Praying about

HIV and
AIDS
Prayer for God’s Presence
A lmighty God, our Father, we ask you to comfort and heal us
as we are affected by HIV and AIDS. Grant us compassion, so in our caring
response we may dispel fear and ignorance and build hope and purpose in
our lives. Protect us all, give courage to those in pain, comfort the dying, and
hasten the discovery of a cure. We ask this, loving God, because we know
you listen to us. Amen.

For Those Who Care for People Living

with HIV and AIDS
O God, whose n ame is love, strengthen and encourage with your
grace those who treat, help, care for, or counsel people with HIV and AIDS
and their loved ones. Give us all hope, that we may not be overcome by
despair. Help us to learn even in the midst of suffering. Amen.

PA G E 1 O F 6
 For Those Living with HIV
and AIDS
O compa ssion ate God, you have promised to be with us in times of
distress, fear and pain. Be with those who live with HIV and AIDS today and
hold them in the palm of your hand. Amen.

For Children Affected by AIDS

To play, to learn, to have food and health.
To be loved, secure and safe.
These are the rights of every child,
rights robbed by a virus and
robbed twice over in countries crippled by debt
and paralyzed by trade rules designed to benefit the rich and powerful.
Loving God, vanquish our complacency
at our injustice to these your children.

“Loving God, Remove all traces of empty, conscience-salving charity.

Make us, instead, committed to sharing our resources —

vanquish our your resources — with those who need them most;
to seeking in justice to remove the debt burdens of the poorest,

complacency
to working tirelessly
so that all your children might know again
the joys of playing, learning, living,
at our injustice loving and being loved.
Amen.
to these your The above prayers from the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
children”

PA G E 2 O F 6
 God o f a ll compassion, comfort your sons and daughters who live
with HIV. Spread over us all your quilt of mercy, love and peace.
Open our eyes to your presence reflected in their faces. Open our ears to
your truth echoing in their hearts.
Give us the strength to weep with the grieving, to walk with the lonely, to
stand with the depressed.
May our love mirror your love for those who live in fear, who live under
stress and who suffer rejection.
God grant rest to those who have died and hope to all who live with HIV.
God of life, help us to find the cure now and help us to build a world in
which no one dies alone and where everyone lives accepted, wanted and
loved.

— Maryknoll Sisters

Prayer of Hope
God o f hope,
We give thanks for signs of hope.

“Open our eyes, For growing understanding

For medical advances

Lord, to all that For changing attitudes and behavior

For greater awareness and concern in your Church.

brings sickness God of unity,

Bind us together with strong ties of love
That this church community may be a place where
and pain to our All can find acceptance.
May it be a place of welcome for all affected by HIV and AIDS.
brothers and May it be a place where care is given and received, especially
for affected children and youth,
sisters around Where stories are told and heard,
Where fear is overcome by love,
the world.” Where you are to be found.
Amen.
— The Diakonia Council of Churches, South Africa

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 Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for those national leaders and
governments who have given publicity to the crisis of HIV and AIDS and
who are committed to halting its spread. Give your wisdom to all who are
in positions of leadership, that they may work effectively for the well-being
of the people they serve. We ask this for the sake of Him who came to bring
good news to the poor, your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Open our eyes, Lord, to all that brings sickness and pain to our brothers and
sisters around the world. Give us the will to protest inequalities that make
women and young girls vulnerable to infection; to oppose violence and war
that put lives at risk; and to combat ignorance and poverty which lead to
the spread of disease — that future generations may be free to have the new
life that your Son came to bring, and have it abundantly, in whose name we
pray. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, you showed on earth your love for children. Guide by
your Spirit all those who are entrusted with teaching children and young
people about the spread of HIV and AIDS and how to prevent it. Help
teachers and health workers to present the facts clearly and lovingly, and
to enable children to pass on that message to others. And give to all young
people the courage to live as an example to others, whatever the cost to
“Guide by themselves. We ask this for your name’s sake. Amen.

your Spirit Lord Jesus Christ, you ate and drank with the powerful and the poor; you
called the sick to your side and sinners into your company. In the manner
all those who of your ministry, let us be of service today, neither fearing the strong nor
favoring the rich. Strengthen us with ample power to meet whatever comes

are entrusted with fortitude, patience and joy, and in all things to give you thanks and
praise. Amen.

with teaching — Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

children and
L oving a nd c a ring God, thank you, for you call us to love and
young people serve your people. You call those who care for victims of HIV and AIDS
to be healing hands in your hurting world. You send them to compassion,
about the to suffer with those who suffer. Day and night they labor to comfort your
people.
spread of HIV Yet many times they are depressed by the amount of suffering seen. And
and AIDS and many times they are totally exhausted by the amount of work that must be
done. They often neglect their own health and families in the HIV and AIDS
how to struggle. O Lord, renew their strength. Amen.

prevent it.”
— Church World Service

PA G E 4 O F 6
 A Prayer for Holistic Healing
Hea l us from the bodily pa ins of HIV and AIDS that deplete our
immunity and leave us open to opportunistic infections. Heal us Lord, have
mercy on us.

Heal us from our broken hearts and grief that continues to pain our spirits
and minds and leaves us empty about the meaning of life. Heal us Lord, have
mercy on us.

Heal us from the psychological pains of HIV and AIDS that engulf us in fear
and hopelessness and lead us to die before the virus kills. Heal us Lord, have
mercy on us.

Heal us from the social stigma and discrimination that lead us to

uncompassionate acts of isolation and failure to provide quality care and
prevention. Heal us Lord, have mercy on us.

Heal us from unhealthy gender relations that expose partners and spouses
to HIV infection and leave women powerless to protect themselves. Heal us
“Heal us from Lord, have mercy on us.

poverty that Heal us from poverty that exposes millions to HIV and AIDS. Heal us from
exploitative social structures that condemn many to poverty and expose

exposes millions them to infection. Heal us Lord, have mercy on us.

to HIV and Heal us from violence that spreads HIV and AIDS. Heal us from ethnic and
civil wars. Heal us from domestic violence and the rape of children. Heal us

AIDS.” Lord, have mercy on us. Amen.

— Church World Service

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 About World Vision
W orld V ision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated
to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide
to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and
injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, World Vision serves
alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s
unconditional love for all people.

We envision a world where each child experiences “fullness of life”

as described in John 10:10. We know this can be achieved only by
addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way.
World Vision is unique in bringing 60 years of experience in three key
areas to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term
development, and advocacy. We bring our skills across many areas of
expertise to each community where we work, enabling us to support
children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

About World Vision Resources

E nding glob al poverty and injustice begins with education:
understanding the magnitude and causes of poverty, its impact on
human dignity, and our connection to those in need around the world.

World Vision Resources is the publishing ministry of World Vision.

World Vision Resources educates Christians about global poverty,
inspires them to respond, and equips them with innovative resources
to make a difference in the world.

For more information about our

resources, contact:
World Vision Resources
Mail Stop 321
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716
Fax: 253-815-3340
wvresources@worldvision.org

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