“The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he [God] utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
-Psalm 46:6-7
Let us pray,
O God, author and giver of peace,
in whose image and likeness each of us has been created with a human dignity
worthy of respect on earth and destined for eternal glory,
Listen to the cry that rises from every corner of this fragile earth,
from our human family torn by violent conflict, war, and natural disaster
(Please take a moment to pray over each prompt):
Let us pray for our global community…
Let us pray for the Afghan people…
Let us pray for the Haitian people…
Let us pray for those living in the midst of violence…
Let us pray for the brokenness of our lives and world…
Let us pray for the efforts of peace…
Let us pray for the call within ourselves by the One who
creates in us wellsprings of hope…
Give peace in our time, O good and gracious God,
that peace which, as your son Jesus Christ told us
and as we have experienced in these days,
is a peace which the world cannot give.
To world leaders grant the wisdom
to see beyond the boundaries of race, religion,
and nation to that common humanity that makes us
all your children and brothers and sisters to one another.
To those who have taken up arms in anger or
revenge or even in the cause of justice
grant the grace of conversion to the path of
peaceful dialogue and constructive collaboration.
To the innocent who live in the shadow of war and terror,
especially the frightened children,
be a shelter and strength, their haven and hope.
And to those who have already lost their lives
as victims of human cruelty and chemical warfare,
open wide your arms and enfold them all
in the embrace of your compassion, healing, and everlasting life.
May the waters that covered us at our birth once again
remind us of our creation in you. Remind us that we are vessels
of the waters of hope and that your outpourings have
power to heal and make whole our bruised world.
Let the living waters of creation, womb, baptism, and
Spirit encircle us that we may remember we are yours and be thankful.
We are a people who journey as vessels containing
wellsprings of hope; sharing, replacing, and adding
new waters of proclamation, power, prophecy, and prayer
to the containers of our life and faith.
Remove from our minds hatred, prejudice, and
contempt for those who are not of our own race or color,
class or creed, that, departing from everything that
estranges and divides, we may by you be brought into
unity of spirit, in the bond of peace.
Grant this through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord.
Amen.
Adapted from:
**Prayer: UMPH Methodist Publication. The United Methodist Book of Worship . The United Methodist Publishing House. Kindle Edition.
Xavier University Prayers in times of War and Conflict