A prayer for all those who are victims or survivors of abuse
Tender God, Look with mercy on all who have experienced profound harm and any for whom faith is associated with hurt and damage. Bless those for whom recent events have stirred up memories and emotions that evoke grief and woundedness.
Send your Spirit on your church, that it may be wiser and more rigorous even as it is sadder and humbler. Guide your church to cherish all your children, that in your Son’s broken body we may see not only sorrow but also your everlasting faithfulness to us. Amen.
Pray for the Homeless
We pray that those of us with warm houses not be lulled into complacency and forgetfulness. Jesus, help us to see your face in the eyes of every homeless person we meet so that we may be empowered through word and deed, and through all the means we have, to bring justice and peace to those who are homeless. Amen.
Go to the Homeless Awareness webpage for more information and resources.
ISRAEL-PALESTINE
O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land. Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths – Jews, Muslims and Christians and for all people of the land. While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children for to all of us you are our Heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Click to donate to Christian Aid’s Gaza appeal:
MIDDLE EAST
God of peace, bearer of hope, we seek your help for the peoples of the Middle East. Quiet the clamour of war and guide us towards peace. Where there is hatred and division sow seeds of calm and openness. Where there is destruction help us to rebuild. Where children are crying bring an end to tears. Shelter your peoples and protect them: Guide them and keep them from harm. Show us how to break down the barriers of history and fear and breathe whispers of hope. Amen.
(Linda Jones/CAFOD)
FOR PRISONERS
Click here to go to the Prison Prayer Champions sheet.
HAITI
Lord God, grant wisdom and discernment to political leaders, inside and outside Haiti, so that they may know how to resolve the current crisis. Deliver the people of Haiti from the present oppression and violence of armed gangs, so that social life can return to normality with the reopening of schools, universities, and other public places and services.
For Refugees
Almighty and merciful God,
whose Son became a refugee and had no place to call his own;
look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from danger,
homeless and hungry.
Bless those who work to bring them relief;
inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts;
and guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and of peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Click here to download a booklet of 6 reflections, “God’s Heart for Refugees”.
A prayer for those affected by flooding
Prayers for those who have lost
Heavenly Father, as we try to comprehend the destruction that flooding causes to people’s lives, our hearts grieve. We ask for you to be with all who have suffered loss in floods. For those who have lost homes, we pray for shelter and community. For those who have lost livelihoods, we ask for financial security. For those who have lost loved ones, we pray that they know comfort in their mourning.
Prayers for those providing help
Lord God, we pray you give strength to all those who are providing support to those affected by floods. For governments, for emergency services, for faith leaders and for neighbours. Give them all the endurance, resilience and compassion they need. We pray especially for those who sacrificially help others whilst also coping with their own loss.
Prayers for the world’s response
Lord, we pray for world leaders as they decide how to respond. We pray that you stir hearts into generosity. We pray that our leaders will know humility and courage as they wrestle with the climate crisis that has contributed to flooding.
Prayers for the floods to subside
And Father God, author of creation who shaped this earth, by your power and might may waters subside quickly and land be restored.
Amen
Morocco Earthquake (from Christian Aid)
God, our refuge in times of trouble.
You told us to pray always and not to lose heart.
We pray for our neighbours in Morocco.
We pray for you to comfort those affected by the earthquake.
For those who have lost loved ones, homes and all they know.
Bring solace in their grief, healing in their pain and help in their time of need.
Let those in need know they are not alone;
May your light shine through the darkness.
And bring hope and strength.
We pray for provision for communities
who now face an uncertain future.
Open our hearts,
May they be full of compassion.
Draw close to those who need you today.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen
Sudan
Father God, we lift up Sudan and pray for stability in the region and a path of peace. Bring justice and healing to this divided land, we pray.
Amen.
Prayer for those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
God of mercy,
We pray for the people of Türkiye and Syria
following the recent earthquakes.
We mourn the death and destruction.
and pray for those who have died and those who grieve.
Lord, bring them comfort, strength and renewed hope.
We hold in our hearts those who are injured,
and those who have lost loved ones, livelihoods, and homes.
Lord, bring them comfort, strength and renewed hope.
Sustain and guide all responding to this disaster.
Grant those affected courage and resilience,
as they rebuild their lives and communities.
Lord, bring them comfort, strength and renewed hope.
Inspire us to unite in solidarity,
acting swiftly and generously,
so that help may reach all who need it.
Lord, bring them comfort, strength and renewed hope.
Amen.
To donate to the DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, click https://give.christianaid.org.uk/donate/CAM-004766
Pray for the Cost of Living Crisis
Almighty and most merciful God, we hold before you all for whom life is difficult. Those who must chose between eating or heating, those who fear starvation or eviction, those who go without so their children do not. Open our eyes to their struggle, open our ears to their needs, and open our hearts to respond. May we never forget that what we do to the least in the world, we do to you.
Unite us all in your work of mercy and service, mobilise us to help all of those struggling in our communities, and empower us to fight for justice against poverty and oppression.
Grant these things, Father, for the love of your Son Jesus Christ, who dwelt alongside us in the difficulty and mess of our human lives. Amen
A prayer for Yemen
Giver of Life,
Who hears the cries from Yemen;
Of mothers choosing between medicine or food,
Of parents grieving children lost to starvation,
Of those who have given up everything in hunger.
Hear our cries for hope, for change, for peace.
In your mercy,
Break political deadlocks,
Soften hardened hearts,
Change closed minds,
Open unhearing ears.
Let people come before power.
Let life be holy again.
Let your justice and peace
Shape the nation of Yemen,
And the lives of all people.
Amen
Pray for the Climate
Glorious God, the whole of creation proclaims your marvellous work: Increase in us a capacity to wonder and delight in it, that heaven’s praise may echo in our hearts and our lives be spent as good stewards of the earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pray for Pakistan
Compassionate God
Hear our prayer for the people of Pakistan;
For those who have lost their lives in the floods
And for those forced from their homes.
Yet again, God, it is the poorest who are hit hardest
And those with least who lose most.
Our hearts are heavy with the
Death, distress and destruction we see.
But we are not helpless to act.
God of love and justice:
Call us to generous giving for those in need
And urgent action to combat climate chaos.
Let those in need today know they are not alone,
And unite us in hope
For a world where all can live in safety and security.
Amen
Prayer for East Africa
Loving and compassionate God,
Christian Aid
When Famine stalks the land, nothing grows.
Plants cannot, people cannot, ideas and dreams cannot
everything withers and dies.
It is a violent aberration of your will for the world
and it is multiplied now
by conflict, climate change and covid.
God of the flourishing field, there is enough to feed us all.
Call us to that sacred sharing neighbour to global neighbour
Your gifts of food, water,
a chance to live the life so delicately crafted
by your divine spirit.
We will not turn away but turn towards each other
with generosity and a justice-driven compassion
that searches for solutions.
Famine stalks the land, so may our outrage grow,
may our determination steel itself,
may our solidarity spur us into action.
God of the flourishing field,
help us feed each other.
Amen
To donate to the Christian Aid East Africa appeal, click here.
PRAY FOR AFGHANISTAN
Please pray for peace and protection for the Afghan people who are facing great uncertainty and the threat of serious human rights abuses. Pray also for all who remain, for courage and protection. You can find more resources here: www.christianaid.org.uk/pray/prayer-afghanistan
To donate to the current DEC Afghanistan Crisis appeal, click here .
Pray for Ukraine
God of all peoples and nations,
Christian Aid
Who created all things alive and breathing,
United and whole,
Show us the way of peace that is your overwhelming presence.
We hold before you the peoples of Ukraine and Russia,
Every child and every adult.
We long for the time
When weapons of war are beaten into ploughshares
When nations no longer lift up sword against nation.
We cry out to you for peace;
Protect those who only desire and deserve to live in security and safety
Comfort those who fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones
Be with those who are bereaved.
Change the hearts of those set on violence and aggression
And fill leaders with the wisdom that leads to peace.
Kindle again in us a love of our neighbour,
And a passion for justice to prevail
and a renewed recognition that we all play a part in peace.
Creator of all hear our prayer
And bring us peace. make us whole.
Amen.
To donate to the current DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, click here.