A Prayer for Japan

Toshiyuki Tsunenari/Asahi Shimbun, via Associated Press

This prayer was shared last night in our Education for Ministry group, and it comes from the Church of England:

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O loving Creator, bring healing and hope to those who, at this time, grieve, suffer pain, or who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. 

We remember those who have died and we pray for those who mourn for them. We pray for those who may be affected as the tsunami spread across the Pacific.

We pray for all those who seek to govern and lead in these times of trial; give them courage, wisdom and foresight to address the needs of their people. 

May we all be aware of your compassion, O God, which calms our troubled hearts and shelters our anxious souls. May we pray with humility with our troubled and struggling brothers and sisters on earth. 

May we dare to hope that through the generosity of the privileged, the destitute might glimpse hope, warmth and life again. Through our Savior Christ who lives with us, comforts us, and soothes us. Amen.

This prayer came from the Office of the Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia this afternoon:

Most merciful and compassionate God,
Giver of life and love,
hear our prayers
and let our cries come unto you.


Dear Father of all,
We weep with your people in Japan.
We hear the cries of orphaned children and laments of bereaved parents.
We feel the desperation of those searching for loved ones.
We behold the silence of vanished villages.


We see the devastation.
We are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
Our hearts are hushed, our minds are numb.
Let not our hands be stopped, our voices dumb.


Lord Jesus Christ,
Open our hearts to feel your compassion
Galvanize in us the act of continued giving.
Bond us to our sisters and brothers in need.
O Holy Spirit,
Comfort and heal the injured, the bereaved, the lost.
Strengthen the aid workers and medical personnel.
Bolster the resolve of governments and those with power to help.
Open through this tragedy pathways to partnerships and peace.
In Your holy name and eternal life of love and mercy, we pray;
Amen.