Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: April 3, 2022

Worship resources for the crisis in Eastern Europe:

Worship resources are available to assist worshiping communities as they respond to the crisis in Eastern Europe. Visit this link to access a wide variety of resources and prayers for general use. Additional newly-composed worship texts for Good Friday and Easter are available here

Intercession prompts:

  • For further casualties suffered by combatants and civilians in Ukraine…

  • For those who suffer or grieve interpersonal violence

  • For areas suffering wind and storm damage…

  • For all drivers, passengers, and first responders involved in the massive crash on the Pennsylvania interstate…

  • For those navigating chronic, invisible, or progressive illnesses…

  • For those grieving loved ones killed by terrorist gunfire in Tel Aviv…

  • For youth who are navigating questions of identity, gender, and sexual orientation, and for the trusted adults who support them…

  • For our Muslim siblings as they begin the observance of Ramadan…

Other notable events and observances:

Ramadan (April 2-April 30)
World Autism Awareness Day (April 2)
Commemoration of Benedict the African (April 4)
Commemoration of Albrecht Dürer, Matthias Grünewald, and Lucas Cranach (April 6)
World Health Day (April 7)
Commemoration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (April 9)

Suggested prayers and hymns:

A prayer for interreligious cooperation and understanding (ACS p. 51)
O God, whose name is above all names, your grace cannot be contained within human limits. We offer our thanks for holy wisdom that comes in other voices, in religions and worldviews different from our own, and in prayers offered in the wideness of your love. Move us more deeply into understanding and partnership, willing to work together in mutual respect, always open to the grace that we have experienced in Christ Jesus, our light and life.

These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod.

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.

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.