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.

Martha, Martha: A Prayer for the Detained, the Trafficked, and the Distracted (February 2, 2017)

N.B. There has been an email glitch (hopefully resolved) and a lack of clarity in the 4th from last paragraph which has now been amended. In expectation of normal service being resumed next week… Jesus Visits Martha and Mary – Luke 10: 38 – 42, NRSV Now as they went on their way, he entered […]

Father, Forgive Them: A Prayer After the First Week of a New US Administration (January 26, 2017)

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” – Jesus, spoken as he was being crucified (Luke 23:34) For almost 17 years, World In Prayer has been posting prayers based on international news, trying to say and show that every human being, in every country, is beloved by God. Trying to find the […]

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 […]

Awaken Us to a New Year: Prayers for Cyprus Peace Talks, Congo, and Syria (January 12, 2017)

“I waited patiently for the Lord. He lifted me out of the mud and mire, he set my feet upon a rock. He put a new song in my mouth.” (Psalm 40:1-3) God, awaken us to a new year. Awaken us also to a new spirit, a new will, even a new way. As we […]

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 […]

Because the Media Is Silent: Advent Prayers for Aleppo, Yemen, and Earthquake Zones (December 28, 2016)

We have come to worship you, Shepherd of Israel. Out of the busy-ness we create for ourselves at this season, we come to remember why. We give thanks for the bravery of Mary, for the courage of Joseph, and we ask that these qualities support us in the face of overwhelming commercialization and the rewriting of […]

Lord, In Your Tenderness: Advent Prayers After a California Fire and Indonesia’s Earthquake (December 28, 2016)

“Father in heaven, The day draws near when the glory of your Son Will make radiant the night of the waiting world. May the lure of greed not impede us from the joy Which moves the heart of those who seek Him. May the darkness not blind us To the vision of wisdom Which fills […]

We Thirst for You: Advent Prayers After the Colombia Plane Crash and Tropical Storm Otto (December 28, 2016)

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will […]

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 […]

Write What You See: Prayers After the US Election, for Nigeria’s Survivors and Yemen’s Hunger (December 28, 2016)

What’s God going to say to my questions? I’m braced for the worst. I’ll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I’ll wait to see what God says, how he’ll answer my complaint. And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it […]