This prayer has been written specifically for congregations connected to Commitment for Life and Christian Aid. It might be adapted using other countries or areas with which your congregation is connected through prayer and action.
The people of the world, our neighbours near and far, cry out to God. In faith, we pray on their behalf.
There is a response. When I say ‘God of justice’, please respond saying, ‘Come into our hearts and our world.’
Pray with me.
God of fairness and justice, we thank you for the earth’s plentiful resources:
for the abundance of good food and clean water we enjoy;
for the shelter of our homes and the safety of our streets.
God of justice, Come into our hearts and our world
We give thanks for the work of Commitment for Life,
helping us to share our abundance with our partners in Bangladesh,
Zimbabwe, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
God of justice, Come into our hearts and our world
We pray for those who carry the cross of suffering today:
for the hungry and thirsty;
for those who are homeless, imprisoned, seeking asylum;
for those who live in fear at home or at school;
for those who work for justice and peace.
God of justice, Come into our hearts and our world
We pray for our world, its peoples and its lands:
for areas of the world, like Bangladesh, under threat from climate change,
for places affected by pollution and unfair trading,
for an equal distribution of the world’s riches.
God of justice, Come into our hearts and our world
We pray for farmers around the world,
especially small-hold farmers in Zimbabwe and Bangladesh
assisted by Commitment for Life.
We pray for their families and farming co-ops,
that justice might flow down like a river into their communities.
God of justice, Come in to our hearts and our world.
In our homes and in our lives, may we live sustainably,
in harmony with the created world, and with one another.
May we work together to eradicate poverty and discrimination.
God of justice, Come into our hearts and our world.
We pray for hearts and minds haunted by hatred and fear,
especially in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
May the walls that divide tumble down,
and the desire for peace and reconciliation burn in their hearts.
May people learn again how to live as neighbours,
respecting one another as children of God.
Bless those working for peace and reconciliation in these lands.
God of justice, Come into our hearts and our world
God, empower us to proclaim your realm of love, justice and peace.
In faith we pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Photo — ‘Justice, Manchester UK’ — If you know the photographer or exact location, please let Worship Words know. Thank you.
