As most of you know, World in Prayer is written by a team whose members take turns writing the prayers. And I, who am writing this week – I ran out of words a long time ago. Trapped in what seemed like near-isolation by the pandemic; anguished by its resulting ever-growing number of deaths and […]
Turning the World Upside Down: Prayers for the Uttarakhand Dam Disaster and a Wounded Creation (February 12, 2021)
There has been an unexpected glitch preventing the prayers being edited and posted as usual yesterday for which we apologise. Here they are now. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . […]
Your Glory Fills the Skies: Prayers for Yemen, Locust Swarms, and Monsoon Floods (July 23, 2020)
Ever-creating God, Your glory fills the skies, from the transient sparkle of the fleeting meteor to the unexpected spectacle of Comet Neowise; your glory fills the earth from mountain height to ocean depth. We praise you. As difficult as it is to find words to express how much your glory thrills and excites us it […]
Be Still and Know: A Prayer for Schools, Food Workers, and a World Finding a New Normal (July 9, 2020)
This week there is a musical response that can be played following each time of prayer. The music clip is from Singing the Faith. The lyrics are: Be still and know that I am God, and there is none beside me. Creator God, we meet to give you praise and worship. Each one of our […]
Praying With Psalm 116: A Pandemic of Grief, Lost Work, and Famine of Biblical Proportions (April 23, 2020)
Praying with Psalm 116 in this time of pandemic* We love you, O God, because you have heard the voice of our supplications, because you have inclined your ear to us whenever we called upon you. (Psalm 116, v. 1, adapted) Because you have been faithful to us, O God, from time immemorial, bringing us […]
Precious Lord, Take My Hand: A Prayer for a Melting Glacier and a Warming Ocean (September 26, 2019)
Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on, let me stand. I am tired, I am weak, and worn. Precious Lord, there are times when the news of the world – your world – seems only to abuse and abase us, when it seems indeed to assault us. When a large clump of the Mont […]
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? […]
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 […]
Love Came Down at Christmas: A Blessing for Every Nation on Earth (December 28, 2018)
Love. Love, said poet Christina Rossetti, “Love came down at Christmas.” Love spoke to Mary in the voice of the angel Gabriel. Love said: “Fear not.” Fear not, when you have seen a vision of hope and glory, healing and joy that transcends the universe. Fear not when you are called to be the bearer of […]