[7th Week “Micah Sunday” Prayer]

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)

Our heavenly father, thank you for your mercy in providing us the ability to sustain ourselves, that although we are not among the richest, we can still give while we receive. Lord, remind us that one fourth of the world’s population is living in the slums and under the poverty line. Please be there with them and make us not turn a blind eye to their needs, as you rally us to understand and walk with them.

You’ve asked us to give a drink to anyone who is thirsty, but we learned to ignore this calling with sly excuses. Please have mercy on us and bring back the joyous compassion in us where we could remain hopeful while we help our neighbors despite not seeing immediate solutions in their situations. Give us the faith in you and mobilize us to care for the poor near and far, where we would no longer be discouraged by geographical limitations and disappointments.

We know that what we’re doing might not bring drastic changes, but we want to be a good servant who is loyal on matters big and small. We pray that you would strengthen our faith as we follow Jesus’ example in personally tending to the poor, so that we could fulfill the mission given to us in loving our neighbors as ourselves. We pray that we would take the initiative to care for them, that we would advocate for their cause and raise awareness among our circles about the poverty situation both locally and internationally, in addition to our devoted prayers and physical support.

Lord we pray that you would rekindle the selflessness in the people and their love to one another. Let the ones in power see the difficulties of the poor and seek for solid solutions with a merciful heart. Let them improve the lives of those in the slums from the roots through policy making and city planning. We also pray for a good relationship between the slum residents and leaders to build a strong social bonding for the benefit of the society.

We pray for your blessings, in Jesus’ name, Amen.