Prayers for Christian Peace Witness for Iraq:

Please select petitions to pray in Prayers of the People and for vigils and other worship.

Prayer for Christian Peace Witness for Iraq

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Help us respond in peace to all things, always.

We yearn for the Kingdom of God to come here on Earth with all people of all faiths; let us act to bring God’s love to each other, to witness for peace, and to act to influence all powers and governments to halt acts of war and violence.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Help us respond in peace to all things, always.

Jesus consistently surprised his friends and his enemies by responding in love to those who attacked him; let us respond as Christ to each other, and encourage through example and education the peaceful responses of others publicly and privately.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Help us respond in peace to all things, always.

The gospel makes clear a direct connection between the work of doing justice and being peacemakers; let us live into our heritage as Children of God and act as peacemakers, through advocacy, protest, and electoral action.  Help us do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Help us respond in peace to all things, always.

Pray for the partners in Christian Peace Witness for Iraq who enact their commitment to peace and to promoting peace through nonviolent demonstrations seeking the cessation of war and violence: support them in their efforts and join them in their action to bring the Kingdom of God to come here on Earth March 16,  2007 in Washington DC

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Help us respond in peace to all things, always.

In Jesus’ Name we pray.

Amen.
 

Peace Form: Prayers of the People

Let us pray:

Most Holy God who is Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,

Support our prayers for Peace, Strengthen our belief in Peace, and

Embolden us to create Peace.

Pray for peace

For the Universal Church in all its diversity, its varied members, and its mission to create peace through the world

Believe in peace

Envision people from every race and nation engaged in the work of peace creating the Kingdom of God on Earth.

Create peace

By taking action to work and witness for peace; by  working together with the planners and participants in the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq demonstration (March 16, 2007 in Washington DC)

Most Holy God who is Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,

Support our prayers for Peace, Strengthen our belief in Peace, and

Embolden us to create Peace.

Pray for peace

For our nation, and every nation, and all in authority in the world that they will seek resolution of conflict through negotiations and avoid waging war or initiating violence in any form.

Believe in peace

Envision international governments and leaders cooperating and negotiating peaceful resolutions to all conflicts: economic, political, social, religious, racial, and historic.

Create peace

By taking action publicly and privately to resolve conflicts large and small without violence and encourage others to seek peaceful resolution in all things.

Most Holy God who is Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,

Support our prayers for Peace, Strengthen our belief in Peace, and

Embolden us to create Peace.

Pray for peace

For the welfare of the world that all people may be free of oppression, violence, and war in any form from within their borders or outside them, from those of common belief or those of different traditions.

Believe in peace

Envision every religious, ethnic, and political group engaged in efforts to stop oppression of their own and their enemy’s people.

Create peace

By taking and promoting action to alleviate oppression, violence, and war throughout the world as it directly or indirectly touches your lives and families.

Most Holy God who is Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,

Support our prayers for Peace, Strengthen our belief in Peace, and

Embolden us to create Peace.

Pray for peace

For the local community that all our hearts may be freed from the violence inherent in human responses and that we will have courage to confront our own words and deeds that increase the potential for violence.

Believe in peace

Envision Christ showing love to those who persecuted him and his followers.  We see ourselves and our family and friends responding in loving ways, as Christ, to all our neighbors.

Create peace

By taking action to turn our own hearts and the hearts of others from violent responses, provoked or unprovoked

Most Holy God who is Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer

Support our prayers for Peace,

Strengthen our belief in Peace, and

Embolden us to create Peace.

Pray for peace

For all who suffer from acts of war and violence and those in any need or trouble.

Believe in peace

Envision a world free of war and violence in which needs are met and troubles addressed.

Create peace

By taking action to alleviate the suffering caused by acts of war and violence, and inviting others to act with us and to promote peace in all things.

Most Holy God who is Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,

Support our prayers for Peace, Strengthen our belief in Peace, and

Embolden us to create Peace.

Pray for peace

For all the departed, especially those have been victims of violence and war.

Believe in peace

Envision peaceful entrance into God’s eternal kingdom for all who have died in the love of God and those known to God alone.

Create peace

By taking action to alleviate the suffering of the families and communities of those lost to acts of war and violence.  Walk with them in solidarity against continuation of war and violence that separates them and us from those we love: all the children of God.

Most Holy God who is Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,

Support our prayers for Peace, Strengthen our belief in Peace, and

Embolden us to create Peace.

Almighty God, look with favor upon us as we affirm our commitment to promote peace throughout the world.  Give us courage, patience, and vision; and strengthen us all to be the body of Christ in the world and to create the Kingdom of God on Earth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Peace

Most merciful God, Jesus is your incarnate Word,

Your Word embodies peace in the world.

God you are Wisdom, and called us to be the body of Christ,

To embody your peace, help us

Pray for peace locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.

Make the peace on our lips and in our hearts evident in our lives.

God you are Love, give us strength to

Work together for peace, justice, and reconciliation at all levels and

Embrace nonviolent means of reconciliation and peace building.

God you are Justice, support us as we

Walk with those who are oppressed by violence and

Act in solidarity with all struggling for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation.

Holy Spirit sustain our efforts to create God’s Kingdom of peace on earth.

Amen.

Litany for Peace (from International Prayers for Peace)

We pray to God to eradicate all the violence in the world:

that understanding triumph over ignorance,

that generosity triumph over indifference,

that trust triumph over contempt, and

that truth triumph over falsehood. (from Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Almighty God, the all-seeing Lord up on high

who sees even the footprints of an antelope on a rock mass here on Earth.

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace. (from Native African Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Although the people living across the ocean

surrounding us are all our brothers and sisters,

why are there constant troubles in this world?

Why do winds and waves rise in the

ocean surrounding us? (from Shinto Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Come let us go up the mountain of the Lord,

that we may walk the paths of the Most High.

And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares,

and our spears into pruning hooks.

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation--

neither shall they learn war any more.

And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the

Lord of Hosts has spoken. (from Jewish Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

In the name of God, the beneficent, the merciful,

Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us

And made us into tribes and nations,

that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other.

Whether your enemy inclines towards peace, you incline towards peace,

and trust God, for the Lord is the one that hears and knows all things.

 (from Muslim Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS,

for they shall be known as the Children of God.

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also,

and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well.

And as you wish that others would do to you, so do to them.

(from Christian Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

God judges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear:

that truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living.

Know that we attain God when we love one another,

and only that victory endures  in which no one is defeated.

(from Sikh Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel

To all have amity, and to none enmity.

Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world.

Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage.

"Do not injure any living being."

This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life.

A weapon howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior one;

but no weapon can be superior to non-violence and love.

(from Jainist Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.

Be fair in judgement, and guarded in speech.

Be a lamp to those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger.

Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light for the feet of the erring.

Be a breath of life to the body of humankind,

a dew to the soil of the human heart,

and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

(from Bahai' Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Give us the wisdom to teach our children

to love, to respect, and to be kind to each

other so that they may grow with peace in mind.

Let us learn to share all good things that

you provide for us on this Earth.

(from Native American Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

May all human beings everywhere suffering in body, mind or spirit

quickly be freed from their illnesses.

May those frightened cease to be afraid,

and may those bound be free.

May the powerless find power,

and may people befriend one another. 

(from Buddhist Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.

Oh God, lead us from violence to peace.

Oh God, lead us from darkness to light.

Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.

Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace on earth.

May the waters be appeasing.

May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all.

May we be your hands to propagate peace all through the world.

May all things be a source of peace to us.

And may your peace itself, bestow peace on all.

(from Hindu Prayer for Peace)

Lord, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.

Lord, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Lord, strengthen us to create peace.