Prayer Prompts in this book that call forth from me these days the most earnest prayers are the ones for world leaders. Every day the challenges of the complexities of multiple major crises leave me breathless. So a prayer “for those who are dealing with the crises of this day” that asks: “May they find wisdom and courage and strength adequate for meeting the challenges. May they serve the common good and move the world in the direction in which you are calling us. I pray for…” can bring face after face to mind and heart. I share with God my caring for them in response to the prompt: “I pray for the leaders of the nations of the world, that they may live with integrity, choose what serves the common good, seek peace, and protect the earth’s resources. I pray for…”. While I enjoy the comforts of retirement living in the beauty of the North Carolina mountains, these prayers engage me in responding to the pain of the world with highly motivated Islamist radical terrorists on a rampage, a Russian president threatening international peace by laying claim to his neighbor’s land, a deadly disease spreading rapidly, and climate change damaging our vulnerable environment at a shocking rate. God’s creation is suffering. I am part of that creation. One of the ways I can do my part is to pray for our leaders, that they may know and follow God’s will in what they do and that they may discover in themselves with God’s help the resources they need to do what needs to be done. My faith is that this praying makes a difference.