Prayer Resources
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT-CWS |
Praying and expecting everything to come from God and not doing
anything yourself is not praying. This is laziness; this is alienation.
This is passivity, conformity. This is not the time, dear brothers and
sisters, to say: It is God’s will. Many things happen that are not God’s
will. When people can contribute something of themselves to improve the
situation and ask God for the courage to do so, then there is prayer.
Oscar Romero, 1979, El Salvador
We dare to imagine a world where hunger has no chance to show its face.
We dare to dream of a world where war and terror are afraid to leave their
mark.
We long to believe in a world of hope unchained and lives unfettered.
We dare to share in the creation of a world where your people break free.
Dare we open our minds to difference?
Dare we open our lives to change?
Your kingdom come, O God.
Your will be done.
Amen.
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, U.K.
Prayer at the Digging of a Well
O Lord our God, Almighty and All-powerful,
Who creates all and transforms simply as You will it; Who out of ineffable
and incomprehensible wisdom finds passage in the impassible; Who from a
dry rock bestowed a flowing stream of water and satisfied Your thirsting
people: As the same Master of All, hear now the supplication of us Your
unworthy servants and grant to us water in this place – sweet and
tasty, sufficient for need, safe for consumption, so that in this Your most-holy
and magnificent Name may be glorified: of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and onto ages of ages. Amen.
Orthodox Tradition, Russia
Give us this day our daily bread.
All good gifts of the earth come from your
generous hands, God.
Yet, this abundance is not shared equally
among us.
While some are satisfied, others are starving.
Women often become the victims of exploitation because they are desperate
to feed and care for their children.
If only we would be mindful that each and
every one of us must pray:
Give us this day our daily bread.
World Day of Prayer Committee, Myanmar
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT-CWS |
O Lord, father of all children,
Watch over your little ones
Who are poor and abandoned…
They cry, for they hunger for food,
For the cold chills their bones,
For their bodies suffer with disease,
For they never know the tenderness of love.
Lord, grant that these little ones come to you!
Warm their tender hearts,
Gather them under your wings,
That they may feel the care of your heart
And ever enjoy your kindness as their Father.
A prayer for orphans, Xaverian
Missionary Society, Burundi
God of hope, all of us are affected by AIDS. Bind us together with strong
ties of love, that our community may be a place where all can find acceptance.
May it be a place of welcome for all affected by HIV/AIDS. May it be a place
where care is given and received, especially for affected children and youth.
Where stories are told and heard. Where fear is overcome by love. Where
you are to be found. Amen.
The Diakonia Council of Churches in South Africa
God of life.
God of those who walk miles for water,
God of those whose only supply is
contaminated, bringing death, not life.
May water, clean and life-giving,
be available to every living creature.
May that vision move forward.
May your will be done.
Christian Aid, Great Britain
O God of all youth, we pray to you:
We are young people, and we want to celebrate life! We cry out against all
that kills life: hunger, poverty, unemployment, injustice. We want to
announce fullness of life: work, education, health, bread for all. We
hope against hope. With the Lord of history we want to make all things
new.
A group of Brazilian young people
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT-CWS |
Litany on the Millennium Development Goals
Leader: Let us pray for the poor, hungry, and neglected all over the world, that their cries for daily bread may inspire works of compassion and mercy among those to whom much has been given. Lord, in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Let us pray for schools and centers of learning throughout the world, for those who lack access to basic education, and for the light of knowledge to blossom and shine in the lives of all God’s people. Lord, in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Let us pray for an end to the divisions and inequalities that scar God’s creation, particularly the barriers to freedom faced by God’s children throughout the world because of gender; that all who have been formed in God’s image might have equality in pursuit of the blessings of creation. Lord, in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Let us pray for the health of women, children, and families around the world, especially for an end to maternal and child mortality, that in building healthy families, all God’s people may be empowered to strengthen their communities and repair the breaches which divide nations and peoples. Lord, in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Let us pray for an end to pandemic disease throughout the world, particularly the scourges of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis; that plagues of death may no longer fuel poverty, destabilize nations, and inhibit reconciliation and restoration throughout the world. Lord, in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Let us pray for an end to the waste and desecration of God’s creation, for access to the fruits of creation to be shared equally among all people, and for communities and nations to find sustenance in the fruits of the earth and the water God has given us. Lord, in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Let us pray for all nations
and people who already enjoy the abundance of creation and the blessings
of prosperity, that their hearts may be lifted up to the needs of the
poor and afflicted, and partnerships between rich and poor
for the reconciliation of the world may flourish and grow. Lord, in your
mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Episcopal Office of Government Relations, United States
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT-CWS |
Millennium Campaign/Sermon on the Mount Litany
We are the first generation that can eradicate poverty.
We are those who are called
and equipped to make a difference.
We are called to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
We are called to achieve universal primary education.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
We are called to promote gender equality and empower women.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
We are called to reduce child mortality.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
We are called to improve maternal health.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
We are called to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they will be filled.
We are called to ensure environmental sustainability.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
We are called to develop a global partnership for development.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
We are called...
And yes, we hear.
Written for Bread for the World, Gathering 2007, by Jeffrey W. Carter, Pastor, Manassas Church of the Brethren. Used with permission.