Thank God for opportunities to enjoy nature, whether in a wilderness area, urban park, community garden or forest preserve. Give thanks for how nature and fresh air renew us and lift our spirits, and pray that our neighbors with mobility challenges can get outdoors to experience and enjoy the blessings of creation.
Read MorePray that we will respond eagerly when God calls us into the world together as disciples to carry on the difficult work of Jesus, sharing the good news, caring for our neighbors in their suffering and need, bringing hope where there is despair and bearing God’s truth and light.
Read MoreIn the absence of summer camp programs, pray for the leaders and staff of our outdoor ministries as they seek new ways to sustain their organizations’ vitality, share the gospel and serve people of all ages in congregations and communities.
Read MoreWe pray for first responders, who over the next several days will work around the clock and in increasing heat to contain the Bighorn Fire in Tucson. We lift up in prayer the people in the Catalina Foothills who are evacuating their homes in a time of pandemic.
“O God, where hearts are fearful and constricted, grant courage and hope. Where anxiety is infectious and widening, grant peace and reassurance. Where impossibilities close every door and window, grant imagination and resistance. Where spirits are daunted and weakened, grant soaring wings and strengthened dreams. All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen”
Read MoreTake time to reflect on nature, humankind, the earth and the heavens above ― everything God has made ― and pray that we will stand in awe and thanksgiving to God, proclaiming God’s creation to be very good.
Read MorePlease keep Danny Pugh, husband of Pastor Chon Pugh of Bethlehem Lutheran in Mesa, in your prayers as he battles fast growing prostate cancer. May his doctors and their support staff be blessed with the wisdom and guidance to treat this.
By your power, great God, our Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave new hope to the hopeless. Though we cannot command or possess your power, we pray for those who want to be healed. Mend their wounds, soothe fevered brows, and make broken people whole again. Help us to welcome every healing as a sign that, though death is against us, you are for us, and have promised renewed and risen life in Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Read MorePray for God’s wisdom and guidance as we work together and journey into the future as a thriving church, spreading the gospel and deepening faith for all people.
Read More“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” With humility and joy, give thanks and praise to God!
Read MoreContinue to pray for synod leaders making new plans for their assemblies with concern for the health and well-being of leaders, voting members and others. Pray that the Spirit will guide their plans and strengthen them in their work proclaiming the gospel, growing the church, serving our neighbor and doing God’s work in the world.
Read MoreAsk God to comfort those grieving the loss of loved ones from COVID-19, and pray that we will not forget them amid our new concerns and routines as communities and states open up again.
Read MorePray that we will hear and respond to God’s call to be disciples in the world, just as Jesus directed his disciples to visit every nation, make disciples, baptize the faithful, teach the ways and commandments of God, and spread the good news of God’s ever-present love and mercy.
Read MoreIn this season of storms and flooding, pray that our neighbors and communities will be safe and that we will stand ready to respond when disasters strike and leave our neighbors vulnerable, grieving and wondering where to begin rebuilding their lives. Give thanks for the work we do together through Lutheran Disaster Response bringing God’s hope, healing and renewal to people whose lives have been disrupted by disaster.
Read MorePray for God to send the Spirit into our midst and renew humanity and all creation.
Read MoreThe Episcopal Diocese of Arizona will be livestreaming a prayer vigil this Friday night, June 5, at 6 pm, and we encourage everyone to join us in prayer on our YouTube account.
Read MoreAs we approach the fifth anniversary of the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine, ELCA congregations are encouraged to reaffirm their commitment to repenting for the sins of racism and white supremacy, which continue to plague this church.
An online ELCA prayer service, including leaders from across the church and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton as preacher, is being planned for June 17, 2020, to mark this fifth anniversary. More is available at elca.org/emanuelnine.
Read MoreRemember in prayer people who depend on seasonal employment for their livelihoods or who live with the uncertainty and anxiety of unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pray that the Spirit will make us creative and tireless in supporting and caring for others, especially our neighbors in greatest need ― locally and globally.
Read MoreStarting this week, Arizona Faith Network and the Sema Foundation invite you and your family to a series of Virtual Interfaith Prayer Vigils for Global Health & Peace. Join us each Thursday night throughout June from 7 - 8 p.m. as interfaith and community leaders throughout Arizona offer prayers of strength, hope and healing.
The events will be offered in a Zoom webinar format, live streamed to Facebook, and then later posted to YouTube. View all June events here.
Read MoreGive thanks for our LGBTQIA+ siblings in Christ and ask that the Spirit empower us, individually and together as a church, to grow more welcoming and intentionally inclusive, to value the faith and gifts of all people, and to advocate for justice and respect for people who are marginalized and excluded in the church and society.
Read MoreRemember and give thanks for the influence and example of people who have been martyred for their faith and courageous witness in the world. Pray that our own boldness of faith and service will dispel the fear of ridicule, persecution and death.
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