Shepherd me, Lord, through all my longings and wants. So much seems so broken, and without your shepherding, I am often left exhausted, drained of hope. You know me, and you are nudging me to green pastures and still waters! - Syd Hielema
The Amazon rainforest experienced its worst drought on record in 2023. Many villages became unreachable by river which left villages without access to medical care and without ways to get crops to the city before they spoiled.
Lord, the Amazon is a place few of us could dream up. Yet you know the ways its plants, animals, weather and soil, rivers and humans all work together for life. We pray for these drought conditions that the worst effects would be avoided. That villages would not be decimated by the rivers drying up. We pray for wisdom in stewarding this precious, precious gift even as the world keeps getting warmer and drier. Lord have mercy.
A Migrant woman and two children drown in Texas trying to reach the US. Federal border patrol and Texas military are at odds as to who is to blame for their deaths. We pray for the situation, for the vulnerable and for Christ’s compassion on all those who are strangers in our midst.
Lord, while powers and principalities pass the buck, you saw the last moments of this family and weep. We pray for your Holy Spirit to bring redemption to this story and for justice, accountability and sustainable change to the whole situation at the border. We pray for peace for this family’s left behind loved ones and we pray for immigration, refugee and asylum seeking policies that dignify our neighbors and show the world your kind of welcome.
In the last week of December 2023, security camera footage from a nearby business recorded a man falling from the last step of a bus and attempting to wave for help but receiving none. He was not able to get up or receive any help despite dozens of cars and 3 city buses passing right beside him with a full view. 7 hours later he was finally found deceased by a passing bike rider.
Lord, one life out of billions. Help us never forget each life is precious. We need your Spirit to enable us to be the people in our communities who reach out, who stop and are not too busy to help. You told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us live the way you taught us. Thank you for the precious life of this one man. Be with his family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
This week, an inquest into the 2023 mass stabbing that happened in Saskatchewan’s James Smith Cree Nation will begin. We pray for the families and the community that have to revisit the horror of those moments again in a quest for truth and healing.
Lord, as memories and details are recalled in the James Smith community, we pray for peace. As those dark days are brought into the light, may truth and justice be healing and may your Spirit strengthen the community in Jesus’ name.
In October, Thrive hosted Nurturing Belonging: Exploring Hospitality, Disability, and Theology. This training event explored disability theology and the experiences of people with disabilities in the church. The complete recording is now accessible on YouTube. This is a great resource for all church leaders, regardless of whether you consider yourself a disability advocate. View here »
The CRC Prayer Guide offers another way to pray for our shared ministry as a denomination, with specific prayer requests for each day of the year. You can view these prayer requests online, download printer-friendly versions, or get them delivered to your email inbox (choose to receive them daily, weekly, or once a month).
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