The WORLD in Prayer

My daughter, Lauren, is in Bolivia for a couple of weeks. Protests and strikes have foiled some of her travel plans, and that gives the folks something to be anxious about. All of a sudden, we’re paying close attention to current events in another hemisphere. Note to self: I live a very insular life.

Dear Lord, I’m reading about protests, marches, counter-marches, blockades and strikes in La Paz, Bolivia, as Lauren travels in that country. I pray for her safety and for the wise leadership of her group. I pray for the people and leaders of that troubled country - the poorest in South America - where most people live on two thousand dollars a year.

I’m suddenly aware of my blessings…and myopia. I don’t think a lot about the global south. Life is good in my all-American cul-de-sac.

Our priest e-mails a weekly link to the World in Prayer website. I should engage. After all, I’m a promoter of prayer. Today, I borrow their words and join the world in prayer:

We remember...
- those who were killed by two deadly explosions in Damascus, Syria
- victims of the Russian plane crash in the mountains in Indonesia
- the children and families victimized by a sexual exploitation ring in Manchester, UK
- the seventeen employees killed in a fire while they slept in a department store in the Philippines

We lift up the members of our human family around the world - for those who are afflicted or suffering, for those who need healing, for those who require bread or shelter, for those who live in violent homes and communities, for those who are grieving, and for those whose needs are known to you alone.

Touch us with your healing peace and gentle embrace that we may walk in your ways - bringing dignity, justice and peace to all corners of your world. All of this we pray in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.


World in Prayer website
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