April 20, 2026
April 13th marked Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time when people around the world honor the sacred memory of the six million Jews, along with millions of Roma and Sinti, people of Slavic and Polish descent, persons with disabilities, Soviet prisoners of war, Jehovah’s Witnesses, those persecuted for their sexual orientation, and countless other innocent victims who were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime and its allies.
God of compassion and justice, we lift up the families of all Holocaust survivors and remember that genocide is a structural sin that violates the sanctity of life that you have bestowed on us. We ask for hearts around the world to be awakened to ensure the end of all genocides and dehumanizing ideologies that lead to genocide. May we stand together against the evils of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and the dehumanization of Palestinians or any people. Help us build a world rooted in dignity, compassion, and peace for all.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
April 24th is the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire began its systematic genocide of the Armenian people. Today, the Armenian people still face injustices and dispossession, including the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh/ Nagorno-Karabakh by the Azerbaijan government and land encroachment of the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem by Israeli settlers.
Divine Creator, you are the God who remembers your people throughout generations (Psalm 105:8), even as the world turns away from the oppressed. We lift up the Armenian people, who have endured unimaginable suffering, and we lament the injustices they still face today. Strengthen those who stand for truth and dignity, and stir the hearts of the world to stand against oppression in every form. May the memory of those who perished call us to defend the living, and may your justice roll down like water for all peoples.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
A new Gaza Freedom Flotilla is setting sail towards Gaza. This time will be the largest coordinated civilian maritime action in history to break Israel’s siege of Gaza, with over 1,000 people around the world joining. The flotilla is setting sail in the backdrop of a near daily bombardment of Gaza by Israel and a blocking of 92% of medical evacuations, despite the so-called ceasefire.
Holy God, we give thanks for brave citizens of the world who teach us what it means to be in solidarity. We pray for the safety of the participants as they seek to break the siege. Lord, when we ask you, “What can we do?”, give us the creativity of the Holy Spirit and power from Christ that our actions may bring about change. We pray for an end to the blockade and siege on Gaza and for true justice and peace to reign for all people.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
April 17 marked Palestinian Prisoners Day, a day commemorating the struggles of Palestinian prisoners inside occupation prisons. This Prisoners Day, over 144 events were held across 19 countries, protesting Israel’s most recent death penalty law and calling for the freedom of over 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons.
God of the oppressed, we remember the words of Prophet Isaiah: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed.” (Isaiah 10:1-2) Help us to worship you by resisting unjust policies of incarceration and violence. We pray for the freedom and healing of all political prisoners.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Pope Leo IV recently marked his first Easter as Pope in his Urbi et Orbi address, called on Christians to fight against “globalization of indifference” toward suffering. Reflecting on the themes of hope and renewal, he appealed to leaders of nations to stop the logic of war and violence and follow Christ’s model rooted in peace and humility. His comments came against the backdrop of ongoing global violence. His address and call for peace were met with vitriol from U.S. leaders, who reportedly threatened the Vatican, leading the Vatican to cancel Pope Leo’s planned visit to the U.S. in 4th of July. The Pope will instead spend July focused on humanitarian treatment of migrants, on the coast of Tunisia where thousands of refugees sail from North Africa to Italy.
God of Hope, we continue to pray for the prophetic witness of church leaders to reject all theologies of domination and instead pursue a vision of your Kingdom rooted in love and justice. In the face of empires that weaponize your name to justify death, grant us the courage of the Holy Spirit to speak truth and act as agents of your peace.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers
You can download our Wave of prayer PDF here.