If the Lord had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul. (Psalm 94:17-19)
Join us each week as we share new prayers for the vulnerable among us facing challenges, fears, and threats. We will name many of the harms unfolding and acknowledge what is being erased, lost, and threatened.
These prayers are not a replacement for action; they are meant to offer space for grounding and discernment as we seek to bear one another’s burdens in the love and way of Christ.
Join by Zoom each Monday at 11:45 a.m. ET to hear the prayers aloud, in the context of a simple liturgy, prayed by members of the Community of Francis and Clare.
For Children in Detention Centers
God of tender mercies, who taught us to measure character by our treatment of children, we lift up to your special care all children currently being detained by ICE. As these, your children, face poor living conditions, desperation, and despair, we ask that you safeguard them from all harm, and grant them that peace which only you can give. Grant wisdom and compassion to those who oversee the process of families and minors facing immigration proceedings, and remind us of our call to protect and defend children. Give us, your church, the strength to speak out against injustice, especially when the most vulnerable are at risk. We ask this in the name of our loving savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Visibility of the LGBTQ+ Community
God of love, who gathers us in remembrance of your Son and sends us forth in justice, we pray for the safeguarding of this nation’s LGBTQ+ history. When symbols that mark our past are hidden away, human rights and dignity are threatened. We come to you asking for wisdom and guidance as we seek to be just stewards of our stories and active participants in your work of freedom and flourishing for all. Make us advocates for a safe and free public square that does not silence the marginalized, and help the governing authorities to remember that our flourishing is dependent upon our ability to celebrate one another as bearers of your image. We give thanks for church leaders who have advocated for the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Grant us all the courage to follow in their example. All this we ask through the power of your love made incarnate. Amen.
For an End to Trafficking and Abuse
God of hope, who will wipe every tear and whose justice will break every chain, we are grieved by the continued existence of sex trafficking and sexual abuse. In your infinite love, we ask you to break the cycle of these unspeakable acts of evil and strengthen us in the work of ending them. Protect, relieve, and set free all survivors of sexual assault and rape. Set your people aflame in the work of bringing this to an end and in our calling to grant care to all victims. Protect all vulnerable people from those who inflict violence and profit from exploitation. In the name of your Son who became vulnerable like us, tasted bitter pain like us, and revealed the power of your saving freedom, we pray. Amen.
