“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 an end to war, conflict, and uncertainty especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Ukraine, Iran, and Venezuela…
For peace and resolution in Minneapolis, and for safety for all residents…
For safety, dignity, and justice for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers…
For deescalation of tensions surrounding Greenland and international relations…
For victims of train crashes in Spain…
For those facing winter storms and extreme cold across the United States…
For newly-installed Bishop Imam Haddad and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land…
For Christian communities in Palestine and especially for schools…
For renewed unity in Christ among churches and denominations around the world…

Events and observances:
January Observances: National Blood Donor Month, National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Poverty in America Awareness Month, Mental Awareness Month

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan 18-25)
Henry, Bishop of Uppsala, martyr, died 1156 (Jan 19)
Martin Luther King Jr., Day (Jan 19)
Agnes, martyr, died around 304 (Jan 21)
Conversion of Paul (Jan 26, transferred)
Timothy, Titus, and Silas, missionaries (Jan 26)
Lydia, Dorcas, and Phoebe, witnesses to the faith (Jan 27)
Thomas Aquinas, teacher, died 1274 (Jan 28)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer for peace among the nations (ELW)
Gracious God, grant peace among nations. Cleanse from our own hearts the seeds of strife: greed and envy, harsh misunderstandings and ill will, fear and desire for revenge. Make us quick to welcome ventures in cooperation among the peoples of the world, so that there may be woven the fabric of a common good too strong to be torn by the evil hands of war. In the time of opportunity, make us be diligent; and in the time of peril, let not our courage fail; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for those who are incarcerated (ACS)
Mighty God, merciful and just: we pray for our jails, prisons, and detention centers, that they be places of fair and humane treatment for all. Lead us to end solitary confinement and other cruel and demeaning practices. Guide police and corrections officers, attorneys and judges to use wisely the power entrusted to them. Inspire prison worshiping communities and chaplains. Rouse us to eradicate racism, corruption, and greed in the criminal justice system. By your Spirit, transform our society, that the dignity and worth of every incarcerated person be honored. We ask this through your resurrected Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

—

The following topical resources are available from resources.elca.org for use in public worship and personal devotion:
Worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land
Worship resources for the Eastern Europe Crisis

—

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.

“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 an end to war, conflict, and uncertainty especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Ukraine, Iran, and Venezuela…
For victims of gun violence, especially in Minneapolis, MN; Greensboro, NC; Chicago, IL; Boynton Beach, FL; Salt Lake City, UT; and Philadelphia, PA…
For migrants, travelers, and all who live away from their nations of origin…
For law enforcement officers, government officials, and all civic workers who bear the privilege and sworn responsibility of seeking the common good and maintaining the welfare of all people…
For travel disruptions due to ice and freezing rain in eastern and central Europe…
For areas of the nation and world experiencing severe weather…
For the newly baptized, for families of all shapes and sizes, and for care and safety for all children and young people…
For the safety of advocates, peacemakers, and protestors who are Spirit-led to speak out for justice…
For honesty, humility, confession, and collaboration in the work of racial healing…

Events and observances:
January Observances: National Blood Donor Month, National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Poverty in America Awareness Month, Mental Awareness Month

Orthodox New Year (Jan 14)
Pongal, (Hindu festival, Jan 14)
Martin Luther King Jr., renewer of society, martyr, died 1968 (Jan 15)
Antony of Egypt, renewer of the church, died around 356 (Jan 17)
Pachomius, renewer of the church, died 346 (Jan 17)
Confession of Peter (Jan 18)
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan 18-25)
Henry, Bishop of Uppsala, martyr, died 1156 (Jan 19)
Martin Luther King Jr., Day (Jan 19)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer in time of civic distress (ACS)
Rise up and come to our help, merciful God, for we are in need. Our spirits are weighed down with fear; our bodies feel as fragile as the dust from which we came. All that we have trusted seems hidden from sight. Although this moment has come upon our nation, you have not forgotten us. We do not trust in our own power or strength, but in your steadfast love in every generation. Show us your face in this time of trial, remind us of your faithfulness, and save us for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer in time of conflict, crisis, or disaster (ACS)
God, our healer and our refuge, we pray for all who suffer from gun violence. With your mercy, bind up their wounds, restore their bodies, and heal their hearts. Comfort the mourners and embrace the lonely. With your might, empower us to change this broken world. Make us advocates for a stable society, alive with hope in you. We ask this through the one once wounded for our transgressions and now standing with us in our sorrows, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—

The following topical resources are available from resources.elca.org for use in public worship and personal devotion:
Worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land
Worship resources for the Eastern Europe Crisis

—

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.

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources and events from other organizations and institutions. These Lutheran and ecumenical partner organizations work alongside the ELCA to support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers in a monthly blog post.

Institute of Liturgy Studies

An ecumenical conference on liturgical renewal for the church today.

The Feast of Creation – liturgy as creation groans
Valparaiso University, Ind.
April 13-15, 2026

Registration is now is open.
Early Registration: $350, ends Jan. 31, 2026
Regular Registration: $450
See website for other registration categories.

The 77th meeting of the Institute of Liturgical Studies will consider the possibilities of such a festival and season. We will reflect on creation, incarnation, and Jesus’s death and resurrection, all received by us through the created materiality of our sacramental life together. Furthermore, we will examine how petroleum culture has influenced our sacramental life and begin to envision ways to counter its impact. A model lectionary will be used, and sample liturgies will be celebrated.

The schedule, plenary speakers and workshop information are now available.

To receive notifications when new information is added to the site, add yourself to the mailing list here.

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

ALCM nurtures and equips musicians to serve and lead the church’s song.

ALCM  2026 Conference “Now and Forever”
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Registration is now open.

In 1986, forty years ago, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians held its constituting convention at St. Olaf College, setting out to become a professional organization that would lift up the role of church music and to equip leaders to be able to lead the church’s song. For more details, visit alcm.org.

Celebrating the 1986 ALCM Constituting Convention
Overlapping with Lutheran Summer Music’s Festival Week!
Featuring Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Bach Collegium Valparaiso, Christopher M. Cock, artistic director. (Made possible through generous support provided by Pauline and John Kiltinen.

Music that Makes Community

Rooted in Christian contemplative and activist traditions, Music That Makes Community envisions a liberative culture that empowers individuals and communities to claim and use the power of singing to heal our spirits, nurture our common lives, and work for justice.

Sign up for Monthly Newsletter for regular updates on resources and events.  Read recent issues here.

Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

Nominate Young Musicians for Lutheran Summer Music
Now is the time to nominate students for LSM 2026. Enrollment for next summer is filling quickly, and we expect most remaining spots to be filled by the March 1 Standard Enrollment deadline. At LSM, students connect advanced musical study with worship and the joy of Lutheran church music traditions. We welcome musicians on all instruments—brass, woodwinds, strings, percussion, piano, organ, voice, and harp—to study with nationally recognized faculty in a welcoming and supportive community.

LSM 2026 takes place at St. Olaf College from June 21–July 19. Know a young musician (grades 8–12) who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate Questions? admissions@lutheransummermusic.org.

Center for Church Music
offers 2026 Awards for College and Seminary Students. . .

THE 2026 WILLIAM WOLFRAM STUDENT AWARD IN LITURGICAL ART
Recognizes student artists who evidence:
* Commitment to Christian faith and practice
* Excellence in artistic expression
* Commitment to creating pieces purposed for use within worship settings
$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: May 1st, 2026  Submit a single PDF with quality images of your work, one full image and one or two detail images along with title, media, dimensions, year created, and anything else you want the judges to know.  Send to  Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu   (Recent grads—since May 2024—may also apply.)

THE 2026 RICHARD HILLERT AWARD IN STUDENT COMPOSITION
Submitted piece must be a church music composition (3-5 minutes in length) – suitable for a liturgical service.
$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: June 1st, 2026   Submit two copies (one with your name and one unattributed). Recordings are encouraged but not required. Send to Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu   (Recent grads—since May 2024—may also apply.)

“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 an end to war, conflict, and violence especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Thailand and Cambodia, Iran, Venezuela, and China and Taiwan…
For those grieving victims of the Swiss New Year’s Eve fire…
For immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, especially those who face discrimination and violence…
For tourists and travelers stranded in Yemen, Venezuela, and across the Carribbean…
For earthquakes in the Pacific Ocean and nations concerned about tsunamis…
For children and those who nurture them…
For rebuilding and recovery following flooding and its effects in the northwestern United States, Maine, and California…
For Roman Catholic siblings marking the end of the Jubilee Year…
For Orthodox Christians celebrating Christmas…

Events and observances:
January Observances: National Blood Donor Month, National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Poverty in America Awareness Month, Mental Awareness Month

Orthodox Christmas Day (Jan 7)
Adrian of Canterbury, teacher, died around 710 (Jan 9)
Baptism of Our Lord (Jan 11)
Orthodox New Year (Jan 14)
Pongal, (Hindu festival, Jan 14)
Martin Luther King Jr., renewer of society, martyr, died 1968 (Jan 15)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer in time of crisis, conflict, or disaster (ACS)
God most mighty, God most merciful, our sacred stories tell us that you help and save your people. You are the fortress: may there be no more war. You are the harvest: may there be no more hunger. You are the light: may no one die alone or in despair. God most majestic, God most motherly, grant us your life, the life that flows from your Son and the Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

A prayer for peace (ACS)
Holy God, out of your great love for the world, your Word became flesh to live among us and to reconcile us to you and to one another. Rekindle among us the gift of your Spirit so that we seek to live in unity with all people, breaking down the walls that divide, ending the hostility among us, and proclaiming peace to those who are near and to those who are far away; through Christ Jesus, in whom we all have access in the one Spirit to you, both now and forever. Amen.
—

The following topical resources are available from resources.elca.org for use in public worship and personal devotion:
Worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land
Worship resources for the Eastern Europe Crisis

—

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.

Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post.

Love Outpoured: Devotions for Lent 2026

Love Outpoured focuses on portions of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. In words that continue to speak to us today, Paul lays out foundational beliefs for a life of faith in Christian community. The daily devotions for each day, from Ash Wednesday to the Resurrection of Our Lord / Vigil of Easter, begin with evocative images and brief scripture texts. The writers then bring their diverse voices and pastoral wisdom to the texts with quotations to ponder, reflections, and prayers.

May God’s love pour out into us and through us to our neighbors, churches, communities, and all creation!

Serving Through Sound: A NEW Webinar Series from Augsburg Music

Register today for this FREE Music Webinar Series from Augsburg Fortress Publishers! Join David Cherwien for a journey through hymnody, improvisation, the church music community, and more. On Jan. 27, 2026, 11 am CST, we’ll host the first webinar titled “Venturing Beyond the Page: Hymn Improvisation to Enliven the Assembly’s Song.” David Cherwien will share practical tools for easy hymn improvisation along with creative organ registrations that add contrast and interest to assembly singing. He’ll also offer suggestions on how to introduce new hymnody and craft memorable hymn festivals. Register today!

Martin Luther’s Easter Book

This powerful book of passages from Martin Luther’s Easter sermons portrays the reformer’s lasting thoughts on faith, human imperfection, salvation through grace, and the wonder of God. The sermons explore events from Holy Week through the Resurrection. They combine marvelous insights with inspiring calls to action that are so characteristic of the great reformer: “The resurrection consists not in words, but in life and power.”

Bible People: Monologues for Lent 

This collection of dramatic monologues is ideal for congregations looking for something fresh and new. Contains six monologues based on Biblical characters, including Peter’s mother-in-law, Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene. Use for mid-week services or as an add-on to traditional Sunday worship. The “How To” guide helps congregations just getting started with dramatic ministry, and each monologue includes a study guide. (This product is a downloadable PDF that can be reproduced for local church use.)

This post published on June, 12, 2025 was updated on January 7, 2026.

NEW RESOURCE AVAILABLE: To assist congregations using the provisional alternative lectionary texts beginning in year A, a resource with preaching guidance and hymn suggestions is now available. See below for more information about other available resources and how to give feedback to the Consultation on Common Texts during this trial period.

The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT)— a joint American and Canadian ecumenical body—oversees the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), a schedule of biblical passages read on Sundays and festivals in congregations of multiple denominations in North America and other parts of the world. The ELCA is one of more than 20 member denominations.

At its April 2025 meeting, CCT approved a provisional update to the RCL. This update reexamines passages of Scripture that have historically been misused to justify discrimination and violence against the Jews. This process involved extensive study and consultation with biblical experts, church historians, and liturgical leaders, including a forum with consultation and participation of Jewish scholars. The ELCA Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Jewish Relations was among the groups that offered feedback during this process that helped shape this ecumenical effort.

This proposed update is commended by the CCT to the churches for a three-year trial period, beginning in Advent of 2025 (Year A).

Key Areas of Focus

The proposal considers how the passion narrative is proclaimed on Palm/Passion Sunday and Good Friday, offering guidance for preachers and worshipers.

It also includes provisional revisions to the lectionary for the Easter season and the Time after Pentecost. A significant concern raised is the practice of replacing Old Testament readings with passages from Acts during Eastertide. As the proposal notes:

“The RCL lectionary for Easter Season has perpetuated what we also find to be a potentially harmful practice of replacing the first reading from the Old Testament with a reading from Acts during Easter Season. For Christians not to read from texts shared with Jews during any season of the year is inherently problematic.”
…
“Therefore, the Consultation recommends alternative readings from the Hebrew Scriptures during Eastertide, drawing on work from the Church of Scotland as promoted by the English Language Liturgical Consultation.”

The proposal suggests delaying readings from Acts until after Pentecost, using them as a replacement for the second reading.

Next Steps for ELCA Congregations and Worshiping Communities

As a member church of the Consultation on Common Texts, the ELCA encourages use and testing of these materials during these next three years. Feedback may be provided directly to the CCT during this testing phase. Please also consider sharing this feedback with the ELCA Worship team at worship@elca.org.

Available Resources

Several existing ELCA resources can help guide worship leaders and preachers in addressing these important concerns:

• Worship Resource: Provisional Lectionary Proposal Responding to Concerns about Anti-Jewish Interpretation – a resource available from ELCA Worship to assist worship planners.
• Preaching and Teaching “With Love and Respect for the Jewish People” – from the ELCA Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Jewish Relations.
• “The Jews” in John’s Passion – an essay published in the 2020 edition of the Sundays and Seasons worship planning resource from Augsburg Fortress and available for local use.
• Readings for Assembly (Emended) – a provisional emendation of the NRSVue for the entire RCL cycle continues to be available to subscribers to com. Considering Anti-Jewish interpretations is one of several principles that guided this liturgical translation intended for use in worship.