Pray

We encourage you to include asylum seeker and refugee justice issues within your prayer times individually, in small groups and within your church community. We've put some guiding prayers together to help you:

“Prayer for a Just Future” by Common Grace’s Justice for People Seeking Asylum Team

Creator God, you are the giver of life.

Saviour Jesus, you have shown us what it is to love.

Guiding Spirit, you awaken us to justice.

Show us how to build a just future, where all people have equal opportunity to belong and to flourish in your vitality and love.

We ask for mercy for people in limbo on temporary visas, for safety for those seeking permanent protection, for reunion for families who are separated by borders, and for relief for those losing hope within our detention systems.

We pray for First Nations Peoples fighting for justice on their own Lands, for survivors of domestic violence and for creation groaning under climate disruption.

Help us to live out your inclusive love. Help us to live into your Kingdom where all people have equal opportunity to belong and flourish. Work through us, towards a just future.

Prayers from Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum

Born into poverty in an occupied land,

Living alongside the marginalised and the oppressed.

Dying between criminals to the jeers of the crowd,

Open our eyes,

that we who seek to follow you may recognise your face in the faces of those who are reviled. Open our ears,

that we who seek to hear your word, may recognise your love in the stories which are often drowned out.

Open our hearts, that we who seek your way of life may be bold in witnessing to your longing for justice and peace.

Amen.

God, no one is stranger to you 

And no one is ever far from your loving care. 

In your kindness watch over migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, 

Those separated from their loved ones, 

Those who are lost 

And those who have been exiled from their homes. 

Bring them safely to the place where they long to be, 

And help us always to show your kindness to strangers 

And those in need. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord, 

Who too was a refugee and migrant 

Who travelled to another land 

Searching for a home. 

Amen

From CAPSA resources - Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum

Prayer from Love Makes a Way

God of justice,

we confess to you

that we have not loved you with our whole heart,

and we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

We have hoarded our good things.

We have closed our eyes to the poor at our gate.

Lord, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.

We have loved only those who love us.

We have turned away from the weak and the needy.

Lord, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.

We have been hungry for power and possessions.

We have lost our appetite for your justice.

Lord, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy

We have sung of peace when there is no peace.

We have not cried out for those who are silenced in their suffering. 

Lord, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.

We are sorry for all our sins,

and we ask you to forgive us

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer from A Just Cause

Prayer For Refugees

Loving God,
We pray for the world’s refugees,
They have experienced trauma beyond our imagining.
God of healing, bring them healing.
They endure the most trying of circumstances.
God of strength, bring them strength.
They face an uncertain future.
God of hope, bring them hope.

We pray for the countries from which refugees come,
They are experiencing conflict.
God of healing, bring them healing.
Their people are torn apart by violence & other types of persecution.
God of strength, bring them strength.
They face a difficult future.
God of hope, bring them hope.

We pray for refugees who have resettled in Australia.
They have experienced great loss.
God of healing, bring them healing.
They are building new lives in a foreign land.
God of strength, bring them strength.
They are courageously carving out a future.
God of hope, bring them hope.

We pray for asylum seekers living in Australia.
They have experienced great loss.
God of healing, bring them healing.
They may never see their families again.
God of strength, bring them strength.
They have no certainty about their future.
God of hope, bring them hope.

We pray for asylum seekers detained on Manus Island & Nauru
They are experiencing great pain
God of healing, bring them healing.
They live in harsh and difficult conditions
God of strength, bring them strength.
They are losing hope.
God of hope, bring them hope.

We pray for our nation
We have hardened our hearts against refugees
God of healing, bring us healing
We have grown weary of caring
God of strength, give us strength
We need to find a better way forward,
God of hope, bring us hope.

A Moment of Grace - A Prayer For Refugees

A Prayer by the Catholic Relief Services for Refugees

God of our Wandering Ancestors,

Long have we known
That your heart is with the refugee:
That you were born into time
In a family of refugees
Fleeing violence in their homeland,
Who then gathered up their hungry child
And fled into alien country.

Their cry, your cry, resounds through the ages:
“Will you let me in?”

Give us hearts that break open
When our brothers and sisters turn to us with that same cry.
Then surely all these things will follow:
Ears will no longer turn deaf to their voices.
Eyes will see a moment for grace instead of a threat.
Tongues will not be silenced but will instead advocate.
And hands will reach out—
working for peace in their homeland, working for justice in the lands where they seek safe haven.

Lord, protect all refugees in their travels.
May they find a friend in me
And so make me worthy
Of the refuge I have found in you. 

Amen.

Prayers by Catholic Leaders

Source and more details found here.

Merciful God,

we pray to you for all the men, women and children who have died after leaving their homelands in search of a better life. 

Though many of their graves bear no name, to you each one is known, loved and cherished. 

May we never forget them, but honour their sacrifice with deeds more than words. We entrust to you all those who have made this journey, enduring fear, uncertainty and humiliation, in order to reach a place of safety and hope.

Just as you never abandoned your Son as he was brought to a safe place by Mary and Joseph, so now be close to these, your sons and daughters, through our tenderness and protection.

In caring for them may we seek a world where none are forced to leave their home and where all can live in freedom, dignity and peace.

Merciful God and Father of all, wake us from the slumber of indifference, open our eyes to their suffering, and free us from the insensitivity born of worldly comfort and self-centredness.

Inspire us, as nations, communities and individuals, to see that those who come to our shores are our brothers and sisters.

May we share with them the blessings we have received from your hand, and recognize that together, as one human family, we are all migrants, journeying in hope to you, our true home, where every tear will be wiped away, where we will be at peace and safe in your embrace.

-Pope Francis

God of love and compassion: may we always recognise your spirit:

in the refugee family, seeking safety from violence;

in the migrant worker, bringing food to our tables;

in the asylum-seekers, seeking justice for their families;

in the unaccompanied child, traveling in a dangerous world.

Give us hearts that break open whenever our brothers and sisters turn to us. 
Give us hearts that no longer turn deaf to their voices in times of need;

Give us eyes to recognize a moment for grace instead of a threat.
Give us voices that fail to remain silent but which decide instead to advocate prophetically.
Give us hands that reach out in welcome, but also in work, for a world of justice until all homelands are safe and secure. 
Bless us, O Lord...

- Fr. Dan Hartnett S.J.

Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Help us by your grace,

to banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;

to welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;

to realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;

to share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;

to give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer.

Author unknown

Global Christian Worship Resources

Prayers for Refugees and Migrants

Hear us, Lord, as we raise our voices;
in you we take refuge.
Preserve those whose life is threatened by enemies
and who are the target of bitter words or evil schemes.
Remember those who are vulnerable and exposed,
those who are victims of natural disaster, war, and persecution,
those suffering anguish and sorrow.
Bring them to safety;
in you we take refuge.
Give shelter to those seeking a hiding place,
to those torn from their homes,
those who are separated from loved ones,
those who are lost or have run away.
Bring them to safety;
in you we take refuge.
You look with mercy and love on all refugees.
Help us to welcome the stranger, befriend the lonely, and show compassion. 
Allow your Spirit to move in us and teach us to seek justice,
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you, telling of all your works.
Let us rejoice and give praise;
in you we take refuge.

- (from Psalms for All Seasons, 64C, by Melissa Haupt) 

A Prayer for Refugees

Sourced from Faithward

God of the exiles,
You cared for the Israelites through their captivity in Egypt and later in Assyria.
Care for and protect every person whose home is no longer safe,
Who has been forced to flee, who is living in a crowded camp,
Not knowing whether they will be taken in elsewhere.
Bring them to safety so that they can live in joy and peace, without fear.
God of the exiles,
Hear our prayer.

God of all nations,
You are the Prince of Peace,
And you promise that one day nation will not lift up sword against nation (Isa. 2:4).
Mediate the conflicts between governments and people groups that make whole countries unsafe for their citizens.
Overcome evil with good, and bring an end to terrorism around the world
So that people everywhere can know the goodness of your reign.
God of all nations,
Hear our prayer. 

God of our hearts,
In Jesus Christ, you have broken down the dividing wall of hostility between humanity and you.
We were once far off, but you have sought us out and brought us near, even while we were sinners and strangers to your grace (Eph. 2:13–14).
By the power of your Spirit, transform us with your trust, love, and generosity.
Help us to extend your grace to others, regarding them as we would regard Jesus himself,
So that we can be faithful ambassadors to you and your gospel of reconciliation,
And so that your kingdom would break in even now.
God of our hearts,
Hear our prayer.

Prayer for asylum seekers

Reconciling God, we pray for the day when all Australians stand together

Recognising that we are called as one people to compassion and justice.

Heal the blindness that looks but does not see, the deafness which refuses to listen and so does not hear, the dullness which hears but does not comprehend, and the lack of integrity that knows but does not act.

God, in your love and solidarity you call us to stand with those who are most vulnerable, especially asylum seekers who risk all to find protection and a secure future for their families. 

 Hear our prayer and the unuttered cries of our hearts offered in the name of your son,

Jesus, who was himself a refugee. Amen.

 Source: Josephite prayer vigil in solidarity with asylum seekers

Prayer composed by Major Cilla Bone

for Congregational use in August 2013

Our Father…

We acknowledge that you are OUR loving parent, the One who loves all humankind equally. You are saddened when you see how selfish your children can be.

May your name be lifted as holy...

We acknowledge that your holiness is in marked contrast to our unworthiness.  We are sorry that we sing loud songs of adoration in one breath and then fail to use those same voices to protest the poor treatment of others.

May your Kingdom come, here on earth...

It's what you want. We say it is what we want.  Yet we fail to see that unless we treat all people with dignity; welcome the stranger, the asylum seeker, and stand up for the marginalized - then earth does not resemble heaven. Every time a stranger is refused hospitality, earth looks a little less like heaven

Give us today our bread...

That sounds so selfish, when people on boats put their lives on the line, with little bread or water. And then have to endure living conditions that are untenable. As individuals, and as a nation, we constantly put our own needs before others, unworthily protecting all that we claim is ours - our land, our culture, our wealth.

Forgive our sins...

May our political and church leaders humbly listen to what you have to say.  Please help politicians on both sides of government be prepared to forget votes and look to a better solution.  And may church leaders of all denominations be courageous enough to speak out for justice and mercy.

Yours is the Kingdom...

We pledge to work with you, regardless of personal cost, to establish the Kingdom here on earth.

Amen

Prayer by Rev Enock de Assis

Dear God, our journey through life is long and hard. We cannot make this trip alone; we must walk together on the journey. You promised to send us a helper, your Spirit. Help us to see your Spirit in those you send to journey with us.

In the refugee family, seeking safety form violence, let us see your Spirit.

In the migrant worker, bringing food to our tables, let us see your Spirit.

In the asylum-seeker, seeking justice for his or her family, let us see your Spirit.

In the trafficked child, seeking liberation from his or her oppression, let us see your Spirit.

In the unaccompanied child, traveling in a dangerous world, let us see your Spirit.

Teach us to recognize that as we walk with each other, you are present.

Teach us to welcome not only the stranger in our midst, but the gifts they bring as well: the invitation to conversion, communion, and solidarity.

This is the help you have sent: we are not alone.

We are together on the journey, and for this we give you thanks.

https://episcopalmigrationministries.org/wp-content/uploads/Pray4Refugees.pdf

Women’s prayers on their refugee journey

http://www.maisha.org/plugins/files/20170622/PRAYERS_BROCHURE%20ENGLISH.pdf

Moving cries from the hearts of women to God as they flee.

Justice for Asylum Seekers, Resources for Worship, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly

God of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar,
God of travellers, migrants and refugees.
Thank you for the beauty and uniqueness of this southern land which we share.
Grant your protection and grace to all who shelter here.
Forgive the racism and destruction that have been part of our history,
and our disregard for the pain and oppression within the Australian community today. Help us shed our provincial expectations. Take away our cultural tunnel vision.
Open our hearts to be caring neighbours to each other.
Direct our lives to just and peaceful action.

God of a thousand faces, help us also to acknowledge you are worshipped in many languages, in different songs and rhythms of life from our own.
May we respect these religious insights in each other and assist each faithful expression of you.
We rejoice in you, God, in whose image we are brothers and sisters and by whose example in Jesus Christ we know the breadth and depth of your universal love. Amen

Faith and Worship Resources

source: https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_refugees.htm

You are God of the refugee, the oppressed and dispossessed.
You are God of the weak, the starving and suffering.
You are God who asks for justice like a flowing river,
goodness as a sparkling stream,
love that is seen in action.
Forgive us,
challenge us,
change us,
God of love, we pray. 

AMEN

Today Lord, we bring to you the forgotten people who were TV headlines just a month or two ago;
who are still suffering,
still fleeing for their lives,
still dying for lack of medical provision,
still seeing their world crumbling into dust beneath tired feet,
but whose plight has been downgraded to make room  for more recent barbarity.
Lord, we bring to you this fragile world,
its precious people,
its suffering people,
its forgotten people,
made beautifully in your image and still crying out for help.

Amen.

A Prayer by Dorothy McRae-McMahon

We believe in God
Who takes our smallest moment of hope

And grows it forth like a tree
with spreading branches
for the sheltering of new life.

We believe in Jesus Christ
Who walks tall among us,
Seen in our faces, felt in our hearts,

Bedded deep in the longing of our souls

For all that is true, just and full of hope.

We believe in the Holy Spirit
Who waits on our moments of openness and springs into the unknowns
with joy and delight,
that we may be called on
beyond where we thought we could go where every step is walked on holy ground.

Source: https://www.ctbiarchive.org/pdf_view.php?id=944

A Prayer for Refugees

For what shall we pray, O God?
where there is death,
let us offer life,
where there is brokenness,
let us be healers,
where there is loneliness,
let us offer a welcome.
for what shall we pray, O Jesus?
where there is cruelty,
let us seek justice,
where there is bitterness,
let us sow kindness,
where there is hatred,
let us offer hands of love.
for what shall we pray O Spirit?
where there is anger,
let us be the breath of hope,
where there is violence,
let us be peacemakers,
where neighbourhoods are in ruins,
let us rebuild communities.
for what shall we pray?
for more tenderness than tensions,
for more listening than lecturing,
for more forgiving than pointing fingers,
for more concern for the forgotten than the favoured,
for more humanity than hatred.
hear our prayers, God in Community, Holy in One,
hear our prayers, Amen.
(Source: © 2020 Thom M. Shuman)

Who are those people?

Who are these
clamouring to enter
our land, our homes, our hearts?
Why are they here
disturbing our peace?
What do they want
from us who have more
than enough for ourselves?
Where do they come from,
speaking such foreign words
we do not understand?

We suspect they come to steal, harm or kill,
to spoil our culture
taking advantage of our good will.
We fear most what they themselves flee:
hunger, poverty, disease,
violence, war, oppression.
Most of all we dislike the truth
they reveal about ourselves,
who put conditions on God’s
unconditional love for all.

Jesus, it’s your face we try not to see,
your voice we strive not to hear,
your word we’d rather not obey.
Help us to recognize
they are you and
they are us.

- By Joseph Veneroso, M.M.

The Sabeel Center, Jerusalem

Almighty and merciful God, whose Son became a refugee and had no place to call his own;
look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from danger, homeless and hungry.
Bless those who work to bring them relief;
inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts;
and guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your commonwealth of justice and of peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Source: https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/refugees/