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 Those Who Feel Forgotten in Detention Centers
God of solidarity, who seeks out the lost and forgotten, we lift up those in detention centers who do not have access to legal aid, ways to contact loved ones, or public visibility. We know that you have not forgotten them, and we ask that you would shape our hearts to reflect your unfailing remembrance of them. Bless those who do not know when their freedom will come, bring them comfort, and, where it accords with justice and mercy, open a path toward freedom. We pray also for the ruling authorities to shape their processes so that they uphold human dignity and justice, that your Spirit of wisdom would guide them and awaken a zeal for justice. Through Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
For the People of Haiti
God of renewal and justice, who sustains our life and our hope through Jesus Christ, we pray for the people of Haiti as they struggle under the yoke of insecurity, displacement, hunger, and violence born of injustice. We pray for a peaceful and just way forward for the nation’s governance and that any engagement by international actors would honor the dignity of all people, made in your image, and pursue the true flourishing of Haitians. O God, we ask that you uphold the authentic self-determination of all Haitians and empower them as they look forward to a future shaped by your justice, sustained by your providence. Be with all who seek to provide relief in the region; make them faithful, responsible, and effective stewards of your loving care. Pour out your grace on Haiti and all people who face insecurities amid a broken world, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
For the People of Yemen Facing Hunger
God who hears the cry of the hungry, whose Son Jesus always sided with the destitute and entered fully into human suffering through his incarnation, we lift up those who are at risk of starvation in Yemen and whom the international community have failed. We pray for an end to this food shortage and the injustice that sustains it, that all Yemenis, upheld by your providence, might be granted a sustainable future. God, you have called us to share our food with the hungry. Empower your people, by your Spirit, to loose the bonds of injustice. We pray for the nutritional services, the health facilities, and the authorities with the power to help in the region. Take away barriers to delivering aid and protect all those who labor to keep people fed. Let each of us follow the example of your Son, our Savior, and feed the hungry crowds, for the sake of his most precious name. Amen.
