Here’s a prayer of intercession and commitment which
focuses on peace. It comes from the Children’s Defense Fund website.
Prayer
for Peace
My brothers and sisters,
through this common prayer,
let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ,
not only for ourselves and our own needs,
but for all people, young and old, near and far.
For the holy Church of God,
that we follow in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace
and serve with compassion
the last, the least, the lost, and the littlest
ones, let us pray,
Lord,
make us instruments of your peace.
For all the peoples of the world,
especially those wounded by war
and those who bear the brunt of poverty,
that we heed the prophets’ call
to beat swords into plowshares
and work to transform our world from one
of weapons and want to one of peace and plenty, let
us pray,
Lord,
make us instruments of your peace.
For our nation and our leaders,
that we seek to unite and not divide,
to place a priority on the poor and not the
powerful,
grant us wisdom, compassion,
and commitment to justice and peace, let us pray,
Lord,
make us instruments of your peace.
For all our brothers and sisters in need,
especially the children and families suffering from
gun violence
and the violence of poverty, let us pray,
Lord,
make us instruments of your peace.
For ourselves and our community,
that we join with people of all faiths across our
nation
to make our nation and world safe for children, let
us pray,
Lord,
make us instruments of your peace.
God of love,
who shelters us like a mother hen and welcomes us
like a father,
hear the prayers of your Church,
and grant us today what we ask of you in faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ from Christian Worship Resources for the Children’s Sabbath, on the Children’s Defense Fund website. http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/2013-sabbath-manual/documents/sabbath-2013_christian.pdf
