Prayers for the United States

Prayers naming the United States have followed storms, tornadoes, wildfires and floods across many states, along with elections and political tension, gun violence, and questions of migration and race. Health, mental health and the well-being of ordinary households appear often, as do thanksgivings for its landscapes and wild places.

Prayers for World Leaders: France in Limbo, Kenya’s Cabinet, and the UK Election (July 11, 2024)

God of power and might, we pray you intervene in the hearts and minds of world leaders. We see the turmoil playing out at the highest levels of government of so many countries. The election in France has left the country in limbo, with three blocs short of aa majority and no new government in sight […]

For Childhood Lost: Prayers for Children in DR Congo, Gaza, Ukraine and Forced Labor (July 4, 2024)

Holy one of fire and transformation, O lord, upon us is the unfolding travesty begun more than fifty years ago with the U.S. intervention and destabilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The news today reports of the world’s largest humanitarian crises as fighting and defending the mineral extraction industry in the east by […]

The Largest Election Year in History: Prayers for Voters in Iran, France, Rwanda and Venezuela (June 27, 2024)

Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine […]

For Such a Time as This: Prayers for Juneteenth, Pride Month, Graduates and Rafah (June 13, 2024)

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” -Esther 4:14 God of our lives, We come to you with hearts […]

For a Leader: Blessings for Claudia Sheinbaum, Robert Fico, Pope Francis and LGBTQ Leaders (June 6, 2024)

You, most beloved God, are the leader of all that ever was and all that will ever be. You are a witness to the beauty that comes from a thoughtful leader and the violence and unrest that is born from an unhealthy leader. We seek your wisdom, your patience, your tenderness. Using excerpts from John […]

Come, Holy Spirit: A Pentecost Prayer for Ukraine, Rafah, and Flash Floods in Afghanistan (May 16, 2024)

Pulsing Spirit, Come, Holy Spirit, Come. Creativity God, as so many of your Christian churches celebrate Pentecost Sunday, we are forever reminded in the news how much we need a Spirit renewal toward unity and away from division. Russia‘s further advancement into Ukraine. A divided society in Slovakia as played out in an assassination attempt on […]

Jesus Calmed the Storm: A Prayer for Tornadoes, Floods, Saharan Dust, and Stranded Whales (May 2, 2024)

God of all, my heart is full of wonder, as I consider the mysterious and magnificent ways your spirit and presence are at work in the world. In the beginning your spirit hovered over the churning chaos, and with a word you began to create order, to bring forth life, to create a hope where […]

Glimpses of Beloved Community: Prayers for Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, and DR Congo (April 25, 2024)

Holy God, What a time to be alive. Sometimes we want to cover our eyes and ears because death and destruction have become all too common. Other times, we see glimpses of hope and love. We are in a season of spiritual whiplash and don’t know which way to turn, except to you. Open your […]

Consecrating Our Chaos: A Prayer for Religious and Spiritual Leaders Around the World (April 18, 2024)

“When you take on the confusion and the violence and you refine them, purify them into something new, you are doing what in the vocabulary of faith we call consecrating your chaos. To consecrate is to make holy, to put it into service for good. In consecrating chaos, you engage it, tame it, name it, […]

Love Your Enemies: A Prayer in Genocidal Times for Ukraine, Gaza, South Sudan, and Afghanistan (April 11, 2024)

‘To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer for that person.’ ~ Luke 6:27-28 The Message ‘We are not easily reduced to prayer’ – […]