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 May 9
Prayer for Religious Freedom
God of the oppressed, you have asked us to stand with all who are persecuted for their faith. We lift up our concern about the harms that may come from the White House’s task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias, especially as we confront the threat of rising Christian nationalism. Help us to passionately seek religious freedom for all. Jesus stretched his arms wide on the cross. Widen the expanse of our love that we might ensure the freedom not just of Christians but of all people who face persecution for their faith. Amen.
Prayer for Those Who Rely on Safety Net Programs
Creator God, who desires your people to experience abundance and mercy, we long for a world in which basic needs are met for all, especially the most vulnerable among us, those with whom Jesus lived, ate, and prayed. We join with our siblings in crying out in fear and distress at the potential for drastic cuts to vital programs like SNAP and Medicaid. Help your church to push elected officials to protect the vulnerable. May those in power hear the cry of your people. Amen.
Prayer for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
God of blessings, we give you thanks for the Twenty-Fourth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Now that the forum has ended, give the United Nations and its member states the grace to listen to Indigenous knowledge for the flourishing of all Indigenous people and of creation. Allow the wisdom gleaned during the forum to permeate our work as we move ahead. Amen.
Prayer for Gaza
Merciful God, be with all the people of Gaza. Shake us out of our complacency and fatigue. Help us to see the horrors unfolding and discern how we can help be peacemakers as the conflict continues. We pray for all those who have died, for those who face ongoing assaults and desperate hunger and have no access to medical care. We pray for all who have endured hardship after hardship and the loss of family, neighbors, homes, and land. We fervently pray for an end to the suffering and for a just and durable peace. Amen.
Prayer for Transgender Members of the Military
God of love, you have called us to seek out equality, support, and protection of all people, including the trans and nonbinary community. Comfort those who face uncertainty and fear as the Supreme Court allows a ban on transgender members of the military to go into effect and be with those who are challenging the ban in court. Help the transgender community to feel your loving care, even when so many structures and systems do not support them in the fullness of who you have made them to be. Empower your church to reach out in love to those who face discrimination and erasure, as Jesus did when he walked the earth. Amen.
Prayer for Pakistan and India
Holy God, who holds all peoples in your loving hands, we pray with our siblings in Pakistan and India as they reckon with renewed conflict. We pray for peace in the region. Guide and uplift those who can bring safety, strength, and protection. May your mercy break through the hearts of those seeking escalation, like a light covering the darkness, to turn them instead to the path of reconciliation and healing. May your justice and peace prevail, in the name of Jesus, the light of the world. Amen.
