Your glorious cause, O God Engages our hearts May Jesus Christ be known Wherever we are We ask not for ourselves, but for Your renown The cross has saved us so we pray Your kingdom come. – Let Your Kingdom Come, by Bob Kauflin Holy and almighty God, in the face of suffering and trials, […]
Prayers for Israel
Israel is held in these prayers chiefly through conflict and its aftermath: rocket fire and airstrikes, hostages and ceasefires, and the grief shared with Palestine and Lebanon. Elections, government tension and corruption inquiries are noted, as are journalists at risk and people who long for an ordinary, secure day.
Who Is My Neighbor: Prayers for Standing Rock, the Kabul Bombing, and Louisiana Tornadoes (February 9, 2017)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. -Luke 10:27 “it is written in the law.” heart & soul. love. neighbor. even if they aren’t nice. another chance to hear that answer. […]
Extremists for Love: Prayers on Martin Luther King Day for Refugees, Nigeria, and Flight MH370 (January 19, 2017)
At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of the extremist. … But as I continue to think about the matter I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist in love – “Love your enemies, bless them that […]
The Real Work of Christmas: A Prayer at the End of 2016 for Syria’s Ceasefire (December 29, 2016)
Abba God, following the examples of the shepherds, wise men, Simeon and Anna and millions before us, we worship and adore you, giving thanks and praise. As the turbulence that was 2016 draws to a close, we pause on the cusp of what was, what is and what is to be… There is so much […]
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 […]
The Moment to Decide: Prayers for Colombia’s Peace Vote, Mexico’s Volcano, and Syria (October 6, 2016)
At the time of the Mexican war, often viewed as a practice war for the United States shortly before the American Civil War, the poet James Russell Lowell penned lines that still speak to us: Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the […]
A Glimpse of All Your Works: Prayers After North Korea’s Nuclear Test and Typhoon Meranti (September 15, 2016)
O how wondrous is the foreknowledge of the divine heart that knew every creature in advance. For when God looked upon the human face that he had formed, he glimpsed all his works, in that same human form, all summed up. O how wondrous is the inspiration that has thus animated the human being. […]
Make Us Story-Tellers and Memory Bearers: A Prayer Remembering Elie Wiesel (July 21, 2016)
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place […]
Lord, Have Mercy: Prayers for Libya, Syria, Nauru’s Detained Refugees, and the Legacy of Jo Cox (June 23, 2016)
Violent protests, burning and looting in Pretoria, South Africa, over mayoral election… Foreign supporters of ISIS have taken over Sirte, Libya, murdering, torturing, crucifying Muslims and Christians… Russian fighters are dropping cluster bombs in Syria, indiscriminately endangering and killing civilians and children as well as fighters… Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Violence and hatred […]
We, Easter People, Pray: For Guantanamo, Libya’s Rival Governments, and Pakistan’s Christians (March 31, 2016)
Lord, in the strength of grace With a glad heart and free … Charles Wesley Today, in the grace of being Easter people, we pray for those who are supported by your grace alone in the turmoil and oppression of war, terror, famine, drought, prejudice, bigotry. We pray for all in Guantanamo Bay military prison […]