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 the Wisdom to Face our History with Open Hearts
God of light, who calls your people to faithfully remember and bear witness, we grieve the removal of truthful witnesses to slavery and Native American history from this nation’s parks. We grieve especially the removal in Philadelphia’s President’s House that bore witness to Absalom Jones, Richard Allen, and to the lives shaped by slavery and faith in this land. You invite us to remember the sins of the past, be transformed through reconciliation in the present, and to turn always toward your mercy and healing. Your Son marked your church with the sacrament of his passion and resurrection, commanding us to remember him. God, we pray that you would grant all governing authorities the wisdom to preserve truthful public witness to our past, that as we face our history with open hearts, we may repent and be turned toward new life in your Son. Keep us from fear by your Spirit as we boldly face the truth, through the confidence given to us in Christ. Amen.
For Access to Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
God of mercy and life, whose son Jesus listened with compassion and spent his ministry among those most in need of healing and care, we ask that you would be with those who lack access to necessary sexual and reproductive medical care. As institutions and practitioners face fear, constraint, and uncertainty, be with them, and give them the strength to continue their work with integrity, compassion, and reverence for life. Grant all governing authorities a spirit of attentive listening, wisdom, and restraint, that their policies might not unjustly hinder access to necessary and life-preserving medical care. Lord God, many suffer under broken healthcare systems; fashion us anew into a people who seek the health and wellbeing of your people above all, through Jesus Christ our Lord, the healer and redeemer of the world. Amen.
For the People of Ukraine
God of comfort and hope, who sits with those who suffer under the torment of war, be with the people of Ukraine as they work to protect their families and cling to hope for peace amid a bitterly cold winter. Provide warmth and shelter for all Ukrainians who lack electricity and heat due to targeted infrastructure. Bring healing to the sick and the wounded and strengthen the resolve of all people in that land to endure, to seek peace, and to hope for justice as they look to brighter days, trusting in you for a new dawn of peace and justice. We ask this through Christ, our light in darkness and our peace. Amen.
