God of our lives, How we long for our world and our hearts to grow: To grow in faith, understanding, and questions. To grow in our hope for a better world. To grow further and wider instead of apart. To grow our lives together. To grow in love for each other. May growth be our […]
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 […]
O Great Guide, Light a Way Forward: Prayers for Gaza, Ukraine, and Congo (December 14, 2023)
O Great Guide, who led shepherds and kings by the light of a star, when we feel most lost, we pray you light a way forward. We are bombarded with news of war and death, like bombs blasting open our hearts. We pray for all areas around the globe that are experiencing war, including: Israel […]
Incline Your Ear: Prayers After the Kakhovka Dam Collapse and Odisha Train Crash (June 8, 2023)
I love the LORD, because God has heard my voice and my supplications. Because God inclined God’s ear to me, therefore I will call on the Lord as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on […]
No One Can Be Saved Alone: A Year’s End Prayer for Ukraine, the Climate, and the Common Good (December 29, 2022)
Good and gracious God, We your people, your sons and daughters gather these days on the close of a year. Joys and challenges of 2022 are to be acknowledged, while we look forward in faith to 2023. We are encouraged by Pope Francis’s January 1, 2023 World Day of Peace Message entitled: “No one can […]
Not a Spirit of Fear: A Prayer After the Attack on Salman Rushdie, and for Refugees (August 18, 2022)
Holy One, In these times, with the world news heavily upon us, we reflect upon words from 2 Timothy: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (New Living Translation) Ten years ago, speaking in New York (U.S.), Indian-born British-American novelist Salman Rushdie said that […]
When Will the Shootings End: A Prayer After Highland Park and Copenhagen (July 7, 2022)
Gracious and loving God, there is not a moment that we do not belong to you. You claim us as your beloved from beginning to end. Reassured and emboldened by this good news, we uplift our petitions and prayers to you this day, knowing nothing separates us from you and your love for us. God […]
Help Us to Set Down Our Weapons: Prayers for Eastern Congo and Asylum Seekers (June 16, 2022)
O Holy One, We think we are listening to you. We are really practicing listening to you. We have a long way to go — to do your will. To love ourselves. To love our neighbor. To Love You. We get distracted — so much is going on around us and worldwide. We have so […]
Teach Us to Recognise Your Accent: A Prayer for Ukraine and the Conflicts the World Forgot (March 10, 2022)
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Ps 27:8 (New Living Translation) In stillness let us hear your voice, God. Easy to say, but hard to do. The endless whirl and explosion of thoughts in our heads force their way to grab our […]
One Day: A Holocaust Memorial Day Prayer for Refugees and Snowbound Camps in Syria (January 27, 2022)
You didn’t think about yesterday, and tomorrow may not happen, it was only today that you had to cope with and you got through it as best you could. Iby Knill, survivor of the Holocaust. One Day is the theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial (27th January 2022). On this Holocaust Memorial, Creator God, we […]