As Christians around the world celebrate Easter, let us offer our hearts and prayers to all those who strive to make the world a more loving, kind, and just place, no matter their religion or beliefs.
Below are some of the prayers we offered in my church on Good Friday. I cannot top them, so I share them below.
Prayers for Authorities
Let us pray for those in authority throughout the world....
For all the peoples of the earth, their leaders, and all who hold office....
For Barack our President, for our Congress and Supreme Court, our local governments and courts, and all civil servants....
For peacemakers, diplomats, and those who strive for peace and the general welfare; for the armed services and all in harms way because of war....
For doctors and nurses, hospitals and hospices; for police and firefighters; for all who protect the weak and serve the common good....
For farmers and corporations, for workers and trade union leaders, reformers and visionaries....
For artists and performers; for poets and writers; for journalists and filmmakers....
That they may receive every godly gift of discernment, compassion, integrity and courage, to build healthy communities and make a lasting peace on earth, let us pray to the Lord.
Prayers for Those who Suffer
Let us pray for all who are suffering and in need....
For the poor and oppressed, the exploited and despairing, the sick and the suffering....
For victims of envy, discrimination and revenge....
For all who live in fear, anguish, rage, and violence....
For all who hunger for food, for work, a home, and a holy purpose in their lives....
For all who face death, the loss of love, the crushing of dreams, the crippling of body or mind, let us pray to the Lord.
For all who long for family, friendship, children, a sense of belonging and being known....
For all in danger and captivity, all who long for peace and freedom and safety....
That we may follow Christ in sharing all human suffering as our own....
Loving God, comfort all who suffer, and teach us to cherish Christ’s image in all people: those who are like us and those who are strange to us. Strengthen our hearts in your service, and fulfill in our works of compassion your Love made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for People of Faith
Let us pray for those whose faith is not our own....
For Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Native Americans, Shintoists, Sikhs, and every people of faith....
For their rabbis, mullahs, priests, lamas, shamans and holy teachers....
For those whose faith is known to God alone....
For all who condemn, persecute or martyr others in the name of religion....
For all who suffer and die for their conscience’s sake....
That as Christ came as a stranger to befriend us, we may learn to welcome those unknown and alien to us, let us pray to the Lord
2 comments:
loved that you shared these prayers...are you, by chance, Episcopalian??
Holly: I am, in fact, new to the Episcopal church. I was raised Roman Catholic but we have found a home with a wonderful Episcopal community here, full of people I just love. That is one positive change cancer brought me.
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