World in Prayer

Sharing in God’s loving compassion for all

Prayers for Yemen

Yemen is prayed for here mainly through war, hunger and a health system stretched past its limits, with cholera, water shortages and cuts to aid named plainly. Refugees living within its borders are remembered as well. These prayers return often to the concern that Yemen is slipping from the world's attention.

Love Your Neighbor: Prayers After the Thousand Oaks Shooting and the US Midterm Elections (November 8, 2018)

Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is […]

What Are We That You Are Mindful of Us: Prayers for Yemen, Idlib and a Neglected Earth (September 27, 2018)

What are we that you are mindful of us? You made us a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned us with glory and honor. You made us ruler over the works of your hands; You put everything under our feet O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is our name in all the Earth.” […]

Your Wings Enfolding Us: Prayers for the Yemen School Bus Attack, the Lombok Earthquake, and Gaza (August 8, 2018)

Holy One, our lives push us forward each day, distracting and distressing us. We move through the motions and meet the demands laid out before us. We have many priorities and not enough time. We make decision after decision that pulls our attention away from you. Yet, you are here. We declare this; we believe […]

On God Alone I Wait Silently: Prayers for Wildfires, Water Shortages and Refugees (August 2, 2018)

On God alone I wait silently; God my deliverer, God my strong tower. Paraphrase from Ps. 62, John L. Bell* When all efforts have been made to cope with natural disasters: the earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia; the wildfires in California, USA, Sweden, Siberia, Russian Federation, Greece, water shortages in Yemen, the UK, Syria, Kenya; On God alone I wait silently; God my deliverer, God […]

God of Many Names: Thanksgiving for the Thai Cave Rescue and Prayers for Separated Families (July 12, 2018)

God of Many Names “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.” Psalm 46:1-2 Holy and Loving God, we come to You from many places, the physical and spiritual. We use different names and descriptions and ideas when we talk about You, or come before […]

Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying: For Volcanoes, Separated Families and Contested Elections (June 7, 2018)

(The hymn used in these prayers is “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” by Ken Medema) Lord, listen to your children praying, Lord, send your Spirit in this place; Lord, listen to your children praying, Send us love, send us pow’r, send us grace.  Lord God, open our eyes to the power and promise of […]

An Aftermath Prayer: Remembering Hurricanes, Refugees and a Martyr Fifty Years On (April 5, 2018)

An Aftermath Prayer (Luke 24:32-33) Holy God, You defeated doubt and death on Easter morning. You turned the world of what is possible and impossible upside down. You gave us Resurrection. Now comes the aftermath. In the aftermath of many things in life we often fail to follow through with our joy, our intentions, our […]

Show Us the Next Right Step: Prayers for Sri Lanka, Syria, Yemen, and School Shooting Survivors (March 8, 2018)

Holy One, When we want to linger in shadows, you expose us to light. When we want to slump into a corner, you lift us up in your presence. When we think our words, our actions, our lives have no effect, you remind us that we are leading people in surprising and unexpected ways. So […]

Come Fill Us With Your Light: Prayers for Eastern Ghouta, Jalalabad, and the Gambia (January 25, 2018)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever. ~ Psalm 111:10 …we know that “all of us possess knowledge.”  Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.  ~ 1 Corinthians 8:1  …anyone who loves God is known by him. ~ 1 […]

A Prayer for Lovers: The Greatest of These Is Love, from Jerusalem to Myanmar to Zimbabwe (January 18, 2018)

Prayer for Lovers “Faith, Hope and Love Abide. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)   Holy and Loving God, Your voice is so clear. Your message unavoidable: to love. We confess, Loving God, that we fall short despite your best efforts to teach. We heard your still small voice to Elijah. […]