Prayer For East Africa
Lord Jesus we ask first that rain would return and that crops would be restored.
We pray for grace and strength for aid agencies and hospitals in the stricken areas.
We pray protection over families especially for children of the displaced.
And we pray too Lord for our own governments and for the governments of the world especially the G20 countries, that they would respond swiftly, appropriately with grace and generosity towards the worlds poor, protecting the vulnerable from rising food prices.
In the name of Jesus Christ who too was once a refugee.
Open our eyes God,
Eyes tempted
To turn away
From the sight of starvation.
Enable us to see
Distressed neighbors created in your image
With once-rounded faces now distorted by want.
Open our ears to the sound of rail-thin crying babies
And the deafening silence of those
Whose hollow eyes betray
A soul
On the edge of giving up.
Use our hands, God,
To reach out across the miles
Full hands
Hands of mercy
Weeping hands.
Until the life-giving rains return to their land. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
We acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth worships thee,
the Father everlasting.
To thee all angels cry aloud:
the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee cherubim and seraphim continually cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts;
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee,
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee,
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world acknowledges thee:
The Father,
of an infinite majesty;
thine honourable, true and only Son;
also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst not despise the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the Kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come
to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints
in glory everlasting.
Lord God, our heavenly Father, we give thanks to thee that thou hast again shown us thy compassion. Let thy grace so fill our hearts, we pray thee, that we may live and do what is pleasing to thee. Amen.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
I confess that I have sinned against thee and against my neighbours
in thought, word and deed.
Have mercy upon me, I beseech thee;
for Jesus Christ's sake forgive me all my sins.
Cleanse me by thy Holy Spirit,
quicken my conscience,
and enable me so to forgive my neighbours
that I may serve thee in newness of life
to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.
Compassionate God,
while children in East Africa
suffer with hunger and malnutrition,
in desperate need of food,
may we refuse to look away.
Unite us in our desire to help.
While families and animals
in Kenya and Ethiopia
stand thirsty, waiting for rain,
may we stand with them.
Unite us in our wait for justice.
While mothers in South Sudan
walk through swamp water
up to their necks,
may they find the refuge they seek,
and not be forsaken.
Unite us with our sisters' struggle.
May we do our part,
giving what we can,
lifting them to you
trusting that your
compassion never fails.
Amen.
Dear Lord, You are Creator of heaven and earth. Rain falls where You send it. Please send consistent rain, Lord, for crops to grow and for people and livestock to drink in the Horn of Africa. Heal the bodies of precious little ones who suffer from malnutrition, and strengthen the men and women who are working hard to return them to full health.