Urgent Prayer for Peace

Justice and Peace Scotland write: Join Us in an Urgent Prayer for Peace

In these past days and weeks, the world has witnessed the terrifying escalation of warfare and its devastating consequences in too many places.

Rising tensions between Israel and Iran threaten to ignite further regional conflict. In the past 72 hours civilian deaths have been confirmed in both countries following ongoing missile strikes, including among the children and the elderly.

The suffering in Gaza worsens daily, with lives lost both to violence and to the disastrous humanitarian situation in the region. 94% of all hospitals are damaged or destroyed according to the WHO.

In Ukraine, intensified fighting continues to devastate cities and communities. A recent Russian drone attack struck a maternity hospital in Odessa. UNICEF reports that over 2500 children have been killed or injured since the war began.

In Sudan, where famine has now been confirmed in some regions, the suffering of millions, especially children, is unimaginable. The more than two-year-old civil war there has spread hunger and disease and destroyed most health facilities.

Across all these conflicts, we see again and again the brutal consequences of war: violence against civilians, grave war crimes, widespread hunger and displacement, and the disregard for human dignity through loss of lives on all sides.

It is clearer than ever: warfare is not a solution. The only path to a just and lasting peace is through diplomacy, dialogue, and an end to hostilities.

We offer an urgent prayer for peace, asking Jesus to give us all, but most especially those who wield the power and make the decisions, the courage and the heart of a peacemaker:

Lord Jesus Christ,
You are our peace.
You calmed the storm, healed the wounded, and taught us to love our enemies.
We come to You now, heartbroken by the violence tearing our world apart.

Jesus, Son of God,
Turn the hearts of those who wage war to the path of dialogue and respect for human life. Help them to realise that war is a victory for no one.
Convert the minds of leaders to seek the good of all, not the power of the few.
Strengthen those who work for peace, often in silence and in dangerous situations.

Lord of Life,
Comfort the wounded, console the mourning, shelter the displaced, feed the hungry, strengthen the weary.
Give courage to all who dare to hope that another way is possible and who strive to make it a reality.

Teach us to live as the peacemakers you called us to be:
To resist indifference, to speak truth with love, to seek justice for all,
to defend human dignity,
And to build a world where every life is protected and every nation chooses the way of peace.

We ask this in Your holy name,

Amen.