“For What Shall We Pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

Prayer prompts:

For people involved in labor strikes – teachers in Los Angeles, workers across sectors in France, and hospital and airport workers in England…
For those working to stabilize political unrest in Kenya and South AFrica…
For the people of Russia and Ukraine, and for all peace and diplomacy efforts…
For Muslims across the world who are preparing for the holy season of Ramadan…
For rescue and relief efforts in Ecuador following this weekend’s earthquake…
For continued recovery efforts in Malawi following last week’s cyclone…
For educators, librarians, and all who steward knowledge and encourage learning…
For all who mourn, and for all who watch and wait at bedside of those nearing death…
For women across the world who continue to stand up, speak out, love, fight, and flourish despite opposition and violence…
For marginalized and vulnerable communities, and for their allies and advocates…

Events and observances:

Women’s History Month (Month of March)
Ramadan (Islam, March 22-April 21)
Thomas Cranmer, Bishop of Canterbury, martyr, died 1556 (March 21)
Persian New Year (March 21)
Ugadi (Hinduism, March 22)
Jonathan Edwards, teacher, missionary, died 1758 (March 22)
Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Bishop of El Salvador, martyr, died 1980 (March 24)
Annunciation of Our Lord (March 25)
Hans Nielsen Hauge, renewer of the church, died 1824 (March 29)
John Donne, poet, died 1631 (March 31)

Prayers from ELCA resources:

A prayer for renewal of mind and body (ELW p. 80)
O God, we thank you for times of refreshment and peace in the course of this busy life. Grant that we may so use our leisure for the renewal of our bodies and minds that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

A prayer against prejudice and racism (ACS p. 51)
O God, you divinity transcends, distinctions of gender, and through the generations you widen our awareness of human diversity. We gather here before you in our various expressions of gender identity, all of us one in Christ Jesus. Bring our society to peacefulness concerning a wider understanding of gender. Give courage and healing to those whose expressions of gender they testify as gift from you. Open the church to their witness. We asked with your creative spirit you cultivate new relationships, Amanda, old wounds, and nurture communities expect, for the sake of the one who embrace is all persons in love, Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen.

—
ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

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. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

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.

Image from All Creation Sings, © 2020, Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

“For What Shall We Pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

Prayer prompts:

For all who are anxious for their financial future after this week’s bank collapses and for keen and collaborative wisdom among those crafting policies in response…
For peace and protection for our transgender siblings, and especially transgender youth, as 41 state legislatures consider bills restricting and revoking their rights…
For a path forward and a renewed commitment to the common good amidst continued political partisan division in the United States and across the globe…
For people on the west coast of the United States, Australia, and Kenya who are living with extreme flooding; for those facing threat of sever storms on the east coast of the United States; and for victims of Cyclone Freddy in Malawi…
In thanksgiving for recently negotiated peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia…
For the people of El Salvador, living under a century of civil conflict…
For Muslim siblings preparing for Ramadan…
For all caregivers who provide for, educate, and nurture children…
For all navigating news of pregnancy, expected or unexpected, and for their support systems…

Events and observances:

Women’s History Month (Month of March)
Ramadan (Islam, March 22-April 21)
Patrick, bishop, missionary to Ireland, died 461 (March 17)
Joseph, Guardian of Jesus (March 19)
Thomas Cranmer, Bishop of Canterbury, martyr, died 1556 (March 21)
Jonathan Edwards, teacher, missionary, died 1758 (March 22)
Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Bishop of El Salvador, martyr, died 1980 (March 24)
Annunciation of Our Lord (March 25)

Prayers from ELCA resources:

Responding to Turkey/Syria Earthquakes
Prayer Resources in Time of Earthquakes

A prayer for those facing affliction (ELW p. 84)
Lord Christ, you came into the world as one of us, and suffered as we do. As we go through the trials of life, help us to realize that you are with us at all times and in all things; that we have no secrets from you; and that your loving grace enfolds us for eternity. In the security of your embrace we pray. Amen.

A prayer for preservation and healing from exploitation (ACS p. 47)
Holy Spirit, you move through all creation with signs too deep for words. Open our hearts to listen to the cry of the earth and the cry of teh poor. Speak through your church to rebuke the forces that seek to exploit your planet. Join our human prayers with the voices of all creation and move us to honr you by preserving the gifts of nature that reveal your glory. Amen

—
ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

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. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

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.

Image from All Creation Sings, © 2020, Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

“For What Shall We Pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

Prayer prompts:

For peace and an end to violence in our world, especially between Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Palestine…
For refugees and all migrants, especially those facing threat of violence…
For recovery efforts following landslides in Indonesia…
For open access to education for women and girls across the globe…
For equitable outcomes from labor strikes in Paris, France, and for all workers seeking just working conditions and fair compensation…
For transgender siblings, especially transgender youth, in the midst of political battles, threats of violence, and diminished access to healthcare…
For those called to challenge religious, political, or institutional authority for the sake of justice…
For those suffering and dying from COVID-19 in our nation and in our world, and for loved ones fearing risk of contagion…
That the love of God so fill our deeds and words that our whole life is joyful noise…

Events and observances:

Women’s History Month (Month of March)
Purim (March 7, Judaism)
Holi (March 8, Hinduism)
International Women’s Day (March 8)
Harriet Tubman, died 1913; Sojourner Truth, died 1883; renewers of society (March 10)
Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, died 604 (March 12)
Patrick, bishop, missionary to Ireland, died 461 (March 17)
Joseph, Guardian of Jesus (March 19)

Prayers from ELCA resources:

Responding to Turkey/Syria Earthquakes
Prayer Resources in Time of Earthquakes

A prayer for the human family (ELW p. 79)
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son. Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred that infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and, through our struggle and confusion, work to accomplish your purposes on earth; so that, in your good time, every people and nation may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

A prayer for those suffering abuse or violence (ELW p. 84)
Holy One, you do not distance yourself from the pain of your people, but in Jesus you bear that pain with all who suffer at others’ hands. With your cleansing love bring healing and strength to  name ; and by your justice, lift her/him up, that in body, mind, and spirit, she/he may again rejoice. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

A prayer for faithful living in society (ACS p. 50)
Sovereign God, your Son Jesus lived within the structures of society even as he spoke truth to those in power and challenged systems of oppression. Empower us to be courageous disciples and responsible citizens. Grant that our life in the public realm be grounded in love for our neighbors, care for the most vulnerable in our midst, and respect for the common life we share, following the example of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

—
ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

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. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

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.

Image from All Creation Sings, © 2020, Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

“For What Shall We Pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

Prayer prompts:

For survivors, victims, and loved ones of those involved in the train crash in Greece…
For victims of school gas poisonings in Iran…
For all affected by tornados, blizzards, and other significant weather events across the United States…
For safety and protection for all migrants…
In lament over the significant death toll and casualties on both sides of the Russia/Ukraine conflict…
For all those forced into war, conflict, and violence; and in fervent hope that all war should cease…
For all affected by the COVID-19 virus in the United States and around the world, and for continued mitigation and treatment efforts…
For those facing food insecurity, and for compassionate policies to address hunger…
In thanksgiving for the contributions of women to politics, the arts, science, education, advocacy, technology, medicine, administration, and the church; especially for women serving as bishops, pastors, chaplains, and deacons…

Events and observances:

Women’s History Month (Month of March)
Perpetua and Felicity and companions, martyrs at Carthage, died 202 (March 7)
International Women’s Day (March 8)
Harriet Tubman, died 1913; Sojourner Truth, died 1883; renewers of society (March 10)

Prayers from ELCA resources:

Responding to Turkey/Syria Earthquakes
Prayer Resources in Time of Earthquakes

A prayer of Catherine of Siena (ELW p. 87)
Power of the eternal Father, help me. Wisdom of the Son, enlighten the eye of my understanding. Tender mercy of the Holy Spirit, unite my heart to yourself. Eternal God, restore health to the sick and life to the dead. Give us a voice, your own voice, to cry out to you for mercy for the world. You, light, give us light. You, wisdom, give us wisdom. You, supreme strength, strengthen us. Amen.

A prayer of Julian of Norwich (ELW p. 87)
In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and savior. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen.

A prayer for peace (ACS p. 48)
You calm and quiet us, eternal God, as a mother holds her children close; all people have refuge in the shadow of your wings. Spread over us the shelter of your peace. Hold before us the wisdom of your cross, where we are drawn to you not by might or power, but by your boundless love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship

ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

—

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. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

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.

Image from All Creation Sings, © 2020, Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

After perhaps a year or more of not gathering on-site for Ash Wednesday services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, worshiping communities across a large swath of the US are dealing with or expecting severe weather that would prevent gathering on-site. This solemn observance is a treasured one in the liturgical year, a day to be gathered with one another and to have the ashen cross marked on our forehead, reminding us of the dust from which we came and to where we will return. 

Conversations on social media have begun, as fellow worship planners ask one another what they are doing when assembling for worship on-site will not be possible. Below are some ideas to consider.  

Incorporating elements of Ash Wednesday Worship into the First Sunday in Lent Ash Wednesday begins the forty-day journey to Easter, but elements of this service could begin the Sunday worship service on the first Sunday in Lent. Consider beginning the service for Lent 1 with Psalm 51 or another penitential psalm and the Invitation to Lent (Evangelical Lutheran Worship p. 252; Leaders Desk Edition, p. 617). Instead of what you had planned as an order for confession for that day, consider using the extended confession (pp. 252-253) followed by the Imposition of Ashes. 

Following the Imposition of Ashes, the service would continue with the prayer of the day for Lent 1 and then move into the Word portion of the service. It may be desired to use the Lent 1 scripture readings or a combination of Ash Wednesday or Lent 1 depending upon your context. 

Online worship options
Perhaps the best option for your assembly is to provide an online option, just as you may have done during the past few years. 

Although not essential, you may wish to find ashes, soil, or water to mark the sign of the cross on your own forehead, either during an online service, an individual meditation time or family worship at home, or at another point during the day. All three signify death and new life — the ashes from the palm branches of last year; common soil since human beings in Genesis 2 are earth creatures made of dust; and, water which in baptism joins us to the death of Christ.   

You may have access to ashes from a local congregation or by burning palms from a previous Palm Sunday service. Soil can simply be dug from the earth near where you live.  Water can be any water, perhaps from the tap in your home. 

Transferring to another time
Some assemblies might consider offering an on-site worship option at another time prior to Lent 1 if weather conditions have improved.  

Others might look to moving the observance a week later. If doing so, note that the language for the Invitation to Lent (ELW LE p. 617) would need very slight adjustment to acknowledge we have already begun the Lenten season.  

As you begin these days of Lent in many and various ways, blessings as you remember and are remembered by the God who is gracious and merciful, and abounding in steadfast love.

In the fall of 2021, the ELCA Worship Blog began a weekly series entitled, “Prompts for Prayers of Intercession.” Each post included a listing of prayer prompts based on current news and events, as well as a listing of upcoming commemorations and observations and additional prayer and hymn suggestions from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW)/All Creation Sings (ACS) and ELCA resources. 

The goal of the project was to give church leaders a resource for crafting, updating, and contextualizing the weekly prayers of intercession for their worshiping communities. The prompts were intended to be a simple way to remain mindful of world events, in order to add relevant information to the “especially…” and the “Here other intercessions may be offered” invitations in the prayers of intercession published in Sundays and Seasons. 

As we continue to evaluate and evolve this weekly resource, know that we grateful for your ongoing feedback. We are especially grateful for all who responded to our survey this past November. We have learned that many of you are using the prompts to update and supplement the prayers of intercession in worship. Many of you, however, are using the prompts for a wider variety of purposes, whether praying through the list as part of your personal prayer practice, incorporating requests into prayer times at Bible studies or church meetings, or as a resource for prayer teams in your congregation. 

Beginning this Lent, the blog series will be retitled, “For What Shall We Pray?” This new title honors a more expansive understanding of the purpose of this resource. It is not merely a worship planning tool; it is a weekly invitation for individuals, groups, and congregations to remain mindful of the needs of our world, and to lift one another up in prayer. 

Photo credit: Sundays and Seasons

Each week we will offer a list of prayer prompts, a listing of upcoming observances – inside the church and beyond – and additional prayer resources from denominational worship materials. “For What Shall We Pray?” will be posted by noon each Tuesday on the ELCA Worship Blog (blogs.elca.org/worship) and linked on the ELCA Worship Facebook page.  

 We encourage you to find creative ways to use “For What Shall We Pray?” for yourself and for your communities of faith. You might: 

• “Pray the news” as part of your personal prayer practice 
• Incorporate the week’s requests in your opening or closing prayers at church council or committee meetings, or during Bible and small group studies 
• Use the post as a teaching resource or tool for reflection for confirmation class or adult forum 
• Choose items from the post as journaling prompts or focus items for meditation 
• Commit to an act of service, advocacy, or financial support based on the week’s needs 
• Celebrate a new-to-you observance with family or friends 
• Double-check the blog before leading worship (if you are a pastor or assisting minister) for last-minute additions to your congregation’s prayers 

Whether you have been using this resource or are new to it, we hope that you will find it helpful in your spiritual disciplines and your community’s worship life, as together we faithfully ponder the question, “for what shall we pray?” 

Hepatha Lutheran Church Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Pastor Melissa Bills
Melissa Bills currently serves as the Director of College Ministries and College Pastor at Luther College (Decorah, Iowa). She is a native of the Chicago suburbs, a graduate of St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota) and Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, New Jersey), and has served congregations in the Metropolitan Chicago and Northeastern Iowa Synods.