The following prayers were written for the March 22 Wine Before Breakfast service in response to the text of Mark 11:12-25, which focuses on Jesus’ cursing the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple.
God of power,
Your word brings life and death,
shapes the world into being
and withers that which bears no fruit.
You invite us to put our trust in you,
To send our voices to you.
You invite us to believe that you hear,
And that the answer will come.
And so we pray for the world
and all who are suffering,
especially for those in Ukraine and Russia,
and for those negatively affected
by the new covid regulations.
[Prayers for the world and for our country]
God of power,
you entered Jerusalem on a colt
and with an army of peasants.
You entered the temple,
became angry and raised your voice
and overturned the tables of injustice.
Tear down the injustices in our churches,
the university and our workplaces.
Remove those who have abused their power,
bring to light antisemitism and able-ism.
Let exploitation and thievery to wither
so that restitution may grow in its place.
May your house once again
be a place of prayer for all peoples.
May the university and workplaces
be places where all may flourish.
[Prayers for the church and the university]
God of power, you have promised
that if we say to a mountain
‘Lift up and go into the sea,’
with hearts that believe and do not doubt,
then it will be done.
But, O God, we doubt.
Our world is filled with
mountains of oppression,
valleys of polarization we cannot cross.
We are weighed down by heavy burdens
placed on ourselves and one another.
What sea can hold these mountains?
How do we not also drown from our efforts?
Help us to imagine a different world,
a world where rulers humble themselves
and fight for the poor and oppressed.
Help us imagine a world
where we tear down mountains together
and where all creation flourishes.
We lift up ourselves and those close to us.
Help us to trust in you.
Help us to believe your promises.
[Prayers for those close to us]
God of power,
we believe you hear us.
May we trust in you.
As we wait for your answer,
give us courage as we fight for justice,
give us wisdom to rest in your presence,
and fill us with hope.
Amen.