God of peace,
we pray for those who have served our nation
and who laid down their lives
to protect and defend our freedom.
We pray for those who have fought,
whose spirits and bodies are scarred by war,
whose nights are haunted by memories
too painful for the light of day.
We pray for those who serve us now,
especially for those in harm's way.
Shield them from danger
and bring them home.
Turn the hearts and minds
of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace.
Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!
Let the peace you left us,
the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains,
the peace that saves us.
Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
-ConcordPastor
Dear God, please bring our young men and women home. Please stop all of this hatred and fighting in the Middle East and around the world. There is a better way. You know the way. Show us the way. Amen.
ReplyDeleteThis prayer is beautiful and deeply moving. I plan to use it to introduce a minute of silent remembrance before our church's regular Contemplative Prayer service this Wednesday. Thank you. I look forward to reading more on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you found my prayer post to be helpful for your own spirituality, Mary, and I'm grateful that you'll be sharing it with others.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I hope you'll become a regular reader!