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.

May Your Love Flow Through: A Prayer for the Burning Amazon and a World on Fire (August 29, 2019)

Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8 God of love, you created the world and everything in it. You created the beautiful rain forests, the colorful sunsets, the innumerable animals and leaving creatures, human beings, and most of all you created the love […]

Ask the Animals and They Will Teach You: A Prayer for a Dying Glacier and Children in Detention (August 22, 2019)

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? […]

Can We Dare to Love Like You: Prayers for Migrants Stranded off Italy and for the Righteous Few (August 15, 2019)

There is a Love that is deeper than love, that fills the world, that fuels the world. O, give thanks and sing. From Genesis 18:16-23 (Paraphrased): The Lord, having heard much outcry about the sins of the two cities, was prepared to destroy them, and all the people in them. But Abraham challenged the Lord: […]

Lighten the Darkness Where We Are: Prayers After El Paso and Dayton, for Kabul and Kashmir (August 8, 2019)

‘Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him on those who hope in his steadfast love..’ ~ Ps 33:18 ‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen….. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what […]

The World Is About to Turn: Prayers for Hong Kong, Moscow Arrests, and Separated Families (August 1, 2019)

My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great, and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait. You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight, and my weakness you did not spurn, so from east to west shall my name […]

Act Justly, Love Mercy: Prayers After the Yuen Long Attack and the Paradise Fire (July 25, 2019)

He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 NIV Let us pray. We think of the 45 People beaten by organized thugs in Yuen Long, a far northwest metro station […]

Lord in Your Mercy: Prayers for Yemen, the Uighurs, and Migrant Graves in Texas (July 11, 2019)

Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer Lord, there is so much happening in our world we hardly know where to direct our attention and can only be grateful that you see all and answer the prayers of all your people. So we place in your hands our concerns for our environment from the high […]

A Song of Peace for Their Land and for Mine: A Fourth of July Prayer for All Nations (July 4, 2019)

“My Country ‘Tis of Thee Sweet Land of Liberty of Thee I Sing” (Hymn, Samuel Francis Smith) Holy God, I write from my little corner of the world, my little neighborhood of my native land, the United States, celebrating its birth. You have heard the fun, fireworks explosions from sea to shining sea. You […]

I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills: Prayers for Floods, Fires, Europe’s Heat Wave, and Rescued Turtles (June 27, 2019)

I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 (NRSV) Rescuing and Redeeming God, we lift our eyes up to you. We lift our eyes out of the chaos of our lives seeking […]

Nurture Them, Shelter Them, Love Them: Prayers for 70 Million Displaced People and Juneteenth (June 20, 2019)

Holy One, Our hands reach out, our voices call forth, our hearts lift up, and in the act of praying, once again, we discover you. Our words are but a small measure of the world’s great need, yet as we draw close to you, you draw close to us. We pray to you, O Lord. […]