{"id":9881,"date":"2026-09-18T08:28:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T13:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/?p=9881"},"modified":"2026-09-18T08:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T13:28:08","slug":"for-what-shall-we-pray-177","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/9881\/","title":{"rendered":"For what shall we pray?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7866 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2023\/02\/For-What-Shall-We-Pray-option-1-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2023\/02\/For-What-Shall-We-Pray-option-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2023\/02\/For-What-Shall-We-Pray-option-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2023\/02\/For-What-Shall-We-Pray-option-1-250x250.png 250w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2023\/02\/For-What-Shall-We-Pray-option-1-350x350.png 350w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/60\/2023\/02\/For-What-Shall-We-Pray-option-1.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 130px) 100vw, 130px\" \/><\/span>&#8220;For what shall we pray?&#8221; 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/7864\/\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b><br \/>\nPrayer Prompts:<\/b><br \/>\nFor peace and reconciliation among the nations, especially in Iran, Gaza, Yemen, South Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, and Myanmar\u2026<br \/>\nFor elections and political transitions, especially in Germany, Sweden, Syria and Russia, and for political leaders in the US and around the world\u2026<br \/>\nFor the Haitian immigrant community navigating the end of TPS\u2026<br \/>\nFor the Indonesian families impacted by a sinking ferry\u2026<br \/>\nFor ongoing flood recovery in Nepal and for ongoing flood threats in the region&#8230;<br \/>\nFor families impacted by gun violence, especially in the Philippines\u2026<br \/>\nFor those killed in a bus collision and helicopter accident in Los Angeles, CA&#8230;<br \/>\nFor those injured and killed during a mosque attack in Pakistan&#8230;<br \/>\nFor compassion and safety for all migrants, and for renewed commitment to human dignity&#8230;<br \/>\nFor the discovery of a new cat species in Bolivia and for all the ongoing mysteries and wonders of creation&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><b>Events &amp; Observances:<\/b><br \/>\nSeptember Observances: National Suicide Prevention Month, Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15)<\/p>\n<p>Constitution Day &amp; Citizenship Day (Sept 17)<br \/>\nYom Kippur (Judaism, Sept 21)<br \/>\nCyprian, Bishop of Carthage, martyr, died around 258 (Sept 16)<br \/>\nHildegard, Abbess of Bingen, died 1179 (Sept 17)<br \/>\nDag Hammarskj\u00f6ld, renewer of society, died 1961 (Sept 18)<br \/>\nNelson Wesley Trout, bishop, died 1996 (Sept 20)<br \/>\nMatthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Sept 21)<\/p>\n<p><b>Prayers from ELCA Resources:<\/b><br \/>\n<i>A prayer for the church<\/i> (ELW, p.73)<br \/>\nGracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.<\/p>\n<p><i>A prayer for faithful living in society<\/i> (ACS p.50)<br \/>\nEternal God, your Word brought forth creation, and your Spirit brings order out of chaos and confusion. You breathe upon us, and we are able to hear one another with language we can understand. Pour out your Spirit upon us now, that even when we disagree on the way forward, we may remain united in Jesus Christ, in whom we are known and accepted with a single love. Amen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>ELW = <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburgfortress.org\/store\/category\/286455\/Evangelical-Lutheran-Worship\">Evangelical Lutheran Worship<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nACS = <a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburgfortress.org\/store\/category\/287206\/All-Creation-Sings\"><em>All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship<\/em> <em>Supplement<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Additional topical prayers are found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 72\u201387) and All Creation Sings (pp. 46\u201355), as well as in other resources provided in print and online at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sundaysandseasons.com\">sundaysandseasons.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Crafted intercessions for every Sunday and festival are provided in the Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburgfortress.org\/store\/category\/286268\/Sundays-and-Seasons\">in-print<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sundaysandseasons.com\">online<\/a> by Augsburg Fortress. <\/em><em>Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/5077\/\">Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/resources.elca.org\/?_categories=prayer-ventures\">Prayer Ventures<\/a>, 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.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;For what shall we pray?&#8221; 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":283,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>For what shall we pray? - ELCA Worship<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worship\/9881\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For what shall we pray? - ELCA Worship\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;For what shall we pray?&#8221; is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. 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