23 August
Prepared by Judith Shaw
Lord, we know how you valued and took time to pray. Following your example, we come before you with our prayers of intercession.
We pray for our World weighed down and preoccupied with the current pandemic. May a spirit of international cooperation and goodwill prevail. As leaders in all fields of endeavour come to a fuller understanding of the disease, may advances in its treatment and the development of a vaccine become widely available and unstintingly shared between all nations regardless of race colour creed or economic status.
Under current circumstances it is easy to forget that parts of the world continue to face catastrophic natural and man-made disasters. Monsoon rains are flooding Mumbai and extreme temperatures and heatwave conditions in the northern hemisphere are seriously affecting places like California and Honshu, Japan. Political unrest accompanied by violence is escalating in Belarus where strong women are mounting a fearless opposition to the intimidating suppression and arrest of their male colleagues. The Beirut Explosion and its aftermath is having a disastrous effect on the people of Lebanon, a country already torn apart by political chaos and corruption. Wherever and whatever the need we pray that your guiding presence may be there.
Over the last week we commemorated the end of the War in the Pacific 75 years ago. We pray that leaders may reflect on the grief and destruction suffered when nations fail to resolve their differences in an atmosphere of constructive dialogue. May they be totally committed to peace and not see Sabre rattling as a solution.
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