Prayer about Lori Kaye's heroic death protecting her rabbi

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/28/us/california-synagogue-shooting-victims/index.html?no-st=1556492359

Lord God, we are deeply moved by the heroism of Lori Kaye, who laid down her life to protect her rabbi this weekend. We marvel at the courage and quick-thinking she demonstrated when realizing an active shooter was attempting to kill her rabbi. For her to throw herself between the shooter and the rabbi, receiving the bullets into her own body, was an example of the most powerful kind of love. We agree with her friend Roneet Lev’s words, “She didn't die a senseless death. She died advertising the problem we have with anti-Semitism and to bring good to this world.” We pray for Kaye’s husband and young-adult daughter as they grieve and process her heinous death. We pray for Congregation Chabad and the community of Poway in California as they recover from this terrible tragedy. We rejoice that the injured have all been released from their hospitals, and we pray for them to recover emotionally and physically in the months and years to come. And we pray against anti-Semitism in that community and in our world. Amen.

Prayer about Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Flint, MI

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/flint-water-crisis-legionnaires-disease-deaths/?utm_source=pbsofficial&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=frontline_2019&fbclid=
IwAR2jCuoGH9R5g5VVEymRibjXl7CzB_gfniil3newTOpLl6zkgJ40X8NBsCU
Photo credit: Abby Ellis/FRONTLINE

Lord, we want to acknowledge and pray about the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that happened in Flint, MI, about five years ago, and which is still affecting that community today. We particularly pray for those who are still battling the effects of contracting the disease, and in some cases fighting for their lives. Please help them get the best medical care possible and remain strong physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually as they battle for their health. Lord, we pray for those who grieve lost loved ones. We know they not only grieve over those missing from their lives, but that some bereaved residents still struggle with the injustice of being given contaminated water and the withholding of timely information that could have possibly saved lives. Help Flint residents resolve these inner struggles, find the peace that passes understanding, and forgive. At the same time, we pray for the truth to come out and for justice wherever it is needed. Please work in Flint, MI, to bring about hope, truth and change as needed. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Jeanine Mabunda, first woman elected to DRC’s top legislative role

https://www.africanews.com/2019/04/25/drc-mps-elect-woman-speaker-of-parliament-jeanine-mabunda/

Lord God, we pray for Jeanine Mabunda, the first woman elected to her nation’s top legislative role, as she helps lead the Democratic Republic of Congo. As speaker of parliament, may she lead the house of assembly with excellence, wisdom, confidence and integrity. May she have the support she needs to move the nation in a positive direction. We are thankful for Mabunda’s work in the fight against sexual violence and the recruitment of child soldiers. We pray for even more progress in these areas now that she is in a higher legislative position. Lord, we continue to pray for the DRC as they await the nomination of prime minister for the country. Please grant President Felix Tshisekedi wisdom as he seeks to appoint someone to this key role. May the DRC seek your blessing in the years to come. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.  

Thanksgiving that entire crew survived helicopter crash

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2019/04/23/Crew-found-alive-after-chopper-crashes-off-New-Zealand/8901556017545/

Lord, in the midst of our grief over the bombings in Sri Lanka, we celebrate the good news that the entire crew of the helicopter that went down off New Zealand has been found alive and well. When this chopper, carrying two pilots and a medic, disappeared on its flight to do a medical evacuation, loved ones were so concerned. Then to find wreckage but no people… we are delighted that all three were found walking on a beach and that they have been evacuated to safety and to receive any necessary care. We pray for the investigation into what happened in this incident. May it be a productive investigation that will help prevent similar incidents in the future. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Good Friday prayer

Jesus, today the skies are gray in our hearts as we consider the sacrifice you made. If we take even a moment to ponder your horrific death at our hands, we must acknowledge the wickedness of our hearts and flesh. Yet you submitted to our demands. You received the punishment intended for us. You experienced your first-ever separation from your Heavenly Father. And you died. We thank you with all our hearts. We thank you by offering our lives to your service in response. And we say on this "Good" Friday that you are the One who is good. You are the One who let your goodness overflow into our lives, paying for our sins, changing our hearts. And we say with resounding jubilation that we celebrate the victory that is to come! Your death took the bite out of sin, the power from the enemy. Now we can all have HOPE! Thank you for the cross. Amen.

Prayer as Notre Dame burns

https://www.foxnews.com/world/notre-dame-fire-cardinal-dolan-cathedral-rise-again

Heavenly Father, as we watch Notre Dame burn, we agree with Cardinal Timothy Dolan that, “This Holy Week teaches us that, like Jesus, death brings life. Today's dying, we trust, will bring rising.” We are so grieved by this loss to the Catholic church, to France, to history and culture, to the world. That is why we celebrate the words of Christ-followers like Cardinal Dolan, who direct us to the victory found in Jesus, which is highlighted this Easter week. We do pray for safety for all those involved with fighting this fire and then repairing the glorious cathedral. We pray for wisdom for those who lead the efforts. We pray for funding for restoration. And, Lord, we pray most of all that this place will continue to point people to you for centuries to come. And, as Cardinal Dolan pointed out, may we focus on Jesus this week: his death, his sacrifice for us, his resurrection. Rather than the fire bringing only dismay, we trust you will bring rising from this death by drawing more people’s attention to what Notre Dame stands for and the power of Holy Week. In Jesus’ victorious name we pray, amen.

Praise for sex trafficking sting operation in Minnesota

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/minnesota-child-sex-sting-results-in-58-arrests-state-says/ar-BBVOdtL?li=BBnbfcL

Heavenly Father, we praise you for the successful sting operation at the Final Four tournament in Minneapolis that brought freedom to 28 sex trafficking victims. Thank you for the members of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension who executed the operation and for providing a venue that was conducive to carrying it out. Father, we can only imagine what these victims’ lives have been like while in captivity. We pray that you provide them with the full support they need to process through and overcome this difficult situation. For the 58 people who were arrested, we are grateful that they have been detained and are no longer in a position to cause harm. Convict them of their sin, soften their hearts, and draw them to you as they seek redemption for their wrongdoing. Father, we pray for the BCA and local community organizations across the country who are committed to tackling this crisis. We ask that you provide them with the necessary resources and insight to continue pursuing this cause. In Jesus’ name, amen.


Prayer contributed by guest prayer blogger Brandi South:

Brandi South resides in Chambersburg, PA, with her husband, their daughter, and their two rescue cats. She is employed at Shippensburg University of PA and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree starting in the fall. Brandi is a member of Grand Point Church in Chambersburg where she enjoys serving on the First Impressions Team as a greeter. Some of her favorite scripture passages are Psalm 25 and Ephesians 2.

Prayer about violence against Rohingya people in Myanmar

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2019/04/09/UN-fears-as-many-as-30-Rohingya-killed-in-Myanmar-assault/4831554811215/

Heavenly Father, today we pray for the Rohingya people. Last week an estimated 30 Rohingya bamboo workers were killed during an aerial assault by the Myanmar military. This latest attack is just part of a growing conflict in western Myanmar. Over the past few years, nearly a quarter million Rohingya have been displaced from their homes and villages and thousands more have died. Father, this is a people that desperately needs you to intervene on their behalf. They are without a land to call their own, fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh or living along the border. We pray that this violence will end. We pray that the Rohingya people can return to their land and live in peace. We pray that you sustain them and provide for them during this time of crisis. We lift them up in Jesus' name, amen.

Prayer contributed by guest prayer blogger Brandi South:

Brandi South resides in Chambersburg, PA, with her husband, their daughter, and their two rescue cats. She is employed at Shippensburg University of PA and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree starting in the fall. Brandi is a member of Grand Point Church in Chambersburg where she enjoys serving on the First Impressions Team as a greeter. Some of her favorite scripture passages are Psalm 25 and Ephesians 2.

Prayer about church fires in Louisiana

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/05/3-black-churches-10-days-burned-louisianas-st-landry-parish/3384344002/

Father God, today we pray for the recent string of fires in Louisiana that have either destroyed or significantly damaged three Baptist churches within St. Landry Parish. We are grateful that these churches were vacant at the time and therefore there weren’t any casualties. We pray that as the FBI and ATF continue their investigation that the cause becomes clear very quickly, and should this be a case of arson, that the people responsible are found and stopped from any further attempts. We pray for the congregations of each of these churches, that you give them hope, guard their hearts from fear, and help them to feel safe in you. We pray for the pastors as they continue to lead and as they make decisions about rebuilding and securing their buildings going forward. Lord, as these are predominantly black churches that were affected, we pray that these fires were not based on race. We wholeheartedly pray against racism. Father, we love you and we seek your guidance in all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.


Prayer contributed by guest prayer blogger Brandi South:

Brandi South resides in Chambersburg, PA, with her husband, their daughter, and their two rescue cats. She is employed at Shippensburg University of PA and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree starting in the fall. Brandi is a member of Grand Point Church in Chambersburg where she enjoys serving on the First Impressions Team as a greeter. Some of her favorite scripture passages are Psalm 25 and Ephesians 2.

Prayer for Ugandan man and American woman held by kidnappers

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-usa-kidnapping/american-kidnapped-on-ugandan-safari-500000-ransom-demanded-idUSKCN1RF1LU

Heavenly Father, we pray for American Kimberley Sue Endecott and Ugandan Jean Paul, who are currently being held by gunmen demanding a ransom for their return. Please protect them from violent harm and give them the peace that transcends understanding. Work through them to calm and convict the kidnappers. We pray for the joint American and Ugandan security teams, who have cut off all exit areas on the border between Uganda and the DRC. May they find and safely extricate the victims. We pray against the gunmen harming or capturing anyone else in their desperation. We also pray for the elderly couple that was robbed but left behind in the same incident. We are thankful they were not captured, and we pray for their emotional healing from this trauma. Again, Lord, we pray for Kimberley Endecott and Jean Paul to be freed without violence. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Praise for China's curbing of fentanyl production

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2019/04/01/China-moves-to-fight-fentanyl-shipments-after-US-request/3251554137713/ and https://www.globalhealthnow.org/2018-12/2018s-biggest-global-health-issues

Lord God, today we rejoice in the Chinese government’s decision to curb the manufacture and export of synthetic forms of the opioid fentanyl, as well as to ban the altering of the drug's chemical structure to circumnavigate the law. We are thankful that all forms of fentanyl will be considered controlled substances within China as of May 1. We do pray China will have great success in limiting the production and exportation of this dangerous, highly addictive substance. Lord, we know America’s opioid crisis breaks your heart. With overdose deaths topping 70,000 in 2017--the most in a single year in US history, we fervently pray for effective measures in curbing this plague among Americans and within other nations that struggle. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.