“God
gives justice to the oppressed,
and
food to the hungry.
God
frees the prisoners,
and
opens the eyes of the blind.
God
lifts up those who are weighed down…
protects
the foreigners among us…
cares
for the orphans and widows….”
~ from
Psalm 146
Compassionate
God,
with
heavy hearts we bring the plight of the Rohingya refugees before You.
God,
in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for those who were victims of the violent attacks:
those
who were injured, assaulted or killed,
or
who watched helplessly as family members were attacked.
We
pray for those who lost loved ones to the violence;
who
had to leave them behind or bury them in haste.
We
pray for those who carry physical or psychological wounds.
God,
in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for the thousands of people
who
were forced to flee their homes and villages,
who
watched as everything they owned went up in flames,
and
who fled with just what they could hastily grab.
We
pray for those who are still hiding in the jungle;
those
who are still looking for shelter and safety.
God,
in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for the many Rohingya refugees who,
after
walking for days,
now
find themselves in make-shift shelters
or
hastily organized refugee camps –
uncertain
about their future
and
worried about where they will find food.
God,
in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
offer our prayers for those who are at work
behind
the scenes in Myanmar,
attempting
to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Give
them wisdom and courage in their task.
God,
in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
also pray for the member agencies of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank
who
are actively responding to the Rohingya crisis.
Give
them good access to the refugees who need their help,
and
provide the emotional, financial and material resources they require
to
meet the needs they find among the people there.
God,
in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Finally,
God, we pray for ourselves.
We
do not know these people;
we
do not speak their language.
They
are so far away.
And
yet, they are Your children, and our brothers and sisters.
Soften
our hearts to feel their pain;
open
our hands to respond with generosity.
So
may Your will be done, and Your kingdom come on earth,
as
it is in heaven. Amen.
~
written by Christine Longhurst and posted on the Canadian Foodgrains Bank website. https://foodgrainsbank.ca/product/prayer-for-the-rohingya-refugees/
