Prayers of the People: 'Open Our Hearts to Care for Our Neighbors'

Together, on Palm Sunday, let's pray the words that Mary Beth, our Manager of Mobilization, wrote. This year's Prayers of the People will be shared at Palm Sunday services by some of our church partners.

Jesus, we praise you and worship you today! With joy in our hearts we praise you for who you are and what you have done for us. You are faithful, you are steadfast, and you are our Redeemer. We join with the crowds in praising and rejoicing as you enter Jerusalem. We are grateful for and in awe of you.

We quickly and easily lose sight of the wonder of you, Jesus, when we are swept up in our own brokenness and the brokenness around us. How quickly, also, do we lose sight of the ways that you serve and love the least of these. You do so not only for their sake but as an example for us. Jesus, renew in us a passion and fire to love and serve one another.

We join churches all over the city today, and we pray for the brokenness in our city. We pray for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, and who need basic resources. We pray for New Yorkers who are hungry. We pray for the women who are survivors of trafficking and for New Yorkers who have been abused either physically or emotionally. We pray, Lord, for the children without proper support at home. We pray for New Yorkers without jobs, or without sufficient resources to provide for their families. We pray for New Yorkers with disabilities who are without community and friendships. We thank you for the Hope for New York organizations that serve these communities.

Lord, we pray for our city not simply out of obligation as Christians but because we know that you care deeply for those on the margins. We pray that you would open our hearts to care for our neighbors the way that you do. May we see our city with new eyes and new hearts, open to the hope and promise that you are redeeming what is broken.

We praise you, Lord, for who you are, what you have done, and what you will do. We worship you and honor you with our words and with our service to others. Thank you, Jesus. We love you.

Amen.

Watch Stories of Hope and then give generously to provide new beginnings for New Yorkers in need: hfny.org/easter