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.
Thanksgiving for Peaceful Elections
Gracious God, who sustains the world and bestows blessings freely upon all creation, we give you thanks for peaceful elections in the United States. We give you praise when people everywhere live peaceably with one another, when we let love and mutual respect guide our disagreements, and when we faithfully honor your image in others. Keep this nation under your care as we endeavor to live as faithful citizens of the land you have entrusted to our stewardship. Increase our responsibility and love. Make us instruments of your peace and justice on behalf of our fellow citizens and the world. We pray for all newly elected and returning officials in this nation. Give them wisdom, strength, and courage to live out their call to serve the common good with diligence and integrity, through your well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Protection of Afghan Refugees
Loving God, whose law calls for the protection of migrants and whose heart abides with those who walk as strangers on the Earth, we pray for all Afghans in the United States who fear the threat of deportation despite the grave persecution they would face under Taliban rule. We lift up those who are at greatest risk, especially those who supported or have family members in the U.S. military, women, religious minorities, and sexual or gender minorities. Protect them, O Lord, from persecution. Give strength to those working to help keep Afghans in the U.S. safe—veterans, former U.S. government officials, and church communities—who have welcomed these families. Make this nation true to its word and worthy of its promise. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a refugee during his earthly pilgrimage and who calls each of us back home to you. Amen.
For Diplomacy to Prevail in the Iran War
God of peace, who calls us to repentance over warfare and commands us to live peaceably with those who are different from us, we pray that diplomacy may prevail among the United States, Israel, and Iran. We know that you weep with those who grieve and you give your angels charge over the fearful. We ask that the leaders of the nations pursue peace and reconciliation, not war. Keep safe all those at risk in Iran and across the region, and help all governing authorities discern a just future for the world. Inspire all people to advocate for a world free of violence and filled with relationships marked by mutual respect and forbearance. Protect the armed forces, humanitarian aid workers, and all people who put themselves in danger to serve others, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
