The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens – wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. ~ Isaiah 50:4 Lord of all learning and growth, we pray that you would teach us […]
Shine Your Light: A Diwali Prayer Against Child Marriage and for COP26 in Glasgow (November 4, 2021)
May these prayers and meditations be received by You, O Lord. Take them and bind them to your will. This is the time of Diwali or Deepawali, a Hindu festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists in the northern hemisphere in the fall. We meditate on the spiritual nature of the victory of […]
Every Stranger a Bearer of Gifts: Prayers for Migrants, Cyclone Fani, and Attacked Houses of Worship (May 2, 2019)
This week’s prayers begin with music. Music composed in the late 18th century by an Austrian composer, using an ancient Latin text. Music sung, this past Sunday, by a touring Russian ensemble, at the beginning of worship in an Episcopal church in California, U.S. But perhaps a bit of background is in order. The members […]
Safe in the Shadow of the Lord: A Prayer on Cheap Goods, Fake News, and Religious Persecution (March 7, 2019)
“Safe in the shadow of the Lord beneath His hand and power, I trust in Him, I trust in Him, my fortress and my tower.” – paraphrase of Ps 91 by Timothy Dudley-Smith Heavenly Father, Your word and being is of compassion, merciful care and everlasting love to all, regardless of merit. The response […]
God Hears Amen Wherever We Are: A Prayer for Places of Hope, War and Unrest (May 24, 2018)
“God hears ‘amen’ wherever we are.” –Radney M. Foster We come to you, O Lord, from many places, joining our voices to praise you and to ask for your intercession. We know You hear us regardless of where we are physically. • In places where we hope peace is possible: between North and South Korea, […]
We Are Your Body, Broken: Prayers After the Gaza Border Killings and the Jerusalem Embassy Move (May 17, 2018)
“Let us hear of joy and gladness, that the body you have broken may rejoice” -Psalm 51:8, adapted We are your body, O God. Wonderfully made, and full of promise. We are your body, O God, broken, yet full of promise. We are too often broken in our relationships with one another. Quick to […]
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear: A Toronto Officer, a Hyderabad Priest and a Montgomery Memorial (April 26, 2018)
“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 “Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love […]
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 […]
Like a Tree Planted by the Water: A Prayer Amid Famine in South Sudan and East Africa (March 23, 2017)
Jeremiah 17:8 New International Version (NIV) They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Our prayers come before […]
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 […]