Praying about

Hunger
Thank you, God, for bread.
Give bread to those who are hungry,
and hunger for justice to those of us who have bread.
Thank you, God, for bread. Amen.
— Latin American prayer

Loving God, in your grace you have gathered us at this time and in
this place to hear the word you are speaking this day in the voice of people
who are hungry and poor. Open our hearts and minds to the power of
that word. May we see with your eyes the vision of a world that knows no
borders, no boundaries, no fear, but invites us again to live together the
promise of abundance which is both your gift and your promise. We ask
this in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns united in the love of your
Holy Spirit, now and always. Amen.

PA G E 1 O F 8
 Gracious God, your name is justice; your name is love. Continue to
grace us and strengthen us to grow in your likeness. Make the cause of food
security our cause and draw us more closely to you and to all whom you
love. Help us to act with courage, with faithfulness, and with compassion
this day and every day. We ask this in the name of your only Son, who lives
and reigns with you, united in the love of your Holy Spirit, now and always.
Amen.

Oh God, lover of a ll you have made, walk with us

and lead us more deeply into your mystery. Let us touch others and make
tangible in their lives, in some small way, the gift of knowing that there is
enough for all, more than enough. We ask this in the name of your only Son,
who lives and reigns with you, united in the love of your Holy Spirit, now
and always. Amen.

“Make the Loving God, you came to us as a vulnerable child, entrusted to a

cause of food mother denied shelter and rest. Although you are the sovereign of the world,
you come again and again to us in the children of this world. Because they
security our are your own, you make them our own. Attune our hearts to know the
depth of this mystery and this gift, and make us one with them and with

cause and draw you. We ask this in the name of the One who became flesh and dwelt among
us, and now dwells and reigns again united with you in the love of your

us more closely Holy Spirit, always and forever. Amen.

to you and to
all whom you
Gracious God, lover of all whom you have made, we place before
love.” you this day the hopes and dreams of all children — those we can name and
those we cannot. We promise you, we will keep them in our hearts, prayers,
and actions until the day that no child will beg for food, weep for water, or
cry out for a loving touch. As Jesus said to let the little children come to him,
we ask you that we might be Jesus for a child who is hurting. Amen.

PA G E 2 O F 8
 O God, you have g iven us your promise, a word and
a covenant that brings us the touch of your favor and grace, and allows us
to sip from the springs of living water and taste the bread of your salvation.
Oh God, you have made us into your promise, a covenant to all you have
created, a word that drives us and calls us and makes us into the people who
you desire. Oh God, we ask you to empower us with your presence until we
are transformed and have become part of your plan for this world, so all can
live with enough, to eat and drink to the fullness of your reign. Amen.

God, g ive us the g race to hear your word, the word of the one
who is calling, speaking and acting for those who are oppressed, poor, and
burdened. God of the poor, you challenge us with the vision of a world of
shared abundance and grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

God of the prisoner, you invite us to risk living in glorious freedom as your
“God of the children.

poor, you All: Christ have mercy.

challenge us God of the broken-hearted, you empower us to heal and be healed by

walking with those whom you love and for whom you gave your Son.

with the vision All: Lord, have mercy.

of a world And lead us now, God of hopefulness, to see your people who suffer, to hear

of shared your word that summons us to love your world. We ask this in the name of
your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and [the Holy] Spirit who lives in us. Amen.

abundance (The previous prayers are from Hunger in Abundance: A Study Guide
[Manitoba, Canada: Canadian Foodgrains Bank]. © Canadian Foodgrains
and grace.” Bank. All rights reserved. Used with permission.)

PA G E 3 O F 8
 Give us this day our dai ly bread.
All good gifts of the earth come from your
generous hands, God.
Yet this abundance is not shared equally
among us.
While some are satisfied, others are starving.
Women often become the victims of exploitation
because they are desperate to feed and care for
their children.
If only we would be mindful that
every one of us must pray:
Give us this day our daily bread.

—World Day of Prayer Committee, Myanmar

Lord, we have so much. Most of us have food, shelter, people

who love us, jobs, clean clothes to wear, safety, and opportunities for growth
“God of the poor, and development. May we never take your good gifts for granted. Help us to
use our position of relative luxury to meet the needs of those less fortunate.
you challenge Amen.
- author unknown
us with the
vision of a
world of shared You asked for my hands that you might use them for

abundance your purpose.

I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them for the work was hard.
You asked for my mouth to speak out against injustice.
and grace.” 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 a small part, that I might not get too involved.
Lord, forgive my efforts to serve you
only when it is convenient for me to do so,
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only with those who make it easy to do so.
Forgive me. Renew me. And send me out.

—South African prayer

PA G E 4 O F 8
 May it come soon
to the hungry, to the weeping, to those who search for your justice,
to those who have waited centuries for a truly human life.
Grant us the patience to smooth the way on which your kingdom comes to us.
Grant us hope, that we may not become weary in proclaiming and working
for it, despite so many conflicts, threats, and shortcomings.
Grant us a clear vision that in this hour of our history we may see the
horizon, and know the way on which your kingdom comes to us.

—Nicaraguan prayer

Lord God, you created all people as special and equal, yet we live
in a world where there is great injustice. We know this grieves your heart
and we ask your forgiveness for our complacency. Too often, we shrug our
shoulders and do nothing, or we blame those who are poor themselves for
their suffering. Sometimes our behavior and attitudes help to perpetuate
injustice. O God, stir our hearts to action. Help us to be full of compassion.
As Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem and healed those who cried out to
“Grant us the him, let us be people who cry out for justice and spread the good news of
your kingdom. We pray through Jesus our Lord, Amen.
patience to
smooth the way
on which your Thank you, Lord, that you are a God who cares for the hungry

kingdom comes and oppressed. You have a father and mother’s heart, and like a parent, you
want to bless all your children. Help us to be obedient to your command

to us.” that we share what we have and fight against injustice. Help us to be people
who restore ruined houses and rebuild walls, so we can proclaim that you
are mighty and just. May your light shine like the morning sun in our needy
world. We pray in the name of Jesus, who is the light. Amen.

PA G E 5 O F 8
 Almig hty God our heavenly Father,
Grant us a vision of our world as your love would make it:
A world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
A world where the benefits of civilized life are shared, and everyone can
enjoy them; A world where different races and cultures live in tolerance
and mutual respect; A world where peace is built with justice, and justice is
guided by love. And give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(The above three prayers are from Church World Service, www.
churchworldservice.org. All rights reserved. Used with permission.)

O God,
Open our eyes that we may see the needs of others;
Open our ears that we may hear their cries;
Open our hearts that we may feel their anguish and their joy.

“Help us to be Let us not be afraid to defend the oppressed, the poor,

the powerless, because of the anger and might of the powerful.
Show us where love and hope and faith are needed, and use us to bring them
people who to those places.
Open our ears and eyes, our hearts and lives, that we may in these coming
restore ruined days be able to do some work of justice and peace for you. Amen.

houses and
rebuild walls,
so we can Father God, help the helpless, strengthen the fearful, comfort the
sorrowful, bring justice to the poor and peace to all nations. May our hearts,

proclaim that like yours, be pierced with sorrow for the evils of the world. Lord God,
help your Church bring hope in times of trouble for all who are oppressed

you are mighty by injustice and violence. Scatter the proud in their conceit, cast down the
mighty from their power and lift up the lowly. Fill the hungry with good

and just.” things. We pray in the name of Jesus who gives us hope. Amen.

PA G E 6 O F 8
 Our dear God and Father, we admit that we have neglected
to remember the poor. Forgive us, we pray. Help us, as followers of Jesus,
to work together to pursue justice, be passionate about kindness and walk
humbly with you, our God. May our world be transformed in every area by
your love. Our dear God and Father, we admit that we have been arrogant
as a nation. Forgive us, we pray. Help us to be agents of hope for and with
the poor and to work with others to hold our leaders accountable in securing
a more just and merciful world. Amen.

(The previous three prayers are from the prayer resources page of the
Micah Challenge, www.micahchallenge.org. All rights reserved. Used with
permission.)

“Lord God, help

your Church
bring hope in
times of trouble
for all who are
oppressed by
injustice and
violence.”

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 About World Vision
W or ld V ision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated
to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide
to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and
injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, World Vision serves
alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s
unconditional love for all people.

We envision a world where each child experiences “fullness of life”

as described in John 10:10. We know this can be achieved only by
addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way.
World Vision is unique in bringing 60 years of experience in three key
areas to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term
development, and advocacy. We bring our skills across many areas of
expertise to each community where we work, enabling us to support
children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

About World Vision Resources

E ndin g globa l poverty and injustice begins with education:
understanding the magnitude and causes of poverty, its impact on
human dignity, and our connection to those in need around the world.

World Vision Resources is the publishing ministry of World Vision.

World Vision Resources educates Christians about global poverty,
inspires them to respond, and equips them with innovative resources
to make a difference in the world.

For more information about our

resources, contact:
World Vision Resources
Mail Stop 321
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716
Fax: 253-815-3340
wvresources@worldvision.org

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