World in Prayer

Sharing in God’s loving compassion for all

Somewhere, Right Now: Prayers for Kyiv, Refugees in Poland, and Famine in Somalia (December 8, 2022)

Ancient of Days, Somewhere in Kiev, Ukraine, a man plays his guitar with his old, faithful pup howling along, even though they sing in darkness. Somewhere in Krakow, Poland, a grandmother folds shirts, presses trousers, routines to calm her anxious heart, even as the unexpected guests in their small home yearn to return to their […]

Right Now: Prayers After the US Midterms and for Iran’s Protesters (November 10, 2022)

Divine Presence, right now, those living in the United States are in the exhausted wake of post-election frenzy. Rejoicing at wins and deflated by losses, enable us to regroup to continue the relentless work of securing freedom and justice for all. Stem the growth of white supremacy and hate crimes and transform the hearts of […]

A Prayer for Disarmament Week: Nuclear Threats, North Korean Missiles, and the West Bank (October 27, 2022)

God of peace, we gather as a community of seekers from every corner of the world during this annual United Nations Disarmament Week.  Our world is threatened by nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and small arms. For the Ukrainians threatened by the nuclear saber rattling of Russian leadership; For the conversion of the minds and […]

We Bring Our Hearts’ Cries to You: Prayers for Ukraine, Turkey’s Mine Explosion, and Uganda’s Ebola (October 20, 2022)

Dearest Creator of all that is and ever will be. Guardian of Light. Giver of Breath. Judge of all deeds, seen and unseen. Infuse us with your love, gratitude, and peace. Let us feel safe in a world thriving in chaos and fear.  Help us to raise our children without prejudice. Teach us to teach […]

Grief and Hope: A Prayer After the Thailand School Shooting and the Kabul Bombing (October 13, 2022)

We long to become disciples of silence and hear in that shimmery soundlessness the voice of the One who whispers in stillness, whose singing vibrates in stones, who out of the silence calls forth a radical commitment of which we do not yet know the shape. – Christine Valters Paintner We pray to the One […]

The Chaos Before Creation: A Prayer for Iran’s Protests and Hurricane Ian (September 29, 2022)

Holy One, We feel the chaos before creation in the very core of our being. The changing tides – first swelling with hope  then sliding toward despair. Waves of grief crash over us, shaking the foundations of our lives. We are buoyed with anticipation excited by what the future holds. Our focus is drawn inward to […]

Let Divine Light Shine: Prayers for Ukraine, Pakistan’s Floods, and Europe’s Drought (September 1, 2022)

As God’s beloved children, let us pray that Divine Light shine on the nations, the earth, and all those in need. For your beloved in war torn areas around the globe, and for areas like Ukraine and Palestine, where foreign occupiers are forcefully controlling villages and territories, we pray for peaceful paths toward justice; For […]

O God, Why Are You Silent: Prayers for Ukraine, Rafah, Wildfires, and Pakistan’s Floods (August 11, 2022)

Writers note: As I faced writing these prayers, all that kept resonating through my mind was the hymn, “O God, Why Are You Silent” written by Marty Haugen and found in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship. The words of the first two verses resound in my breaking heart  (it can be sung to any 7676D hymn […]

Seeing the Good and the Hurt: After the Assassination of Shinzo Abe and Sri Lanka’s Uprising (July 14, 2022)

I will thank you forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good. Psalm 52:9 (NRSV) Heavenly God, Even amidst the storms that cover our lives, we are so grateful for you. So grateful that you hold us together when we cannot […]