Prayers this week

I was scheduled to write the World in Prayer prayers this week and thought I'd share them with you.

Lord Jesus Christ, as we remember your entry into Jerusalem, enter into our world and into our lives.

We pray for all those who will be affected by the decisions of the Group of 20 (G20) summit that met this week in London. We pray for the work of the International Monetary Fund, entrusted with the task of lending emergency loans to countries in financial distress. We pray the money promised will reach its intended recipients and those who live in poverty will receive the aid they need.

We pray for those in search of work, that their needs will be met and they may find satisfying labor. We pray for those in the U.S. who lost their jobs in March as the unemployment rate rose to 8.5 percent and 660,000 more jobs were lost.

We pray for all who are uprooted from their home and those who leave their countries looking for work, peace or freedom. We remember the some 230 migrants who died when their boat capsized off the coast of Libya. We pray for wisdom for leaders in government as they debate and decide immigration policy, and for courage to make our voices heard.

We pray for our leaders, those chosen by the people and those whose authority comes from tradition, force or cunning. We pray for Madagascar, whose new leader, Andry Rajoelina, is not recognized by the African Union. We pray for the upcoming elections in India and for India's 714 million registered voters.

We pray for peace in the Middle East and between Israel and Palestine. We pray for Israel's new Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. We pray for the Palestinian parties of Fatah and Hamas whose negotiations for unification have been suspended but will resume in late April in Egypt. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Bless us as we travel with you this week, our King and our God. Help us to stay with you as you stay with us. And grant that we may come to the resurrection with a new awareness of your presence and your work within us and within our world. Amen.