World Prayers for July 26-August 1: The Caribbean

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Photo by Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World

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 July 26-August 1: The Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago:

Oh God, we take this time to pray for the Caribbean Islands. We thank you for your love for each person in these nations, and we lift each one to you.

First of all, we pray for protection over the people and particularly over their individual rights. We ask that those in government would make wise and just decisions that would benefit all and pray that they would not abuse their power for personal gain. In addition, we pray for strengthening of the economic and public health infrastructures in these nations to provide greater access to jobs and health care. We ask that there would be equal opportunity for these things regardless of one’s social status and especially pray for protection for those most vulnerable- the fatherless, orphans, and widows- in these islands.

We also pray for the government agencies and other organizations that provide assistance in the Caribbean region. We ask for wisdom and love for these organizations as they assist in agricultural and other development projects and pray for healthy and effective partnerships throughout. Ultimately, we pray that many within the Caribbean would rise up to be the forerunners in their respective countries.

Lastly, we pray for the church in the Caribbean. We ask that you would fill them with your spirit and courage as they look to you, the author of their faith. We pray that they would be beacons of hope and redemption in the midst of despair and pain, and ask that your light will penetrate the darkness.  Furthermore, we ask for an awakening of hearts to you and for many to come to know you as their savior.  We pray these things, in Jesus’ glorious name. Amen.

Percentage of the population of these countries living below the national poverty line (2014 figures):

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica: N/A
Dominican Republic: 40.9
Haiti: 58.7
Grenada, Guyana: N/A
Jamaica: 17.6
Puerto Rico, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago: N/A

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators as found in the 2015 Hunger Report.

Prayer is a central part of Bread for the World’s work. To learn more about how you can get involved with prayer at Bread, please go here.

Photo: Participants in Chemen Lavi Miyó, a program offered by Fonkoze (a microfinance organization). The participants meet twice a week in Mirebalais, Haiti, to learn basic life skills. Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World

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