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 People of Iran
God of hope, whose promises of mercy, justice, and peace have always remained steadfast even through the most perilous of times, we pray for the people of Iran. We grieve that so many have endured violent repression for many decades. We pray for all those who have died in the last week and for the loved ones who mourn, especially those who were killed or hurt in the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls elementary school in Minab. Be with your children, O God; comfort them through your abiding love and presence. And grant them hope that a new day will dawn, a day of flourishing and peace. We ask this in the name of Christ, our merciful Lord. Amen.
For Those Living with the Threat of Attack
God of safety, whose Son Jesus Christ was carried into exile in Egypt to escape the violence of King Herod, we bring before you the people throughout the Middle East who live in fear or who are trapped. Comfort and protect all those in bunkers, shelters, and other hiding places. Give your angels charge over all those who feel unsafe. Wipe the tears of the children who cry; strengthen the arms of parents who hold their family close. Comfort and guide all U.S. diplomats and others in the Middle East who are struggling to evacuate, and grant them safe passage home. All this we ask through Christ, the sustainer of our lives. Amen.
For People Living Under Violence, Repression, and Slow-Moving Disasters
God of steadfast presence, you call us to humble ourselves and promise to hear the prayers offered according to your will. Amid war and rising tensions in our world, we remember those whose suffering rarely reaches the headlines—people living under violence, repression, and slow-moving disasters. Comfort the afflicted. Strengthen those who endure injustice, and stir the conscience of the global community that the forgotten may be remembered. Let your Spirit intercede with sighs too deep for words, and draw near to all who cry out for help. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
