5 Stunning Prayer Books on Community, Lament, and Peacemaking

Prayer is a wonderfully mysterious spiritual practice. When I’m not sure what to or how to pray, prayer books have been useful guides. They’ve helped broaden my gratitude, petitions, and lament. And just like the Psalms, they’ve opened my eyes and heart to emotions and experiences I don’t have words for, yet.

I’ve mentioned a few prayer books here before. (You may remember this post.) I wanted to share a few more with you that I’ve found more recently. I noticed they carried similar themes of global community, lament, and peacemaking. (Peacemaking is not the same as peacekeeping.) These are things we are in great need of these days; I hope they inspire and equip you, whether you’re in your living room or a pulpit.

A Booklet of Uncommon Prayer: Collects for the Black Lives Matter Movement—and Beyond

In this slender but powerful booklet, Kenji Kuramitsu includes prayers of lament, petitions for justice, and gratitude. Some of these include “Against the Abuses of Capitalism,” “For Interfaith Work,” “For the Protection of the Body,” “For an End to Violence at the Hands of the State,” and more. The introduction shouldn’t be skipped over either. He speaks of the power prayer has to shape “concrete action,” and it’s worth reading again and again.

Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community

I was first introduced to Pádraig Ó Tuama on a podcast where he read some of his poetry and shared pieces of his story as a queer Christian. He mentioned his work with the Corrymeela Community, a peace and reconciliation community in Ireland where people come from all over to “learn how to live well together.” Corrymeela, which literally means “lumpy crossing place,” believes difficult conversations are inevitable. They practice art and storytelling, shared meals and hospitality, and prayer and dialogue to foster more meaningful discussions on the hardest subjects life offers. (Can you tell I’d really love to visit?)

This prayer book follows the life of Jesus through 31 prayers, as well as morning and evening prayers and a small assortment of “Prayers for times of division.”

Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Jesus and Justice

Perhaps one of the newest prayer books on this list, is Rally edited and complied by Britney Winn Lee! This book has 53 call-and-response prayers designed to be used in a communal setting. Prayers include “Where Others Have Not Understood: A Litany of Resilience Among the Abuse of Power and Privilege” by Iyabo Onipede, “Gospel Reconstruction: A Lament for Slaveholder Religion and the Ongoing Racism That Infects Us” by Johnathan Wilson-Hartgrove, “Not Abandoned: A Litany of Friendship and Investment in Overlooked Neighborhoods and Schools” by Brendan Blowers De León, and many, many, more.

Although not exhaustive, the variety of prayers and authors included in this book is a beautiful thing. I easily recognized many names but I was delighted to “meet” new voices, too.

Prayers for a Privileged People

Walter Brueggemann is often quoted in the circles I’m in, but this was the first book of his I’ve actually picked up! I thoroughly enjoyed reading these prayers, which are both prophetic and artistic. From this selection of prayers you may be interested in, “The Noise of Politics,” “Exposed to Mercy, Truth, and Newness,” “You” Beyond Our “Weary Selves,” or “Post-Election Day.”

Liturgies from Below: Praying with People at the Ends of the World

This book is much larger than the others I’ve just listed, and for good reason. It’s full of songs, art, and prayers from Jamaica, the Philippines, South Africa, and Italy. It’s a book with valuable resources for personal prayer and communal worship, supported by the Council for World Mission. (I highly suggest exploring their website to learn about their broad range of work!) It includes topical prayers, liturgies for the eucharist and baptism, and prayers inspired by the liturgical calendar.

“They gathered for a common purpose: learning to pray with local communities in order to create liturgical resources for Christian communities around the world. This project is rooted in God’s demand for us to live a life of compassion, listening to those who are suffering and learning how to pray with them. We hope that, in the desire of God and the strength of our faith, we will respond to the challenges of our world.”

— Introduction, Liturgies from Below

As I opened the book and began reading these prayers, it was clear that many of the experiences of suffering which inspired these prayers are not my own. In fact, I noticed myself trying to avoid acknowledging them. Similar to Kuramitsu’s collection of prayers, there is a level of discomfort I feel as I read, as if I’m eavesdropping or late. I think this is an invitation to expand upon my understanding of the body of Christ and my role in that body.

Do you use prayer books?

Have you used a prayer book before? Have you read any of these particular books? Here are a few more you might be interested in.