World in Prayer

Sharing in God’s loving compassion for all

Away in a Manger: An Advent Prayer for the Displaced and for Prisoners Freed in Belarus (December 18, 2025)

Away in a manger, No crib for his bed. Advent Jesus, Our hearts break for those who are displaced due to war, violence, oppression, or persecution, who have nowhere to lay their weary heads. Our souls ache for the homeless who are facing winter weather and have no place to stay warm. And our spirits […]

This Is No Time for a Child to Be Born: Advent Prayers for Gaza and Indonesia’s Floods (December 11, 2025)

An interpretation, in prayer, of Madeleine L’Engle’s poem: “This Is No Time for a Child to Be Born” Christmas 1973 O, Word of words, you were here at the beginning and you are here with each of us through the short spans of life on this Earth. You know the giant arcs of time, and so […]

May This Shining Night: A Christmas Blessing for Every Nation on Earth (December 25, 2024)

Mother and Child – Bethlehem by Palestinian artist Rawab Anani Instagram: rawan_anani_artgallery Sure On This Shining Night   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOTny4qTgxQ Sure on this shining night Of star made shadows round, Kindness must watch for me This side the ground. The late year lies down the north. All is healed, all is health. High summer holds the […]

The Candle of Love: Prayers After the Madison School Shooting and Vanuatu’s Earthquake (December 19, 2024)

Approaching the end of Advent, we light the candle of love, and we pray for situations around the world which desperately need our love. We send our love to the children who were shot at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A and for the 15 year old shooter who took her own […]

Our World Is Broken: Prayers After the Haiti Massacre, the Fall of Assad, and for the Hibakusha (December 12, 2024)

Dear God, Our world is broken in ways that pain us: Our hearts break with those who are grieving, especially those in Haiti after the massacre that left over 180 people dead. We pray that this situation will not escalate with retaliation, but will be ended by justice and reconciliation that prevails. Our minds whirl […]

My Soul in Stillness Waits: An Advent Prayer for 117 Million Displaced People (December 5, 2024)

Attentive Nervous Thoughtful Incarnation Concerned Immanuel Preparing Awaiting Testify Expecting The season of Advent, literally “the coming,” holds special significance for many anticipating justice. The United Nations reports that 117.3 million people are currently displaced from their homes due to war, environmental disasters, and political instability.  People from Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, […]

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: Prayers for the Israel Lebanon Ceasefire and Aid to Gaza (November 28, 2024)

Will you come to our world, God? And will you come with hope? For we see too many situations we can only lament, too few that lift our spirits; too much despair, too little resilience and respect; too many longings and laments and limited visions, too few steps forward. O come, O come, Emmanuel. And […]

Be Our Candle Light: A Christmas Prayer and Blessing for Every Nation on Earth (December 29, 2023)

  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” –John 1:1-4 Dearest One, heart of our hearts, You came into the world bearing Light. You came into the […]

The Longest Night: A Solstice Prayer for Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen, Haiti, and Prague (December 21, 2023)

For those living in the northern hemisphere, December 21st or the Winter Solstice is the day with the least amount of daylight. In some churches this is recognized in worship with a “Longest Night” or “Blue Christmas” service. Ever Present God, On this night our siblings in the northern hemisphere experience the longest night of […]