People all over the world are praying for the people of Haiti, for those involved in relief efforts, and for the leaders of all the governments who are working with the government of Haiti.
Here are a variety of ways you can join in the global prayers for Haiti:
His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, offers this way to pray: "We request you to spend 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 20 minutes and as much as you can every day or weekly from January 15 to February 15, 2010 to think about the People of Haiti and pray for their well beings and for fast recovery and healing from this massive earthquake effect. . . ."For more information, go to http://apps.facebook.com/causes/432264/15339707?m=9e4cc0c7&ref=mf
Prayers for Haiti can be left on the virtual prayer wall at http://bit.ly/6LI6ri. The prayers that have been posted to date here are being forwarded to Haiti by a team from The United Methodist Church.
There are inspirational music links at a site Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) recommends: World Help for Haiti. This site is a global movement for performing musicians to help Haiti. Go to: http://www.worldhelpforhaiti.org
The Roman Catholic Daughters of St. Paul are offering a free book of prayers titled, A World on Its Knees: Praying for and With Our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti. Prayers in the book include "Calm the Shaking of the Earth," "Solidarity of the Human Family," "A Prayer of a Rescue Worker," and "God, What's Going On?" The Sisters hope to "get this into the hands of millions of people around the world who can't go to Haiti in person but can pray." Go to: http://www.pauline.org/FreeEbookofPrayersforHaiti/tabid/375/Default.aspx
Another way to pray is to light a virtual candle at http://www.gratefulness.org This lovely website has been a place of global prayer for several years!
And, finally, here is a prayer that has been offered for all people from Rabbi Naomi Levy, the author of To Begin Again and Talking to God (a pdf of this prayer is available for download at: http://www.jewishjournal.com/haiti/article/a_prayer_for_haiti_shabbat_download_20100121):
A Prayer for the People of Haiti
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
We pray for Haiti.
Our hearts are breaking, God.
The human mind cannot grasp the enormity of the loss.
The cries echo through the universe.
Innocent blood is calling us
To rise up from our heartbreak and act.
We pray for Haiti.
Help us, God,
To understand that destruction can come in a moment
But healing may take a lifetime.
Teach us perseverance, teach us dedication.
We pray for Haiti.
God of the weak, God of the broken-hearted,
God of the living, God of the dead,
Send healing to Haiti.
Send hope to the children who are lost and alone,
Send strength and resilience to the wounded,
And comfort to the grieving.
Fill the leaders of Haiti with the wisdom to raise their country up.
Fill relief workers with resolve.
Bless the doctors and nurses with the power
And the skill to save as many lives as possible.
Open their eyes, steady their hands.
We pray for Haiti.
Bless us, God,
Work through us.
Remind us that every one of us is filled with the power to heal.
Do not let the passage of time lead us to indifference.
Open our hearts, open our hands.
We pray for Haiti.
Let all nations unite as one in a time of reconstruction and repair.
Raise up the people of Haiti, God, out of helplessness and despair.
Teach them to believe
That cities shall be rebuilt on their ruins
That the cries of the children will soon return to laughter.
Be with them, God, watch over them.
And gather the souls of the dead
Whose homes and schools became their graves
Into Your eternal shelter,
Let them find peace in Your presence, God.
We pray for Haiti.
Amen.