World Prayers for September 3 – 9: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo

3 MIN READ
Children saved from the streets and from child traffickers in Benin. Andre Roussel/USAID.

Bread for the World believes prayer is central to the work of ending hunger by 2030. Hunger happens in every corner of the world. In this blog series, we will provide a prayer for a different group of countries each week and their efforts to end hunger.

This prayer series will follow the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, a list compiled by the World Council of Churches that enables Christians around the world to journey in prayer through every region of the world, affirming our solidarity with Christians all over the world, brothers and sisters living in diverse situations, experiencing their challenges and sharing their gifts.

We will especially be lifting up in prayer the challenges related to hunger and poverty that the people of each week’s countries face. In prayer, God’s story and our own story connect—and we and the world are transformed. In a prayer common to all of us—the Lord’s Prayer/the Our Father—we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This line from this prayer can also be a prayer for the end of hunger.

We invite you to join Bread in our prayers for the world’s countries to end hunger. And we encourage you to share with us your prayers for the featured countries of the week or for the end of hunger in general.

For the week of September 3 – 9: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo

Our Father in heaven,
you are the God of gods, the King of kings.

We ask you to bless our governments,
our leaders, our elders
and all those who are in powerful positions.

Give them a heart which abides by your will
so they no longer favour injustice,
but act for the well-being of all,
in all things.

Give us all humble hearts
so that we have good things,
right actions,
and your blessing forever for our country.

Bless the activities of the farmer, the fisherman,
the businesswoman, the artist, and all other workers.

After the dry season, send us the blessed rain
and favour us with a plentiful harvest
so that we may glorify you.

Have pity on the poor, the soldiers, the sick.

Help those who are alone
and console those who are devastated.

Support pregnant women and mothers.
Help the widows and widowers.
Be father and mother to all orphans.

God, bless your word for Christians,
and for non-believers,
so that they may be assured
and lean on you
to obtain forgiveness for their sins
and become your children.

O Lord, have pity on us.
You are the God of mercy.

You are the strength, the glory, the honour and the holiness,
forever and ever.
(© 2005 Josephine Sanvee, Togo)

Percentage of the population of these countries living below the national poverty line:

Benin: 36.2
Côte d’Ivoire: 42.7
Togo: 58.7

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators as found in the 2017 Hunger Report.

Prayer is a central part of Bread for the World’s work. Learn more about how you can get involved with prayer at Bread. 

Related Resources