O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will […]
Prayers for Iran
Prayers naming Iran hold nuclear negotiations and the tension around them, strikes and fragile ceasefires, and talks that begin and stall. Protest is a recurring theme, particularly the treatment of women and of schoolgirls, along with those imprisoned or censored. Journalists and activists who speak at real cost are honored.
Let Us Love One Another: A Prayer for Haiti’s Cholera Epidemic and a Divided World (December 28, 2016)
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 Beloved God, we see evidence throughout the world of how hard it is for some neighbors to love one another. We find continued difficulty in seeing You in each other. We […]
Prayers of Contrast: Bombings in Istanbul and Jakarta, and Flint’s Poisoned Water (January 14, 2016)
Your love is steadfast, O Lord, but how fickle we are. We are never satisfied. In our dissatisfaction we destroy that which we do not understand and devastate that which satisfies as if there is never enough. Our prayers are prayers of contrast as we recognize political, financial and economic pressures are very different across […]
He Came Down That We May Have Peace: An Epiphany Prayer for Persecuted Christians (January 7, 2016)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;…” “I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Do not be afraid, for I am with you;” Isaiah 43: 1 & 5 “Why did he come? He came down that we may have love, … peace, … joy.” Cameroon (Africa) Carol As we celebrate the Baptism […]
Hold It in Trust: A Prayer for the Care of Creation, Climate Change, and Nuclear Peace (August 20, 2015)
God, of whose creative force it is said: “Before the world was created, the Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them. Finally He created this one, and was satisfied. He said to Adam: ‘This is the last world I shall make. I place it in your hands: hold it in trust.’ “ [Gates of […]
Today the World Is Full of Glory: A Prayer on the 70th Anniversary of Hiroshima (August 6, 2015)
Today is the 70th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropping on Hiroshima, and three days later over Nagasaki. At a ceremony to mark the anniversary, which included Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, said “Seventy years on I want to re-emphasize the necessity of world peace.” The Church of England […]
Souls Stitched With Love: Prayers for Sandra Bland, the Lafayette Theater Shooting, and Syria (July 30, 2015)
Heavenly Father and Mother, be with us today and in all times. We call upon you in our most vulnerable moments. We call for you to bear witness to our lives, to help us take the steps needed to serve you with love, compassion, faith, and understanding. Continue to remind us that it is our […]
Made in the Image of God: A Prayer Against Hatred of the Other and for Those Who Welcome Refugees (July 23, 2015)
Do we believe we are made in the image of God, or is our God made in our very finite image?” –Rhoda C. Martin “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working […]
Be Still and Know That I Am God: A Prayer for Peace Talks in Afghanistan and the Iran Agreement (July 16, 2015)
“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” -Psalm 46:10 (NRSV) In the midst of the tasks of life, the busy-ness, the rush, the never-ending to-do lists, it is easy to lose sight of you, O God. Still us now, so that […]
Who Is So Hurt I May Not Know Their Heartache: After the California Oil Spill (May 21, 2015)
“Who is so hurt I may not know their heartache?” asks the old hymn I Would Be True. We pray today for the heartbreak of the world. For the heartbreak of those who struggle with over 100 thousand gallons of oil poured from a broken pipeline…who struggle with the devastating effects on one of the […]