A Prayer for Family Day
Gracious and loving God,
we give you thanks for the gift of family in all its forms—for parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, for friends who become as kin, and for the household of faith that gathers in your name.
On this Family Day,
knit us together in patience and kindness.
Where there is strain, grant reconciliation.
Where there is sorrow, bring comfort.
Where there is joy, deepen our gratitude.
Teach us to love one another as you have loved us in Jesus Christ,
to bear one another’s burdens,
and to build homes marked by forgiveness, laughter, and peace.
Bless our time of rest and celebration this weekend,
and make our families places where your grace is known
and your mercy shared;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Prayer for Black History Month
God of All Peoples, you created us in your image—
diverse, beautiful, and beloved.
Yet, in our world and even in our churches,
racism distorts our vision,
divides our communities,
and diminishes your truth.
Forgive us for the ways we have been ignorant to the pain of others.
Open our hearts to stories that are not our own.
Give us courage to confront injustice,
even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.
We pray for those who carry the burden of discrimination.
We pray for those who have been told their voice doesn’t matter.
And we pray that we may be transformed into people of compassion, humility, and justice.
Let your Spirit move through us as we build a church where every language,
every story, and every culture is celebrated—
not merely included, but embraced as sacred.
In the name of Jesus,
who broke down walls of division,
we pray.
Amen.
—by YongSeok Baek, originally published for 40 Days of Engagement on Anti-Racism in 2025
Prayer for Peace in the Middle East
Lord God, we turn to you in these trying hours when conflict is a daily reality for our sisters and brothers in Israel and Palestine. We promise you to work to our utmost for peace and reconciliation in the region. But we know we cannot do it alone. We very much need the strength of your presence in our midst if we are to overcome the obstacles before us. So our prayer at this moment is that you add your support to our efforts, that you show yourself as a tower of strength in those moments when the barriers seem impassable. Together we can become beacons of hope for just and peaceful societies in the land so very dear to the peoples of your covenant.
– Reverend John T. Pawlikowski, Xavier University, jesuitresource. org
A Prayer for UkraineLord God,
We ask you to hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart.
Protect them, we pray;
from violence,
from political gamesmanship,
from being used and abused.
Give, we pray,
the nations of the world the courage
and the wisdom
to stand up for justice
and the courage too,
to dare to care―generously.
Lord, in your mercy,
take from us all
the tendencies in us
that seek to lord it over others:
take from us those traits
that see us pursuing our own needs and wants
before those of others.
Teach us how to live in love
and dignity
and respect―following your example.
In your name and for your sake,
Amen
―Issued by Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Very Rev. Dr. Susan Brown, convener of the Faith Impact Forum, Church of Scotland
