Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
Exodus 22:21
Please pray aloud:
Gracious Lord, would you make my church a place that cares for the immigrants in our community?
Open our eyes to see the first-generation foreigners among us, God—the Asians, Europeans, Africans, Latin Americans within our borders. Open our eyes to see that they, too, were made in your image, worthy of all value and dignity. It’s easy for us to look at the policy or the politicians on this issue and miss the person in our neighborhood whom we can love. Forgive us, O King, if we ever qualify who to love or forget that we are first citizens of your kingdom.
While the world asks, “Who is my neighbor?” your Son instead asks, “Who was a neighbor?”
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You have called us to visit the immigrant in prison, to give them food and drink, and to share our clothing. You have called us to treat the foreigner with compassion and to protect them. You have called us to not oppress the alien among us, remembering that we were once sojourners outside your kingdom.
Make us faithful to these commands, Father. Not only in theory, but in practice. Not only in position, but in flesh. While the world asks, “Who is my neighbor?” your Son asks instead, “Who was a neighbor?” May my church rush to be the answer he commands, to the Canaanite and Samaritan of this day and this time.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Some of the Scripture used in today’s prayer:
Genesis 1:27, Genesis 9:6, Leviticus 19:34, Exodus 22:21, Matthew 25:35, Psalm146:9, Luke 10:36, John 4:7, Matthew 15:22
