Gracious God, you love and care for all of your children,

Especially the smallest and most vulnerable.

We entrust to you the lives of children and adults at risk who have been sexually abused, neglected or exploited

and whose trust and innocence have been destroyed.

Help us to hear their cries of pain

and to take responsibility for those whose lives have been broken.

Help us to recognise the hurt felt by those wounded by abuse,

and the failure to be heard. 

We pray that with the help of your grace

communities and families will find understanding and support,

so that now and in the future their wounds may be healed

and they may find lasting peace. 

Let your grace and love fall gently now upon our children and adults at risk,

giving hem the inner strength, peace an resilience

to seek out assistance when required. 

We ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.  Amen.

Source: Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney

We pray for the day when all children may know safety, freedom and protection from violence and abuse, safe from any harm, where they can flourish to be all that they can be.

We thank you for the dedication and the gifts of all who work in child care, child safety and in child protection. Guide and direct them all in their efforts.

We ask you to strengthen our Church to be a place of safety, free of abuse, to be communities where all people can flourish in your love, trusting you as their Heavenly Father

Source: Carolyn Kiss, LCA Tuggeranong

For all those who work in child safety and protection

Christ Jesus,

You welcomed children and brought healing and hope to their lives.

We pray that as your Church, we will create places of welcome, care and safety for all children, reflecting your love and compassion.

God of love and comfort,

We pray for children who have been neglected or abused.

We pray that people will come into their lives who love and nurture them in healing and life-giving ways.

We pray for child safety workers and all those working in child protection.  We thank you for their dedication and the gifts they bring to their vocation to protect and improve the lives of children.

We pray that you will sustain their vision, and uphold them in love and grace.

Christ Jesus, as your church, you call us to be a faithful embodiment of your care and love.

We lament when we have failed to be communities of safety and care.

Challenge and correct us in our failure, and reform our life.

We commit ourselves as your Church to being places of safety, free of abuse and exploitation.

We commit ourselves as your Church to be communities, where people can flourish in ways of trust and love.

We pray that your Spirit will empower us to be advocates for a society in which all children can flourish.

Through Christ, Our Light and Life, we pray, Amen.

Source: Deidre Palmer, Uniting Church in Australia, 2017