The following prayer was delivered by Rev. David Farley, Cal-Pac Director of Justice and Compassion Ministries, The United Methodist Church at a gathering of advocates for unaccompanied migrant children at Port Hueneme, Ventura, CA on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.

O God of all Creation and all creatures great and small, God of all peoples and each child born everywhere, open our hearts we pray to the children in this place and to all the precious children who have been displaced from their homes by poverty, violence, economic injustice and exploitation and forced to flee for their lives to this land. May we like Rachel cry out for them. May we like Hagar seek springs in the desert for them. May we like Miriam protect them from the powerful who would do them harm. May we like Mary celebrate them as gifts of God to us all. May we like Jesus proclaim to the hard hearted of this land “ Let the children come. Do not hinder them. For to such as these belongs the realm of the God of justice and compassion and peace and when we exclude them we exclude ourselves from that realm.”

O God we pray for those in this place and beyond this place who are seeking to be instruments of your tender , loving care, your wings of protection and your spirit of justice on behalf of these vulnerable ones. Grant them wisdom, Grant them courage for their living of these days. And, Lord, touch the hearts and consciences of the decision makers of this land so that they might rise above the prejudices , vanities and petty ambitions that would cause them to treat these precious children as pawns in the game of politics. Move our leaders, O God, to do what is right , what is good , what is humane and to refuse to cast these children back callously to the lands of their suffering.

Hear our prayer O Lord, incline your ear to us and grant all peoples and each child everywhere your peace. This we pray in the name of all that is Holy and Sacred. Amen.