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"Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone." Proverbs 25:15

Pray for Change

As Christians, we believe that prayer is essential in bringing about change in the world. Click here to subscribe to a weekly prayer update from Micah Challenge International.

Why Pray?

How can prayer help when we are faced with an issue like global poverty?

Prayer reminds us of God's priorities and power when we are dealing with big issues of justice, like poverty. When we pray, we can see the world with God's eyes of compassion and justice rather than being hopelessly cynical, fearful or naïve about global injustice. Prayer is also a wonderful reminder to those of us who want to race out and change the world, that it is God's power, God's enabling and God's mercy which make us effective. Poverty is an issue that needs action but it is vital to remember that our actions need to be built on prayer. As the Lord's Prayer puts it, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven". This points to the priority of God's control but also the need for us to demonstrate God's Kingdom values on earth.

Praying about poverty needs persistence and insight. Poverty is the result of individual actions but also of structural injustice and therefore we must pray at different levels. We can pray for individuals suffering from poverty (including people and places we know) to be comforted and provided form as well as for individuals living in wealth including people and places we know) to cast off their indifference or exploitation. We must also pray for national policies which care for the poor and address injustice, for God's power to overcome injustice in international laws, multinational companies and power structures and for Godly government decisions that protect and care for the weak and vulnerable. We tend not to pray about overcoming powerful structures but examples from the Bible show God's people praying to overcome worldly power e.g. Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal, Moses defying Pharaoh.

Prayer sustains us as we seek to overcome injustice - our prayers sometimes start as laments, cried from the heart about the unfairness of suffering. But our prayers help us to avoid despair or cynicism because we are assured that our lamentations are heard.

Nehemiah is a wonderful example of a person of powerful prayer and effective, persistent action. He saw the plight of his people in Jerusalem and wanted to do something. His first response was to fast and pray, then he acted. And he acted in a way that went to the heart of the issue: that dealt with the cause of suffering and broke the power of people who stood against justice. He discerned the right way to act because his actions were grounded in prayer. This combination of spiritual power and practical wisdom is a great way to deal with poverty.

Our prayers about poverty are an attack on enemy territory because we are not just praying FOR the poor, we are praying AGAINST greed, aggression, pride and privilege. Poverty is not just a problem for poor people, it is an issue for Christians in the rich 20% of the world too - things in our lives may need to change so that our prayers can be answered!

Praying about poverty is a huge undertaking but worth it because we cannot leave 40% of the world's population in dire poverty - God calls us to pray and act as his ambassadors and partners.

Examples of Prayer on Poverty

Prayer for Copenhagen and Creation

Creator God, We thank you for the beauty of your Creation, and for giving us the privilege of caring for it. We confess that we have not cared for the earth with the self-sacrificing and nurturing love that you require of us. We mourn the broken relationships in creation. We repent for our part in causing the current environmental crisis that has led to climate change.

Faithful God, sustainer of all - we pray with hope, because you are already at work through Christ to reconcile all of creation to Yourself and to renew all things.

Loving God, help us to turn our lives around to be people of restoration. Help us build just relationships among human beings and with the rest of creation. Help us to live sustainably, rejecting consumerism and the exploitation of creation.

God of justice, give us courage and persistence to work for justice for those most affected by environmental degradation and climate change.

God of mercy, hear the cry of the poor who are already suffering and will continue to suffer water and food shortages and who will be displaced by climate change.

God of all wisdom, give wisdom to the leaders of all the world's nations who will meet in Copenhagen in December to work together for a global agreement to tackle climate change. Give them the determination to find a just solution that protects the people who are most vulnerable in our world, and protects creation.

Creator God, give us your Spirit to work together to restore your creation and to hand on a safe environment and climate to our children and theirs. Let our care for creation be our act of worship and obedience to you. Your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.

(Source: Micah Challenge Australia for the StandUP kit for churches, 2009).

"God of the just weight and the fair measure,let me remember the hands that harvested my food, my drink, not only in my prayers but in the market place. Let me not seek a bargain that leaves another hungry."
(Source: Janet Morley, Christian Aid; pp149 Harvest for the World compiled by Geoffrey Duncan © Canterbury Press 2002, 2004).

"On those bowed down by poverty: Lord have mercy
On those who struggle to survive: Lord have mercy
On parents who have lost children to disease: Lord have mercy
On children who miss school because of unpayable debt: Lord have mercy
On young people growing up with no hope for the future: Lord have mercy
On adults who work and cannot make a living: Lord have mercy
On farmers who cannot sell what they produce: Lord have mercy
On people working to rebuild their lives after the tsunami: Lord have mercy
For campaigners fighting for justice: Make their voices heard
For citizens standing up for their rights: Make their voices heard
For postcard-signers, email-senders and white-band-wearers: Make their voices heard
For politicians and decision-makers: Give them wisdom, Lord
For the G8 leaders as they prepare to meet: Give them wisdom, Lord
For the leaders of Africa: Give them wisdom, Lord
For ourselves, as we struggle with these issues: Make us the means of change
For your world: Help us make poverty history"
(Source: Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth. Click here for more information.)

Praying for Social Justice; Prayer to End Poverty:
From the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative

"May God bless us with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships,
so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that we may work for economic justice for all people.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer
from pain, hunger, homelessness and rejection,
so that we may reach out our hand to comfort them
and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness
to believe that we can make a difference in the world
so that we can do what others claim cannot be done."
(Source: Education for Justice. Click here for more information.)

A prayer from an ecumenical conference in Brazil, calling for an end to poverty as the first step on the path to peace through justice:

"O Lord, God of life, who cares for all creation, give us your peace.
May our security not come from arms, but from respect.
May our force not be of violence, but of love.
May our wealth not be in money, but in sharing.
May our path not be of ambition, but of justice.
May our victory not be from vengeance, but in forgiveness.
Open and confident, we want to defend the dignity of all creation, sharing, today and forever, the bread of solidarity and peace.
In the name of Jesus, your holy son, our brother, who, as victim of our violence, even from the heights of the cross gave us all forgiveness.
Amen"

"You asked for my hands
that you might use them for your purposes
I gave them for a moment then withdrew them
for the work was hard.

You asked for my mouth
to speak out against injustice.
I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused.

You asked for my eyes
to see the pain of poverty.
I closed them for I did not want to see.

You asked for my life
that you might work through me .
I gave you a small part that I might not get 'too involved'.

Lord, forgive me for calculated efforts to serve you
only when it is convenient for me to do so, and
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only with those who make it easy to do so.

Father, forgive me
renew me
send me out
as a usable instrument,
that I may take seriously the meaning of your cross."
(© Joe Seramane, South Africa, from Lifelines, Christian Aid, 1987. Click here for more information.)

Prayers for Mothers:

"O Loving Lord,
You have created mothers in love and blessed them with children.
As they work tirelessly to support their families may they be showered with your blessings.
Give mothers strength to exercise compassion as they live each day under your care.
May those who are joined in your love, support mothers by their fervour of spirit and devotion to prayer.
Amen

We thank you, O Lord, for the gift of Motherhood.
May those blessed with children be granted the gifts of courage, perseverance and good health.
May they face each new day with faith and hope in your abiding love.
May all families find in the strength of your love
The priceless gift of peace
And so bear witness to your glory.
Amen

Intercessions -
As Mary was the model of prayer, of love, and of obedience to the will of God, by your grace make mothers holy and rich with your gifts.
Bind families together in the bonds of peace and safety so that mothers will feel nurtured by love.
May all mothers enjoy good health and spiritual well being to enable them to care for their families."
(Source: Written by Bishop Kevin Manning, Parramatta Diocese).

Specific calls to prayer

The G20 meets in London on 2 April, 2009. The time is ripe for speaking out about the values that should be at the heart of our world. The financial crisis has uncovered the depth of dissatisfaction that ordinary Christians feel at seeing self-interest played out on a global scale by governments, multi-nationals and disconnected consumers.

The Church worldwide must take this opportunity to speak out for a world based on values like compassion, trust, mutual care and partnership: for a world more squarely based on the values of its Creator. We encourage you to pray for the G20 leaders, including PM Kevin Rudd, and for the decisions that will be made. Click here for prayer resources from Micah Challenge UK.

There are several prayer points in the news section of our website, including the disasters in Burma and China, as well as the international food shortage crisis. Click here to view the news page.

On 1 September, 2007 people came to Scots Presbyterian Church in Sydney to prayer for our leaders and our world. The prayers and readings from this moving service can be downloaded below.

APEC Service Prayers
APEC Service Readings
Micah Challenge Statement to APEC Leaders

At the time of the G20 leaders meeting last year, Christians from all denominations across the country united in prayer to see issues of poverty and injustice given the attention they deserve. We must continue to pray for our leaders, our country and our world, that God's will would be done.

Download the prayer led by Rev. David Pargeter at the Ecumenical Service in Melbourne during the G20 meeting last year. We hope this prayer will inspire you to be faithful in prayer for the poor and the oppressed. Click here to download.

At the time of the G20 leaders meeting in 2006, Christians from all denominations across the country united in prayer to see issues of poverty and injustice given the attention they deserve. We must continue to pray for our leaders, our country and our world, that God's will would be done.

Download the prayer led by Rev. David Pargeter at the Ecumenical Service in Melbourne during the G20 meeting last year. We hope this prayer will inspire you to be faithful in prayer for the poor and the oppressed. Click here to download.


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