A Call To Prayer Against Hunger in Gaza

August 2025

Give Us Our Daily Bread

The Lord’s Prayer, prayed by millions daily, is not merely a devotional formula but a theological manifesto. When we say, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), we invoke more than just a divine provision, we invoke a vision of economic justice, human dignity, and communal solidarity. This petition “Give us today our daily bread” is one of the most urgent and contextually relevant prayer of the Christian faith. In this simple request, the people of God express dependence on God, a longing for justice, and a commitment to communal well-being. As the World Fellowship of Methodist & Uniting Church Men or WesleyMen of the World Methodist Council commits to combating world hunger over the next five years, this line from the Lord’s Prayer offers a theological foundation and a missional mandate.

As Wesleyans, we understand that the mission of the Church is not just about saving souls, but about participating in God’s holistic, redeeming work in all of creation, establishing justice and righteousness. This involves healing the broken, feeding the hungry, and proclaiming the reign of God through both word and deed. As such, the Church cannot pray “Give us today our daily bread” without becoming an instrument through which that prayer is answered; especially for the marginalized, the displaced and the poor. The Church is invited to view this petition as a call to prayerful action, solidarity, systemic transformation and a commitment to social holiness.

In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where blocked aid, military siege, and political inaction have left hundreds of thousands, especially children, on the brink of starvation, the WesleyMen calls the worldwide Methodist community to a deeper and more embodied form of prayer. The WesleyMen urges every Christian, every community and every men’s organization to pause every time you pray “Give us today our daily bread” and remember Gaza; her starving children, her grieving mothers, her shattered infrastructure, and the silenced cries.

Why Gaza? Why Now?

The situation in Gaza is not merely a political crisis, it is a spiritual scandal. When bread is withheld and humanitarian aid is weaponized, the Church must not be silent!

John Wesley’s own witness compels us to action. His theology of practical divinity, of mercy and justice walking hand in hand, demands that we not only feed the hungry where we can, but also challenge the structures and powers that allow such suffering to persist.

As WesleyMen, we proclaim: starvation is not a punishment—it is an injustice. Children should not be pawns in war—they are bearers of God’s image. Bread must never be denied—it is a sign of God’s kingdom.

In this invitation to prayer the following words form the petition “Give us today our daily bread” is emphasized:

The plural us/our

The use of the plural pronoun “us” and “our” in the Lord’s Prayer is not accidental. It reflects the communal nature of the Christian faith. There is no “I” in this prayer. There is no individualized faith that seeks private security apart from the collective. This is a collective cry echoing the Wesleyan belief that grace is social in its nature and purpose. John Wesley declared, “The gospel of Jesus Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness.” In this light, the Wesleyan mission understands the relational dimension of salvation as not simply reconciling individuals to God, but reconciling communities to each other, and to creation. This phrase resists the privatization of resources, and the individualization of faith, calling instead for solidarity with the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized. It also reminds us that the children in Gaza are God’s children.

The word “today” and “daily”

The words “today” and “daily” underscore the urgency of the need. Bread is not a luxury for tomorrow it is a necessity for survival today. This aligns with our understanding that theology must speak into the concrete historical moment, not only offering hope for the eschaton but calling for justice in the now. To combat world hunger is to hear the cry of the hungry today; not when it’s convenient, not when it’s politically expedient. The urgency of “today” means we must not spiritualize hunger but confront the systems of exclusion, war and blockage of aid that cause it. Our dependence on God for daily bread implies that bread is God’s gift for all, not a commodity for the privileged. When bread becomes hoarded, misdirected or weaponized, we violate the prayer.

In praying against hunger and starvation we affirm that bread is a right, not a privilege; hunger is a scandal, not an inevitability; faith without justice is dead. In the Wesleyan spirit, let us offer Our prayers—for bread for all, today;

Our lives—as channels of grace and justice;

Our mission—as partners in God’s redeeming work.

Let us be the ones through whom God answers the world’s prayer: “Give us today our daily bread.”

Prayer

Triune God; Creator, Provider, Liberator, Sustainer; You are the Source of all life, the Maker of every land, people, and child. From the dust of the earth, You shaped humanity, and by Your breath, we live. You formed a world of abundance, yet systems of greed have divided it. We come before You not as possessors, but as stewards, called to live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You.

God our Creator, forgive us—for being aware of injustice, yet unmoved by it. Forgive us for choosing silence when You call us to speak, for our comfort in the face of others’ sufferings. Lead us to bear fruit as Christ’s body in the world.

We pray that You would grant a profound and lasting change of heart to all those in positions of power and authority who are responsible for the systems and conflicts that perpetuate hunger. Move them from apathy to empathy, from greed to generosity, and from self-interest to a deep and abiding concern for the well-being of all peoples. We pray they would see the face of Your Son Jesus Christ in the face of every hungry person, and be compelled to act with justice and mercy.

In every place, hunger cries out. But Your Spirit hovers over all creation—birthing hope where there is despair.  Move us to the frontlines of Your mission: to be disciples who bear witness through compassion, solidarity, and righteous action. We pray specifically that You would empower the worldwide Methodist community to rise to this challenge. Strengthen us to feed those who hunger, not only by providing physical food, clean water, and shelter, but also by nourishing them with the daily bread of Your Word, love, and grace. May we be a visible and tangible expression of Your compassion, sharing the Gospel through both our words and our deeds.

Jesus Christ our Liberator, You fed the multitude, sat at table with the poor, and broke bread with outcasts. You are the Bread of Life—broken for the world. We remember Your command: “You give them something to eat.” Let it echo in our hearts, compelling us to share, to serve, to stand with the hungry.

We cry out today: Give us today our daily bread. But not for ourselves alone. We bring before You the children of Gaza—weak with hunger, silenced by war, starved not only of food, but of peace, protection, and justice. Give them today their daily bread, O God. Let Your mercy be real—through open borders, through aid delivered, through violence ended.

Holy Spirit, move among us with fire and power. Shake us free from indifference. Empower us to feed not only bodies, but also spirits—with the bread of Your Word, the wine of Your love, the strength of Your grace. Let our compassion become confrontation—not just charity, but justice; not just relief, but liberation.

Make us Your witnesses—Your prophets in a world that turns its face from suffering. In a time when data can measure hunger, but not hope—remind us that Your love cannot be measured, and neither can the miracles You work through those who live in the compassion of Jesus Christ.

Let this be a moment when the Church rises: to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to share bread with the hungry, and to declare that a better world is possible because You are God— Love, Savior, and Comforter ever with the oppressed, ever working for freedom, ever calling us to follow. Amen.

Signed:

Rev. Edgar De Jesus, World President
Very Rev. Dr. William Allotey-Pappoe, Secretary
Mr. Andy Morris, Treasurer
Rev. Sikawu Makubalo, WesleyMen Africa
Mr. Edward Kwame Ofori, WesleyMen Africa
Mr. Barnabas Emmanuel, WesleyMen Asia
Rev. Denny Nainggolan, WesleyMen Asia
Mr. Anthony Seale, WesleyMen Caribbean & Americas
Mr. David Friswell, WesleyMen Europe
Rev. Fotu Yavala Salusalu, WesleyMen Pacific
Bishop César Llanco Zavaleta, WesleyMen South America
Rev. Steve Hickle, Adviser & Past World President
Rev. Dr. Léo Neto, WesleyMen Ex-Officio Board Member & General Secretary of the World Methodist Council