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 on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 as we revisit the top weekly prayer posts of the year, determined by reader engagement.
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.
For Those Who Accompany Migrants
God of justice and compassion, your Son walked beside the vulnerable and became one with them, even unto death. We give you thanks for those who visit detention centers, who accompany migrants to hearings, and who offer presence where fear and isolation abound. We lament the arrests, the fear, and the pain that mark the journey of so many seeking refuge. Be with all who advocate for dignity and fairness in our immigration systems. Stir in us the courage to walk beside the stranger, as Christ walks beside us. May we never forget that in welcoming the stranger, we welcome you. Through Jesus Christ, who knew no home yet welcomed all. Amen.
For the Dignity and Rights of the Unhoused
Loving God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ into the world in humility, with no place to lay his head, living among the unhoused, and dependent on the welcome of others. His ministry was not marked by palaces, but by poverty. You have shown us that your heart is with those on the margins. We lament the effort to conflate the unhoused with criminals and to forcibly remove them from the streets using involuntary commitment. Help us recognize not only their dignity, but your very presence in their faces and in their stories. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Equal Treatment Under the Law
O God of justice, we grieve the ongoing harm of racism and the violence it breeds in our communities. Prejudice, abuse of power, and unequal treatment under the law weigh heavily upon your children, keeping many bound by fear and distress. Free your people, O God, and turn the hearts of all who are complicit in injustice. We ask for the guidance of your Spirit, so that your work through the hands and voices of advocates may break down systems that oppress and build up practices that honor the dignity of every life. You are a God who frees both the captives and the captors. Let your righteousness flow like a mighty river, restoring what is broken. Through Jesus Christ, our deliverer and judge, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
