July Prayer of Intercession

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

Bruce Van Voorhis – Hong Kong

This morning, Lord, we bring before you the troubles of the world and our own concerns.

We lift up to you our planet whose air and water we have mindlessly polluted, whose climate we have relentlessly altered, all for money and for what we call development and progress. We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may be better stewards of our small part of the globe in Hong Kong and southern China. Guide us to live a more healthy way of life in which we no longer poison the air, water and ourselves.

Bruce Van Voorhis – Hong Kong

This morning, Lord, we bring before you the troubles of the world and our own concerns.

We lift up to you China’s flood victims. We pray for your comforting hand to touch those who have been affected by weeks of deep and raging water, those who have lost their loved ones, their homes, and their livelihood. We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may be even better prepared for these calamities in the future. Guide us to respond with love and compassion to those who have lost so much.

We lift up to you the people of Iraq and Afghanistan whose daily experience of death and destruction continues. We pray that the same violence and disintegration of society will not afflict Pakistan. We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may live together in peace. Guide us to follow the path of love, compassion, justice and peace that all religions proclaim in order to tear down the walls of misunderstanding and hate that are being erected.

We lift up to you the anti-terrorism law in the Philippines that takes effect today. We pray that this new law will not be used as a legal weapon in a country that has witnessed hundreds of unsolved extrajudicial killings and disappearances in the past few years. We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may use our laws to promote justice and not injustice. Guide us to abandon our desire for power to dominate others and instead lead us to embrace the power to serve others.

We lift up to you families who are living with violence among themselves. We especially pray for the woman in Hong Kong who recently lost her daughter and husband to violence. We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may better resolve the tensions of our lives and create homes that are places of love and rest. Guide us to find non-violent ways to express ourselves and resolve our conflicts and frustrations.

We lift up to you Hong Kong’s aspirations for democracy. We pray that the consultation document released by the Hong Kong government this past week will result in a model of governance that permits the equal participation of each person in Hong Kong to elect all of the city’s political leaders. We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may create a political system that reflects the values of love, compassion justice and tolerance for others that you have taught us. Guide us to participate in this process in a manner that sets aside our self-interests and works for the common interests of our community.

We lift up to you the people and churches of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama today as part of the global ecumenical prayer cycle. We ask for your wisdom for them, Lord, so that they may respond with sensitivity to the issues that confront their societies. Guide them to know that anything is possible when you are part of the process of finding a solution.

We lift up to you the concerns and joys of our church family at Kowloon Union. We pray for those coping with serious illnesses. We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may be faithful witnesses of your love in the world. Guide us to be the disciples that you call and challenge us to be.

We lift up to you now our own concerns and joys. (silence) We ask for your wisdom, Lord, so that we may resolve and overcome the issues that we find difficult. Guide us to find a place of peace in our lives.

We lift up our prayers to you, Lord, in your Son’s name. Amen.

Bruce Van Voorhis
Hong Kong
Bruce Van Voorhis serves as missionary with the Asian Human Rights Commission located in Hong Kong. He serves as a writer and editor with the Commission.