Prayer For World Refugee Day
Almighty and merciful God,
whose son became a refugee
and has no place to call his own;
Look with mercy on those who today are
fleeing from danger, homelessness and hunger.
Bless those who work to bring them relief;
Inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts;
And guide the nations of the world towards that day
when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of Justice and of Peace;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen
Lord Jesus, you were once a stranger in a new land, whose family sought safety and refuge. Together, we remember and ask you to hold close those who have been driven from and are fleeing their homes.
Enliven in us your welcoming spirit, that we may seek to wholly and open heartedly receive those most in need. Give us the courage to advocate for refugees around the world and to help create new homes for them in our own communities.
Be a source of strength for those without their home, a solid and secure ground for those feeling unsafe, unsettled and unwelcome. Console them in their time of need, giving solace during a time of great fear and desperation.
Keep us from our own fear, that we may only see your face in those seeking refuge. Deliver us all into your mercy that we may share that mercy and love with all your beloved children.
In your name we pray. Amen.
We pray to the God Who Hears...
Hagar, driven from her home and safety, is told that the Lord has heard her misery. Her child should be named Ishmael, a word that evokes hearing. (Gen 16:7-11)
God, you still hear the cries of your people.
You attend to the tears, the gasps, the fears, and the hopes of those who have been driven from home and safety.
You receive the whispered and shouted prayers from people on boats lost at sea, from families carrying all they have, from men and women hoping the refugee settlement is safe.
You are blessed by the songs of praise and thanks that resound when people arrive safely in new homes, cities and countries, and when people are able to return home to the lands they love.
You overhear the words spoken by those receiving displaced people, sometimes words of blessing and thanks, sometimes words of burden and curse. (Tune our hearts to blessing.)
God, You hear. Please let the displaced people of the world know that they are heard. And help us to hear them.
We pray to the God Who Sees...
Hagar, desperate in the wilderness, fearful of her child dying, encounters You and calls You the God who sees. (Gen 16:13-14)
God, You still see the painful realities of this world.
You are entirely aware of each family that has had to flee their home for safety.
You are witness to each person who has been driven from their neighbourhood, city, or country.
You watch as people try to cross borders, enter and leave refugee settlements, and make long and uncertain journeys.
You take note of people and places who offer welcome and hospitality. And of those who do not. (Tune our hearts to hospitality)
God, You see. Please let the displaced people of the world know that they are seen. And help us to see them.
We pray to the God Who Knows...
In Jesus, You came to experience and know our every suffering, our every struggle, our every temptation, and our every joy. Because of this, we know You can help us. (Heb 2:17-18)
Jesus, You still know the suffering and joy of Your people.
You are familiar with sorrow, betrayal, and the need to flee your homeland for safety.
You know the sacrifice of each mother and father as they try to protect and provide for their children.
You know what it is like to be accused, to be mistrusted, to be unwanted.
Yet You love even your enemies and offer hope and home even to those who killed you. (Tune our hearts to receive Your forgiveness).
Jesus, you know. Please let the displaced people of the world know that they are known. And help us to be known, to know You, and to know our brothers and sisters in this world.
Amen.
Jesus, you knew what it was to be a refugee
when your parents fled from Herod.
You knew what it was to be homeless
with nowhere to lay your head
You knew what it was to be friendless
when those you loved betrayed you
You knew what it was to be utterly derelict
as you cried from the cross
All together: Whatever we suffer
You have been there first.
Forgive us for doubting you
And give us the strength to go on. Amen
God of the journey,
We remember that Mary and Joseph
Had to flee to Egypt,
Taking Jesus to safety,
Leaving home behind.
Remembering,
We pray for sisters and brothers
Around your world
Who are forced to leave their homes.
We pray for brothers and sisters who are
Driven from home by natural disasters.
We pray for sisters and brothers who are
Driven from unnatural acts of violence and persecution.
We pray for brothers and sisters who are
Driven from home because of inadequate responses to natural events.
We pray for those who leave their countries and cross borders.
We pray for those who are internally displaced,
Finding new places to live within their own country.
We pray for those who are exposed to freezing cold and searing heat,
Those who lack food, water, shelter, and other necessities of life,
Those who are exploited, violated, and abused, and
Those who mourn the loss of place and all that brings.
We give thanks for the strength, courage, and grace of our sisters and brothers
Who are refugees or internally displaced.
We give thanks for the contributions they make in their new places
And for the ways in which they enrich our lives.
Guide the leaders of the world to find creative ways to respond,
To extend protection and provide safe haven,
To care compassionately and respectfully for the needs of our sisters and brothers,
To address the situations and circumstances that force people to leave their homes.
To do justice and to seek peace.
Show us ways that we can support our brothers and sisters whom we encounter.
Inspire us to engage in the efforts to create a world
In which all have a safe place to call home.
We pray in the name of the refugee Jesus,
Amen.
Lord Jesus, you were once a stranger in a new land, whose family sought safety and refuge. Together, we remember and ask you to hold close those who have been driven from and are fleeing their homes.
Enliven in us your welcoming spirit, that we may seek to wholly and open heartedly receive those most in need. Give us the courage to advocate for refugees around the world and to help create new homes for them in our own communities.
Be a source of strength for those without their home, a solid and secure ground for those feeling unsafe, unsettled and unwelcome. Console them in their time of need, giving solace during a time of great fear and desperation.
Keep us from our own fear, that we may only see your face in those seeking refuge. Deliver us all into your mercy that we may share that mercy and love with all your beloved children.
In your name we pray. Amen.
Loving and gracious God,
Today we are celebrating World Refugee Day, when throughout your creation, we are invited to remember the now 70.8 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people among us. They are, as you in eternal light know far better than we, most basically our fellow human beings. They are your beloved sons and daughters, made in your image, the image of the one God whom Jews and Christians and Muslims all alike worship. They have been driven from home. They lack secure shelter. Their children have difficulty finding schooling. Food is scarce.
Jesus, You still know the suffering and joy of Your people.
You are familiar with sorrow, betrayal, and the need to flee your homeland for safety.
You know the sacrifice of each mother and father as they try to protect and provide for their children.
You know what it is like to be accused, to be mistrusted, to be unwanted.
Yet You love even your enemies and offer hope and home even to those who killed you. (Tune our hearts to receive Your forgiveness).
Jesus, you know. Please let the displaced people of the world know that they are known. And help us to be known, to know You, and to know our brothers and sisters in this world.
Amen.