World in Prayer

Sharing in God’s loving compassion for all

Prayers for Ukraine

Much of what is gathered for Ukraine concerns war: the unrest and occupation that came first, the wider invasion that followed, and the families displaced into Poland and other countries. Elections, freedom of speech and the grain harvest also appear, along with prayers for medical workers and for ceasefires that have not yet held.

Teach Us to Recognise Your Accent: A Prayer for Ukraine and the Conflicts the World Forgot (March 10, 2022)

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Ps 27:8 (New Living Translation) In stillness let us hear your voice, God. Easy to say, but hard to do. The endless whirl and explosion of thoughts in our heads force their way to grab our […]

Come Now, O Prince of Peace: A Prayer as Russia Invades Ukraine (February 24, 2022)

As this week, fraught with so many cares and concerns, has unfolded, I have found myself singing this Advent hymn over and over again. And even though it is not the Advent season, this world is certainly in a period of waiting and watching and wondering. And so we sing together: Come now, O Prince […]

We Breathe Your Peace: A Prayer at the Russia Ukraine Border and for Petropolis (February 17, 2022)

Oh God, you lean into us. We lean into you. A flow of relationship that has no end. We are grateful. We are invited to pray without ceasing. This is not a burden but a freeing gift, an invitation to stay present to our constant dance with you. As we pray in each moment our […]

Nothing Can Separate Us: Prayers for Black History Month, Ukraine, and Cyclone Batsirai (February 10, 2022)

God, in whom we live and move and have our being, there is nothing that can separate us from you and your steadfast love. Out of this love, you created a world of unsurpassed beauty and you called it good. You continue to recreate and repair this world with that same attentive love. Holy One, open […]

Where the Deep Calls to Deep: Prayers for Tonga After the Tsunami, Ukraine, and a Texas Synagogue (January 20, 2022)

Divine Parent, no matter who we are or what we have done, you welcome us home with open arms. We may not believe it, but you deem us worthy of your love and grace. Therefore, we uplift to you our fragmented and imperfect prayers. Beckon us from within so that we may find that place […]

How Shall I Pray Today: Prayers for Drought and Floods, Afghanistan’s Girls, and David Amess (October 21, 2021)

How shall I pray, today, Lord? So many topics, situations, peoples, needs, joys, and problems all clamoring for attention and my thoughts are whirling and screaming. Calm us, Lord, as you calmed the storm on Galilee for your disciples. “The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live […]

Peace Like an Unpredictable Flower: Prayers for Gaza, India’s COVID Crisis, and Kabul (May 20, 2021)

A note to our email subscribers: If you are getting this prayer for a second time, it means the problem preventing our email service from “grabbing” the current prayer from our website is, in fact, finally fixed! (We’ve been fighting a massive malware invasion, which caused last week’s edition to email twice, and had been […]

Though I May Speak: Prayers for a Walled World, Famine, and the Storming of the US Capitol (January 7, 2021)

Editor’s note:  World In Prayer needs a few more writers and editors!  Our team consists of 12-15 volunteers, from several different countries and continents. Each week, one person writes the prayers in response to international news. A second person then edits and posts the prayers online.  Because we rotate who writes and edits, you would end up serving […]

Teach Our Eyes to Smile: Prayers for Chernobyl’s Wildfires, Front Line Workers, and Nations in Crisis (April 30, 2020)

Dear Lord, Sometimes we feel so alone and unprepared and exhausted. Sometimes we feel forgotten and stepped upon. Lord, remind us to breathe, to look outward and to look inward. Lord, remind us that in praying we are doing your will. Help us to examine ourselves and to prepare for each day, knowing you are […]

Like Grasses Showing Tender Faces: A Prayer as the Pandemic Circles the Globe (March 12, 2020)

Every little thing is sent for something, and in that thing there should be happiness and the power to make happy. Like the grasses showing tender faces to each other, thus we should do, for this was the wish of the Grandfathers of the World.   Black Elk, (1863-1950) Oh God, we read these words […]