Prayer for People Living in Poverty

We say a prayer of thanks today for those among us

in our community, in our country,

who are living in poverty.

Thank you for the courage of people with no money,

for their resourcefulness and ingenuity,

for the way they show that loving relationships do not depend on income,

for their joy and laughter in difficult circumstances

and for the willingness of those who live with little

to share with anyone who asks,

for they understand the spirit of Christmas.

We ask for help for those among us suffering because of poverty;

for the mother who must decide which bill to pay, the electricity or the heat,

for the senior who moves to a room because they cannot afford an apartment,

for the father who doesn’t want to go anywhere near a foodbank

but must stand in line there to feed his family,

for the single person who has just been evicted and is in a shelter,

for the child who listens quietly and sadly

as their friends describe all the things they got for Christmas.

We pray for all who have experienced the holes in our social safety net.

Show us, God, how to be people who bear good tidings.

Help us to make the crooked way straight for people suffering in poverty,

to set free those in captivity to want.

With our wallets and our voices and our votes, help us to be advocates,

creating a society that takes care of its citizens.

Open our ears to the angel’s song,

peace and goodwill for all your children.