Leader: My friends let us gather tonight to offer our prayers for all who have no one to pray for them. Some people have no one to pray for them because no one knows that they need prayer, and some people have no one to pray for them because no one wants to pray for them. While we sit in our prayer service tonight, the world will continue revolving and time will continue to march forward. While we pray this night, people will commit suicide and babies will be born. While we pray this night, cancer patients will make their transition from this life and couples will join themselves together in marriage. While we pray this night, people will be the victims of domestic abuse and couples will be experiencing sexual intercourse. While we pray tonight the world will continue to revolve and time will continue to march forward. As we read each section, those of us who are joined here tonight who are willing and able to pray for these individuals please unite our voices in the response, “I will pray for them.”

 

People: Lord, we a few of your chaplains are gathered here tonight to offer our prayers and examine ourselves.

 

Reader One: O’ God who knew us before we were born, we pray for those who will die alone tonight. We pray for those who live alone and will pass without anyone to hold their hand. We pray for those who will die in the streets and underpasses of the world because they have no beds to die in. We pray for those who have outlived their families and those who pushed all their family away. We pray for those who will die from neglect and forgetfulness of those who should care for them. We lift up all who die alone this night.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Two: O’ Father Mother of us all, we sit and stand and kneel in prayer for the unknown abused. We pray for victims whose bruises are hidden under high collars or long sleeves. We pray for those who we do not know need prayer. We pray for those who are beaten by those who claim their love and for those whose bodies or minds or hearts are full of holes. We pray for those who sit and even die in silence. We cry out for those who have been abused and will become abusers. For all victims who remain silent, we give our voices in prayer.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Three: O’ Prince of Peace, we pray for those who have no peace of mind tonight. We pray for the victims of mental illness. We pray for those who are locked and trapped in their own thoughts and minds tighter than jail cells. We lift up those who suffer from mental illnesses and will not or cannot be treated. We pray for those locked in cells of depression, for those whose anxiety has closed the doors to life, for those whose paranoia denies them true relationship, and for those whose compulsions make daily life a fearful experience. Lord, we pray for those who have no peace of mind tonight.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Four: O’ creator of the human body, we pray for those who will commit suicide tonight. We pray for the men, the women, the children, and the elderly who will carry out their decision to end their lives tonight. We pray for those who feel they have no one, we pray for those whose minds or bodies have betrayed them, and we pray for those who lost all hope this night. Whether with rope or bullet, poison or knife, we pray for all those who will die by their own hands tonight.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Five: O’ Alpha and Omega, we lift up this day the addict and the alcoholic. We pray for the men, women, and children who find themselves in a bottle or a pill or a puff or a needle. For those who call for the chaplain at 3 am when the bar is closed and for those who sell their bodies to feed their habit, we call on you our God. We pray for the mothers who will give their babies addictions before they are born, and for the fathers who leave their seed to make a child but not their love. We pray to you our God and friend for all who poison their own bodies and the lives of those around them. We lift up this day the addict and the alcoholic.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Six: O’ God of goodness, we give our prayers for those who have broken laws and hearts through sexual abuse. We pray for those who have violated children, even their own. We lift up those who will live out their lives in cells, and we offer prayers for those who live free of any jail but their own guilt. We cry out for those who will abuse again and have no guilt. We pray for the rapists, and we pray for the clergy who have betrayed their calls and have left behind a trail of broken lives and destroyed faith. We pray for what has happened and what will happen behind closed doors and hidden deep online. Dearest Lord, we pray tonight for all who have committed sexual abuse.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader One: O’ Rose of Sharon, we take a moment of your time here and now to lift up our silent prayers. Lord, hear our silent cries for ourselves as we lift the people who we have problems and hardships praying for. Through experiences and belief there are those Lord who each and every one of us finds it impossible to lift in prayer. Help us understand why we have problems praying for these your children. Help us see ourselves and know why we are the way we are. Teach us to pray, O’ Rose of Sharon.

 

Offer Silent Prayers

 

Leader: O’ Gentle Savior, take these silent prayers and know the inner cryings of our souls as we have given silent thought and voice to those we feel that we cannot honestly and openly pray to you for and with.

 

Reader Two: O’ God of night and cloudy days, we pray for those who kill. We bring our prayers and thoughts to you for those who have killed your sons and daughters made in your image. We pray for those who have murdered their families, killers of children, people who have taken life to protect secrets or to take what is not theirs. We pray for those who have killed for joy or experience and for those who kill while driving drunk or whose greed has caused the death of people they have never seen or known. We pray for killers of all ages, races, genders, and motivations.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Three: O’ God of creation, we pray for those who have destroyed and are destroying your creation. We pray for those who out of greed or pride or ignorance pollute the water, land, and air of your creation. We lift up the poacher who kills for profit. We pray for those who do not know the countless numbers who suffer because of their careless and irresponsible raping of the Earth’s resources. For those who knowingly have caused the death of workers, consumers, and those who live around their factories and in the space affected by their waste, we offer our prayers tonight.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Four: O’ Precious Friend, we your children pray for those who exploit children. We offer our prayers for men and women who exploit children in the work force and on film for financial gain or sexual pleasure. We pray for the pedophile and the abusive parents. We pray for those who break the covenant of family whatever their motivation may be. We pray for all those who exploit children.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Five: O’ King of Kings, we send you our prayers today for those who hate. We pray for members of hate groups for the women, men, and children in the Klan, for those who live as Neo-Nazis and skinheads, and for those whose hate is based in gender, race, religion, creed, or gang membership. We lift up the racist, the bigot, and the homophobic. We pray for those who hate us, and pray for those who have led genocide. For any who sees another person as less than human, we do pray.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Six: O’ Lord of Hope, we pray for those who kill and wound in your name or the name of a nation or for their own view of honor. We pray for terrorists who plan to murder. We lift up those who kill their own children out of a sense of honor. We bring to you those who will be suicide bombers and killers of innocents. For the bomb makers and the bomb carriers, for the manufactures and spreaders of poison, and for all those who take life and for all those who break bodies, we pray.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader One: O’ Breath of Life, we offer up this night all those who have no needs or wants or pains. We pray this night for those who seem to have it all. We offer our prayers for the rich and famous, for the powerful and mighty, for all who are objects of other’s jealousy. We pray for everyone who no one prays for or with because we are jealous of them. We lift up those who we forget have needs because they have so much.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

Reader Two: O’ Master of Mercy, we pray for those who cannot pray for themselves. I offer up myself and all who like me fail to pray for themselves. For the caregivers who fail to care for their souls, we pray this night. For the ministers and prophets; the teachers and the preachers; the chaplains and rabbis; the monks and sisters who this night will only think of the rest and not see or voice their own needs, we pray. O’ Master of Mercy, we pray for those who cannot pray for themselves and I pray for myself.

 

All Who Will Respond: I will pray for them.

 

All Who Will Response: With your strength my maker, I will try to pray for all who have no one to pray for them even if that includes me. I thank you, Lord, for those who pray for me even those who know me not. I thank you for my friends of faith whose faces I have not seen who lift prayers in tongues I do not know to guide me on my way. I thank you for those who pray for me. Help me to pray for them. Teach me to pray for those who I do not want to pray for and with.

 

Leader: My friends we have gathered here tonight to offer our prayers for all who have no one to pray for them. While we sat in our prayer service tonight, the world has continued revolving and time has continued to march forward. While we prayed this night, people have committed suicide and babies have been born. While we prayed this night, cancer patients have made their transition from this life and couples have joined themselves together in marriage. While we prayed this night, people have been the victims of domestic abuse and couples have experienced sexual intercourse. While we prayed tonight the world has continued to revolve and time has continued to march forward.

 

Words of Closing

Portions of this Liturgy were published in the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling

All rights resvered