“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.
Prayer prompts:
For areas of the world impacted by ongoing war, conflict, and violence: Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen…
For victims of the tourist submarine accident in Egypt…
For victims of a knife attack in central Amsterdam…
For safety and peaceful resolution to political protests in Turkey…
For the families of missing US soldiers in Lithuania…
For those battling and suffering wildfires in South Korea…
For students at colleges and universities, especially international students…
For safety and justice for all migrants…
For those suffering acute and chronic illness, including measles, long-COVID, cancer, and HIV/AIDS…
For financial stability and well-being, especially for those affected most significantly by tariffs and market fluctuations…
For courts, judges, law enforcement, and all those who are sworn to protect us…
Events and observances:
March observances: Ramadan (Islam, Feb 28-Mar 31), Women’s History Month
Hans Nielson Haude, renewer of the church, died 1824 (Mar 29)
John Donne, poet, died 1631 (Mar 31)
Eid al-Fitr (Islam, Mar 31)
Benedict the African, confessor, died 1589 (Apr 4)
Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer for peace among the nations (ELW)
Gracious God, grant peace among nations. Cleanse from our own hearts the seeds of strife: greed and envy, harsh misunderstandings and ill will, fear and desire for revenge. Make us quick to welcome ventures in cooperation among the peoples of the world, so that there may be woven the fabric of a common good too strong to be torn by the evil hands of war. In the time of opportunity, make us be diligent; and in the time of peril, let not our courage fail; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for the armed forces (ELW)
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils that surround them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
The following topical resources are available from resources.elca.org for use in public worship and personal devotion:
Worship resources and prayers in response to wildfires
Worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land
Worship resources for the Eastern Europe Crisis
Worship resources for and following national elections
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ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement
Additional topical prayers are found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 72–87) and All Creation Sings (pp. 46–55), as well as in other resources provided in print and online at sundaysandseasons.com.
Crafted intercessions for every Sunday and festival are provided in the Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide published in-print and online by Augsburg Fortress. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession
Prayer Ventures, a daily prayer resource, is a guide to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.
