“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 survivors, victims, and loved ones of those involved in the train crash in Greece…
For victims of school gas poisonings in Iran…
For all affected by tornados, blizzards, and other significant weather events across the United States…
For safety and protection for all migrants…
In lament over the significant death toll and casualties on both sides of the Russia/Ukraine conflict…
For all those forced into war, conflict, and violence; and in fervent hope that all war should cease…
For all affected by the COVID-19 virus in the United States and around the world, and for continued mitigation and treatment efforts…
For those facing food insecurity, and for compassionate policies to address hunger…
In thanksgiving for the contributions of women to politics, the arts, science, education, advocacy, technology, medicine, administration, and the church; especially for women serving as bishops, pastors, chaplains, and deacons…
Events and observances:
Women’s History Month (Month of March)
Perpetua and Felicity and companions, martyrs at Carthage, died 202 (March 7)
International Women’s Day (March 8)
Harriet Tubman, died 1913; Sojourner Truth, died 1883; renewers of society (March 10)
Prayers from ELCA resources:
Responding to Turkey/Syria Earthquakes
Prayer Resources in Time of Earthquakes
A prayer of Catherine of Siena (ELW p. 87)
Power of the eternal Father, help me. Wisdom of the Son, enlighten the eye of my understanding. Tender mercy of the Holy Spirit, unite my heart to yourself. Eternal God, restore health to the sick and life to the dead. Give us a voice, your own voice, to cry out to you for mercy for the world. You, light, give us light. You, wisdom, give us wisdom. You, supreme strength, strengthen us. Amen.
A prayer of Julian of Norwich (ELW p. 87)
In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and savior. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen.
A prayer for peace (ACS p. 48)
You calm and quiet us, eternal God, as a mother holds her children close; all people have refuge in the shadow of your wings. Spread over us the shelter of your peace. Hold before us the wisdom of your cross, where we are drawn to you not by might or power, but by your boundless love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement
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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.
