Here’s a prayer of
intercession I wrote for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s collection of resources
for Lent/World Water Day (March 22).
Prayer for Others
(inspired by Isaiah 55:1-5, John 4:13-15, Psalm 63:1-2,
John 7:37-39, Revelation 21:6)
Holy God,
whose Spirit moved over
the waters at the dawn of creation,
hear our prayers for all
who thirst today.
We pray for those who
are spiritually thirsty,
who long to know Your
presence, but don’t know where to find You.
We pray for those who
are alone and without hope,
those who long to feel
needed and loved,
those who are searching
for meaning and purpose.
O healing river,
pour down Your waters, and heal Your people.
We pray for all who are
physically thirsty,
who don’t have enough
water to drink, or feed their animals,
whose fields are
parched, whose crops have withered;
those who have to walk
long distances to find enough water to survive,
or who have to be
content with water that is unclean.
We pray for those whose
homes and villages are torn apart
because of drought or
famine.
O healing river,
pour down Your waters, and heal Your people.
We pray for those who
are thirsty for justice,
who long for an equal
sharing of resources among peoples and nations;
those who put their
lives at risk to protect streams and rivers and oceans;
those who are working to
find clean water,
and make it available to those who need it.
O healing river,
pour down Your waters, and heal Your people.
God, we ask that you
would open our hearts to the needs of all who thirst.
Give us courage to work
together for justice,
to stand alongside those
who are thirsty,
so that all people,
everywhere, may live without want or fear,
and may discover the
abundant life You promise to each one.
In the name of Jesus
Christ—the source of living water—we pray.
Amen.
