Our Prayer for Peace this week focuses on children/orphans of the wars which are raging at the moment.  It is a prayer which I used a couple of years ago for a Prayer for Ukraine and I have changed “of Ukraine” to “of war”.

Light a candle, as a visible sign of the light of Christ, who is the light of the world. Take a deep breath. Feel the breath of God that has given you life.
Centre yourself and pray…

This week, let us pray for:

• Sustained nourishment as any food is hard to find
• Continued favour for orphans and at-risk children to receive resources
• Safety and provision for orphans and vulnerable children evacuating
• Precious children to feel a sense of security only the Lord can provide

 Let us pray.

Father, you provide in all seasons of our lives. In times of harvest and in times of hardship. Your character does not change. We thank you and praise you for the favour you have shown precious orphans (of war) in receiving vital resources for their survival. Continue to pour out your provision with food that will sustain their little bodies and minds. Bring security and remembrance to their spirits as your beloved children receive specific food they ask or think of knowing you are listening. Lord, you use us to mobilize your provision. Let us carry that burden with the responsibility orphans deserve. Amen.

(From a Family for every Orphan)

Prayer for Peace 20/10/2024

Peace is…

Peace is the resulting action on an agreement to end a war.

Peace is the mutual laying down of weapons.

Peace is the worldwide cessation of armament production.

Peace is the reconciliation between adversaries.

Peace is the change of hearts and minds of people who wage war.

Peace is the smile of the refugee housed following exile from home.

Peace is the satisfaction in the face of a hungry child just fed.

Peace is the return to boyhood of a child soldier.

Peace is the respect for women and their equal rights as human beings.

Peace is the just, merciful and compassionate use of power by the powerful.

Peace is the empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalised people.

Peace is the healing arrived at through truth and reconciliation commissions.

Peace is the mutual respect of people of all faiths and none.

Help us, Lord, to continue to strive for peace in all of its forms.

Amen.

Prayer: Trevor Stockton/CAFOD

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be

With God as our father
Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow

To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be

With God as our father
Brothers are all we
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow

To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me

 
Gracious Lord, we dream of a world free of poverty and oppression, and we yearn for a world free of vengeance and violence.  We pray for your peace.
 
When our hearts ache for the victims of war and oppression, help us to remember that you healed people simply by touching them.  And give us faith in our ability to comfort and heal bodies and minds and spirits that have been broken by violence.
 
When the injustice of this world seems too much for us to handle, help us to remember that you fed 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish.  And give us hope that what we have to offer will turn out to be enough, too.
 
When fear of the power and opinions of others tempts us not to speak up for the least among us, help us to remember that you dared to turn over the tables of moneychangers.  And give us the courage to risk following you without counting the cost.
 
When we feel ourselves fill with anger at those who are violent and oppressive, help us remember that you prayed for those who killed you.  And give us compassion for our enemies, too.
 
When we tell ourselves that we have given all we can to bring peace to this world, help us to remember your sacrifice.  And give us the miracle of losing a little more of ourselves in serving you and our neighbours.
 
Walk with us, Lord, as we answer your call to be peacemakers.  Increase our compassion, our generosity and our hospitality for the least of your children.
 
Give us the courage, the patience, the serenity, the self-honesty and the gentleness of spirit that are needed in a world filled with turmoil and terror.

Jack Knox, pastor of the Salem (Oregon) Mennonite Church

• Day 1 29 September

Pray for the families who have lost loved ones

Prayer Starter: Loving God, we lift up those who mourn the sudden loss of family members and friends. May they feel Your comforting embrace in their grief.

• Day 2 30 September

Pray for the injured and the medical staff tending to them

Prayer Starter: Gracious Healer, be with those in pain and those caring for them. May Your strength and love flow through the hands of doctors and nurses.

• Day 3 1 October

Pray for displaced families seeking refuge and safety

Prayer Starter: Shelter of the Vulnerable, protect those who have been forced from their homes. Provide them with refuge and peace.

• Day 4 2 October

Pray for the leaders of Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and the international community

Prayer Starter: God of Wisdom, guide those in power to work towards peace and justice. Give them the courage and conviction to choose non-violence.

• Day 5 3 October

Pray for children and young people affected by the violence

Prayer Starter: God of the Innocent, protect the hearts, minds and lives of precious children and young people. Bring them safety in the midst of chaos.

• Day 6 4 October

Pray for peace and reconciliation in Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine

Prayer Starter: Prince of Peace, soften hearts hardened by conflict. May Your peace reign over the land and bring reconciliation between all communities.

• Day 7 5 October

Pray for other nations and regions affected by this violence

Prayer Starter: Compassionate Lord, as we lift up Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine, we also remember other regions affected by violence. Bring reconciliation and understanding. May violence cease and peace prevail.

We are moulded, each one of us,
in the image of God,
and within our souls there is a fingerprint
none can erase.
We pray for those who have no regard
for anyone but self,
who put no value on human life.
For nations and individuals who abuse and kill.
We are not called to be judge or jury,
but we are called to be agents of change,
and if the butterfly that flaps its wings
should be our attitude to others
then so be it, Lord,
and may the hurricane this generates
somewhere within the world
reach into the hearts and souls of those
for whom we pray, and reveal to them
how precious are those
for whom they have no love,
and how precious are they
who now bring tears to the eyes of God.

– John Birch

Lord God,
No one is a stranger to you
And no one is ever far from your loving care.
In your kindness, watch over refugees and victims of war,
Those separated from their loved ones, 
Young people who are lost,
And those who have left home or who have run away from home.
Bring them back safely to the place where they long to be,
And help us always to show your kindness
to strangers and to all in need. Amen.

How do we pray for peace from half a world away?

How can words salve and sooth real wounds,

Assuage real tears, Wipe tears from real eyes?

God of endless compassion, transform our prayers

From words into bridges, that span the distances

Between us, uniting our hearts in yours.

Every time we turn our keys in a lock,

May we remember all who are losing their homes.

Every time we step into our cars,

May we remember all who are having to flee.

Every time we embrace our children,

May we remember those who are trying to shield theirs from war.

May our besieged sisters and brothers

Be drawn into the arms of our suffering Christ,

And may our cry be heard as one voice,

Ringing out from every corner of the earth:

God of endless mercy, grant us peace.

Amen.

Cameron Bellm (Jesuits)

A Christian Prayer for Peace in Our Time

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:

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.

Grant this through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord.
Peter J. Scagnelli

Today’s Prayer for Peace is in the form of a poem from Parvez Noori who is 16.

We want a life of dignity

“War has affected our existence, our life, our culture. The war took away my childhood. I wish the war would end and more children could enjoy childhood and family life.”

In my life there is not much happiness due to fear
Oh God, there is so much pain, very little to cheer
My home is set alight and burning like the autumn leaves
The poplar trees burnt, the red flowers burnt, it’s only grief.

Oh God, there is so much pain, very little to cheer
The outcome of war is tragic, sad and full of dreadful probabilities
Many have lost their lives, many wounded and many left with disabilities
Oh God, there is so much pain, very little to cheer.