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)
We invite you to join us as we share new prayers each week for the vulnerable among us facing challenges, fears, and threats. We will name many of the harms unfolding around us and acknowledge what is being erased, lost, and threatened.
Please join us in prayer and share these prayers with your dioceses and parishes.
We are one church united in prayer, naming reality in the face of lies, creating space for grief in the face of denial, and freeing space in our souls for hope. We gather to be the body of Christ for one another—bearing one another’s burdens—and pointing the world to the cross and its redemptive power already at work through our witness (even when it may not feel like it).
These prayers are not a replacement for action; they offer grounding and space to discern what actions each of us feel compelled to take. We may feel called to meet with or contact our elected officials, participate in community organizing, provide services to those in our communities, or join in protests or acts of civil disobedience.
As a church, our advocacy continues, and we invite you to join us. The Episcopal Public Policy Network has weekly action alerts, resources, webinars, and trainings. Learn more here.
Prayers for the week of October 31
For Families Facing Hunger During the Government Shutdown
God of sustenance, who fed your people in the wilderness and satisfied the hungry with good things, hear the cries of families increasingly fearing the loss of food assistance as the government shutdown continues. Many worry that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) benefits will not reach those who depend on them—parents fear their children may go hungry, and communities brace for needs they cannot meet alone. Strengthen all who advocate for food security and move the hearts of leaders to act with compassion and urgency. Sustain your church to be a voice for justice and a source of comfort for those in need. We ask this through Jesus, the Bread of Life, who feeds the world in love. Amen.
For Health Amidst Artificial Intelligence
God of life, who calls your children into life and life abundantly, be with all young people who long for connection in an age shaped by artificial intelligence. Grant them communities of care and companionship as they navigate the ubiquity of AI chatbots and digital spaces. Be with those communities experiencing environmental degradation caused by newly built AI infrastructure. Be also with your church as it discerns the beneficial and detrimental uses of this technology. In any time of technological change, O God, we know that we rely on you for wisdom and guidance. Pour out your all-knowing Spirit afresh upon us as we seek to love you and our neighbor in and through these questions. Through Christ Jesus, the source of our life and love, we pray. Amen.
For a Renewed Commitment to Ending Nuclear Testing
Creator of heaven and earth, whose hands shaped life from dust and breath, we grieve that we once more turn our given human genius toward destruction. As the testing of nuclear weapons has been ordered to resume in this land, we remember the cities leveled, the lives lost, and the generations scarred by radiation and war. Forgive us for seeking power through threats of devastation rather than peace through justice and diplomacy. Stir the hearts of our leaders, O God, to choose stewardship over rivalry, creation over ruin, and dialogue over threat. Let the memory of past horrors move every nation to repentance and restraint, that your world may yet be renewed in the harmony you intended from the beginning. Through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen.
