Prayer for those in need, because of drought and famine
Almighty and everlasting God,
our Creator and Sustainer, who provides for all our needs,
and promises us life in all its fullness;
our Good Shepherd, who leads us to good pasture even in the desert;
we come before you now in our need.
Forgive us for the way we have treated the good earth which you created;
forgive us for the way in which we have shared out the resources you have provided,
so that some have so much and others so little;
forgive us for the times when we have been indifferent to the needs of those
on the edge of our world
We cry to you for those who lack food and water for their families, their children, themselves;
we cry to you for those desperately searching for water and pasture for their animals;
we cry to you for those whose fields are parched and whose crops have withered;
we cry to you for those who grieve for their loved ones after the latest cattle raid
has brought death and destruction
Have mercy, O Lord, on us; have mercy on this dry and dusty land;
pour out the rains that people long for.
Provide for those in need, especially in those parts of East Africa suffering from drought,
and move the hearts of your people that we might give of ourselves
and out of the riches which you have given us,
so that others might eat and drink and sleep this night in peace
and know that their future is safe in your hands.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
By the Right Reverend Robert Martin, the Anglican Bishop of Marsabit, in northern Kenya,
and posted on Christian Aid.Click here to download a pdf version of the prayer.