Prayer for Lent and Easter
Dr. Deidre Homer
Call to action
The Israelite prophet Micah said:
“What does the Lord require of you? Only to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
God of mercy and source of justice,
pour on your people such love and compassion that
we cannot remain silent,
we cannot tolerate injustice and poverty.
As your grace fills our hearts
so may we be stirred into action
to demonstrate your love for all the world
and for all creatures that live and move on this earth.
Prayer of Confession
Forgive us Lord for our apathy,
for our lack of courage to speak out.
Forgive us when we walk past and don’t offer help.
Forgive us when we get it wrong.
We confess that we are afraid –
we don’t want to overcome our hidden doubts and prejudices
in order to be alongside those who are different from ourselves.
We ask that you would lead us into action:
give us strength to be a voice crying for justice and peace.
Help us to step into another person’s shoes,
or if they have no shoes
then not to be afraid to take off our own,
peel off our preconceptions and assumptions,
uncurl and spread out our toes, and
tread in their footprints.
May we be a liberating presence
and offer love, compassion and whatever is needed
to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.
Prayers for others
God of mercy and love let us serve you in our world
We pray for desert people,
who live in a dry, parched land
who lack water
who travel constantly
so that they might live.
Give them living water.
Let the deserts bloom into flower.
We pray that those who work on climate change
may find solutions so that the erosion of soil may be halted or reversed.
We pray that water and other vital supplies might not be used as a weapon of war
in countries where resources are scarce.
God of mercy and love let us serve you in our world
We pray for countries where justice seems far away,
where human rights are ignored.
Let us remind those in power that prisoners are not forgotten.
We pray that the dignity of life is respected
and remember those who have lost that dignity
through age or infirmity or neglect.
We pray for situations
where the sex of a baby may lead to abandonment,
where women are not offered the same opportunities,
or are actively demeaned or mutilated.
May we act to challenge injustice
and seek to affirm your love for all humankind.
God of mercy and love let us serve you in our world
We pray for those who have no peace –
for those who are troubled and torn apart by lack of self esteem
for those who torment and victimise the vulnerable.
We pray for men and women affected by violence in the home
and for those who live by violence.
We pray for those who are trafficked
and for those who organise and profit from selling other humans.
May they learn of your love
and somehow come to newness of life
even in the midst of despair.
God of mercy and love let us serve you in our world
Loving Lord let us not stand aside and tolerate
lack of basic human resources,
dehumanising practices,
or the use of violence to disempower your people.
Give us strength to act and challenge hatred,
and instead bring your justice and mercy.
In your name we humbly ask that we may be a channel for your peace and love.
Amen.
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