Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church.
Tuesday, Aug. 9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples There are over 476 million Indigenous people living in 90 countries around the world. They have unique languages, traditions, cultures, knowledge systems, worldviews and systems for governing themselves. Pray that we will value them as children of God; respect their rights, freedoms, dignity and lands; and ensure their right to participate fully in political and economic activities. With repentant hearts, ask God’s forgiveness for our harmful and unjust actions and policies throughout history, for taking what was not ours, and for forcing our own language, culture, religious beliefs, worldview and authority upon Indigenous peoples. Pray that we will work to rectify injustices and inequities, develop new relationships of trust and respect, and do the work necessary for reconciliation and healing.