Bread for the World believes prayer is central to the work of ending hunger by 2030. Hunger happens in every corner of the world. In this blog series, we will provide a prayer for a different group of countries each week and their efforts to end hunger.
This prayer series will follow the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, a list compiled by the World Council of Churches that enables Christians around the world to journey in prayer through every region of the world, affirming our solidarity with Christians all over the world, brothers and sisters living in diverse situations, experiencing their challenges and sharing their gifts.
We will especially be lifting up in prayer the challenges related to hunger and poverty that the people of each week’s countries face. In prayer, God’s story and our own story connect—and we and the world are transformed. In a prayer common to all of us—the Lord’s Prayer/the Our Father—we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This line from this prayer can also be a prayer for the end of hunger.
We invite you to join Bread in our prayers for the world’s countries to end hunger. And we encourage you to share with us your prayers for the featured countries of the week or for the end of hunger in general.
For the week of June 19 – 25: Brazil
Prayer: God the travelling companion
God, travelling with us on the way,
sustaining life, source of life,
you are not a God travelling only ahead of us,
like a general, like a hero,
nor do you give prizes to those
who boldly run, full of energy.
I have heard your voice on the way,
encouraging us not to stop,
persuading us to continue on our way.
You are a God everywhere present.
You are to be found in all places.
You are ahead and behind us,
when the road is long
and weariness at its greatest.
You are not only the God of the strongest,
of those whose lives are prosperous.
When our strength falters and fails,
you give us the strength to keep on going forward.
With you, we joyfully continue on our way,
a gentle breeze impels us on,
our steps become lighter,
and we are even able to sing.
(Simei Monteiro)
Percentage of the population of these countries living below the national poverty line:
Brazil: 8.9
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators as found in the 2016 Hunger Report.
Prayer is a central part of Bread for the World’s work. Learn more about how you can get involved with prayer at Bread.
