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 June 6
For Episcopalians from Areas of Conflict
God of justice and consolation, we lift up Episcopalians who carry the grief of their homelands: Palestinians, Armenians, South Sudanese, Haitians, Venezuelans, and all who feel unheard, unseen, or unsupported. Kindle in us deeper solidarity, so that your church may be a true home for every member of the Body of Christ. Strengthen them in their sorrow, honor their witness, and remind us that no one is forgotten in your kingdom. May Jesus, who stood with the forgotten, console them and bind us together in your love. Amen.
For Oak Flat and the Apache People
God of sacred places, you met Moses in a burning bush, Elijah in a cave, and Jesus on a mountain. You are present where your people pray, and Oak Flat is holy ground to many. We grieve with the San Carols Apache as their sacred site faces destruction. Turn our hearts from valuing profit over sanctity and open our eyes to the holiness embedded in creation. Strengthen those who defend Chil’chil Biłdagoteel; uphold them with courage and hope. Remind us always that where you are encountered, the ground is holy. Through Christ our Lord, who reveals your glory in every place and people. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Witnesses to Love and Justice
Loving God, you created each of us in your image and wrap us all in your embrace. We give you thanks for those who stood and continue to stand for LGBTQ+ rights. Remind the world that the LGBTQ+ community and their allies bear witness to the wide expanse of Christ’s love. Protect everyone, especially the vulnerable, from hatred, exclusion, and violence. Through Christ our Lord, who loved without limit and calls us to do the same. Amen.
For Our Jewish Siblings
God of mercy and justice, Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. You know our grief, our fear, and our longing for healing. We grieve with the victims of violence, including those recently attacked in Boulder, Colorado. We lament the fear that these attacks and other attacks and threats strike into the hearts of our Jewish siblings. You are a God whose compassion runs deeper than we can imagine. Give your comfort in the face of pain and give your strength in the face of fear. Extend your care, O God, and remind us of your vision for the world, a vision of peace and righteousness built on your everlasting love. Amen.
For Victims of the Attack at Al-Ahli Hospital
O God, you see the blood and cries coming from the ground at Al-Ahli Hospital. We bring before you our grief too deep for words, and anger too heavy to bear. You see the father dying next to his injured son, you see the journalists who can no longer speak, the healers struck while tending to the broken, and all who were injured. Lord, hear the desolation of your people, comfort the mourning, shield the innocent. Through Jesus Christ, who died unjustly. Amen.
