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.
For Human Rights Defenders and Anti-Corruption Advocates
God of justice and patient mercy, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, we turn to you with deep urgency, praying for justice, protection, and healing for our siblings throughout the world who defend human rights and expose corruption. Strengthen all who suffer for the sake of truth and the protection of human dignity and sustain them in hope as they labor for a world more fully reflecting your kingdom amid the brokenness of our own. We pray especially for our sister Ruth López, head of Cristosal’s anti-corruption unit and a human rights defender who was imprisoned one year ago in El Salvador after speaking out against corruption. Grant her, her family and loved ones, courage, protection, and renewed hope, and move the hearts of leaders and nations toward truth, accountability, and justice. All this we ask in the name of your son Jesus Christ our Lord, who stood in solidarity with the oppressed and called the world toward justice, mercy and peace. Amen.
For an End to Child Marriage
God of justice and compassion, you created every child in your image, with minds full of wonder and hearts full of trust. They are a light to the world and a reminder of the beauty of your creation. We grieve for all children throughout the world whose childhoods are stolen through forced marriage. We pray especially for girls who are vulnerable to coercion due to poverty, violence, and discrimination, and for those whose voices have been silenced before they could fully be heard. Restore what has been taken from them, their safety, their joy, their health, their education, and their hope for the future. Strengthen all who protect and advocate for vulnerable children, and guide leaders and nations to reject customs, laws, and systems that treat girls as property rather than beloved human beings to nurture into independence. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who welcomed children, lifted the vulnerable, and called people to lives of freedom and love. Amen.
For the Protection of Human Dignity in the AI Era
God of truth and wisdom, you created every human being in your image and called us to walk in your ways. In this age of rapidly developing artificial intelligence, protect us from the dangers of using a tool without considering the harms it could bring. Grant us wisdom to make choices that keep us on the path to human flourishing. Help those who are driven by power and profit to open their hearts to compassion and care. Protect the dignity of every person amid the spread of misinformation designed to provoke fear, anger, and hatred among your children. Guide the development of new technologies toward the flourishing of humanity and the care of your creation. Grant wisdom, humility, and compassion to all who shape these tools, and help us build systems of accountability and governance that uphold human dignity and serve the common good. Teach us to seek your will and not our own, so that innovation may serve the flourishing of humanity and reflect your love for the world. All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, who shared fully in our humanity and revealed the sacred worth of every person. Amen.
