World in Prayer

Sharing in God’s loving compassion for all

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.

Our World Is Broken: Prayers After the Haiti Massacre, the Fall of Assad, and for the Hibakusha (December 12, 2024)

Dear God, Our world is broken in ways that pain us: Our hearts break with those who are grieving, especially those in Haiti after the massacre that left over 180 people dead. We pray that this situation will not escalate with retaliation, but will be ended by justice and reconciliation that prevails. Our minds whirl […]

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: Prayers for the Israel Lebanon Ceasefire and Aid to Gaza (November 28, 2024)

Will you come to our world, God? And will you come with hope? For we see too many situations we can only lament, too few that lift our spirits; too much despair, too little resilience and respect; too many longings and laments and limited visions, too few steps forward. O come, O come, Emmanuel. And […]

Glimmers of Grace: Prayers for Elections, Gaza, the Spanish Floods and Sudan’s Women (October 31, 2024)

Loving God, We know that our world is often uncertain. Many nations have recently faced elections, such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick in Canada, and Japan, where the Liberal Democratic Party, which has held power almost continually since 1955, lost its single-party majority at Sunday’s election. We also know that in some places, elections […]

Do Not Conform to the Pattern of This World: Prayers for Gaza, Beirut, Cuba and the Travel Moon (October 24, 2024)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will. — Romans 12:2 O Lord, renew our minds and with that clarity set us toward your perfect will. […]

Lord, Hear Our Prayers: World Communion Sunday, Hurricane Milton, and the Headlines of War (October 10, 2024)

“All who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.” (1 Corinthians 11:29) “Even when our cups run dry, God’s grace overflows. Even when our plates are empty, God’s generosity overflows. And even when our hearts are barren, God’s love overflows. Friends, you have been called and claimed by the […]

In the Way of Saint Francis: Prayers for the World’s Poorest Nations and 120 Million Displaced (October 3, 2024)

We center ourselves in prayer with you O Lord. The feast day of Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) is October 4.  We pray on how he modelled humility, concern for poor people; practicing a vow of poverty, peace and nonviolence, and care for creation for generations to come. Born into a wealthy Italian merchant family, Francis […]

Gather Us In: Prayers for Israel and Lebanon, Haiti’s Elections and Storm Boris (September 19, 2024)

“How do you choose which news to include in the prayers?” That’s a common question those of us who take turns writing the weekly prayers get asked. Sometimes, it’s more pointed: “Why did you mention this, but not that?” But there’s neither magic nor malice involved – we are all too human. We gather news, from a […]

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Prayers for Burkina Faso, Political Prisoners and Syria (September 12, 2024)

God in heaven, we pause to remember the many communities currently subject to war and political suppression. We pray for an end to violence and the establishment of freedom of political expression in all countries. Father Bertin Namboho, bursar of Nouna Diocese, western Burkina Faso,  describes extremist groups in control of approximately 40% of the […]

A World Without School Shootings: A Prayer After Georgia and for Migrants in the Channel (September 5, 2024)

God of all seasons, of all people, of each other… may we be lifted into a new season and a new way of being in your world. A world without school shootings, as another has just taken place in Georgia, United States. A world without war and conflict, as this past week a 16-year old […]

Let God’s People Go: A Prayer Remembering the Slave Trade and All Held Captive Today (August 22, 2024)

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 […]