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 August 8
For an End to the War in Ukraine
God of peace, whose justice rolls down like water, we cry out for an end to the war in Ukraine. You are the author of life and security. As we glimpse at the possibility of a ceasefire, soften the hearts of leaders so that they may approach it with sincerity and authenticity. Give them courage to choose diplomacy over destruction, and wisdom to seek a just and lasting peace. Be near to those who suffer and strengthen those who work to end violence—advocates, mediators, and peacemakers. Uphold the weary, shield the innocent, and hasten the day when swords are turned to plowshares. We ask this through Jesus Christ, who reconciles all things in heaven and on earth. Amen.
For Those Suffering from Nuclear Weapon Violence
God of mercy and justice, we remember before you the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all who have suffered from the violence of nuclear weapons. Hold in your tender care the survivors who still carry the wounds—in body, mind, and spirit. Be near to their descendants, and to all communities harmed by nuclear weapons testing across the world. Grant them comfort, healing, and the dignity of being heard. We grieve the lives lost, the lands poisoned, the generations scarred by fear and silence. Forgive us the arrogance of power and the sin of forgetfulness. Stir in us a holy reverence for life, and a deep resolve to seek peace rooted in justice. Guide the leaders of the nations with wisdom and restraint, that never again may we turn such devastation upon your creation. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen.
Prayer for the First Peoples of the Land
(For the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples)
Creator, whose many names are spoken in many tongues: You made this world in beauty and balance, teaching us how to live in harmony with the Earth and in right relationship with all creation. You placed the First Peoples on this land and gave them language, ceremony, kinship, and wisdom. We come before you recognizing the harm of settlers, colonizers, churches, and governments. We name the truth that Christian empire tried to erase Indigenous cultures; that your church participated in boarding schools, land theft, and forced assimilation. We grieve the trauma that still echoes through generations. We repent of our complicity, past and present; things done and things left undone. And yet, Indigenous peoples, despite it all, have held fast to language, ceremony, and culture. Creator, we give thanks for the wisdom they continue to share and for their ongoing witness of resilience, healing, and strength. Teach us to walk with humility. Help us to listen more than we speak, to follow more than we lead, and to repair what has been broken; not just with words, but with our lives. Teach us to be good relatives; allies in the work of justice; co-laborers in the work of healing; and faithful stewards of the land we all share. We ask this in the name of your child Jesus, who came not to dominate, but to liberate. Amen
For The Healing of Creation and the Courage to Change
Creator God, the Earth is yours, and you have called us to be its faithful stewards. Our spiraling plastic pollution is one of the many ways we have failed to honor that call. As nations gather to seek a treaty that could curb this crisis, we glimpse the stirrings of collective repentance. Strengthen our will to change, individually and globally, and guide us toward solutions that reflect our duty to care for our shared planet. Pollution affects everyone, but we lift up especially those most vulnerable to its harm. All for your name’s sake. Amen.
