecost. Loving God, Creator God, your children are […]

There Is a Balm in Gilead: A Prayer for Farzana Parveen and the Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls (May 29, 2014)

Go up to Gilead and take balm. — Jeremiah 46:11 “There is a Balm in Gilead” – American Spiritual There is a balm in Gilead To make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead To heal the sin sick soul. Some times I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain, But then […]

Two Thirds of Our Planet: A Prayer for an Interlinked World and the Missing at Sea (May 22, 2014)

Two thirds of our planet are covered by sea. Two thirds of our planet are still unexplored. (Hans Hass) Lord, you are so immense, intelligent and intangible, that we think you are incomprehensible, impenetrable, inscrutable. Somehow that gives us the idea that you cannot know or understand us, our environment, our planet. We act […]

When Words Become Weapons: A Prayer for the Soma Mine Fire and the Chibok Girls (May 15, 2014)

Jesus said, “You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you […]

All Shall Be Well: A Prayer with Julian of Norwich for Refugees, the Chibok Girls, and Mothers (May 8, 2014)

This week in the liturgical churches, we commemorate the death of Saint Julian of Norwich and her “Revelations of Divine Love”, the first known book in the English language written by a woman. And Sunday is sometimes called “Good Shepherd Sunday”, reminding us of God’s unbounded providence and grace. In the United States, it is […]

Expanding the Borders of Our Prayers: For Central African Republic, Ukraine, and a Post-Easter World (May 1, 2014)

God of Easter and beyond, You have dared us to take Your story “from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth.” You have asked us to lay claim to the world in the name of Love, and You are Love. It is with Your call that we expand the borders of […]

We Doubt and We Believe: A Prayer After the Korean Ferry Disaster and the Nigerian Kidnappings (April 24, 2014)

O Lord, we doubt and we believe. Help us to hold both our doubt and our belief lightly so we may be astonished and overjoyed when we see you, wounded and whole, living in our world. We doubt we will see peace: in Syria, in Ukraine, between Israelis and Palestinians, even sometimes within our own […]

A Good Friday Vigil: Prayers for the Korean Ferry, South Sudan, Forgiveness, and New Beginnings (April 17, 2014)

I write this during the long vigil between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The time when those who follow the ancient traditions of the Christian church year stay up and keep watch with Jesus, as he prays in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. We have, once again, been present as he washes the disciples’ […]