Prayers for Peace (started following ICE shooting of the second citizen in Minnesota)
A Prayer for Peace in Our Country. (week 1)
God of mercy and truth, we come before you as a divided people who long to be whole.
Our country is weary. Our hearts are heavy. Our streets, our borders, our homes, and our communities carry fear, anger, grief, and deep distrust.
We lift before you all who have been harmed by actions taken in the name of law, order, or security— those who have been separated from loved ones, those who have been injured, detained, or killed, and those whose names are known only to you. Hold them in your compassion, O God.
We pray for all who seek safety— for immigrants and refugees, for families living in uncertainty, for children who do not know if tomorrow will be stable or safe. Be their shelter and their hope.
We also pray for those who serve in difficult and dangerous roles— law enforcement, public servants, first responders, and all who work on our streets and in our communities. Protect their lives, guide their decisions, and shape their work toward justice, restraint, and peace.
Lord, we confess that we often speak past one another. We cling to positions instead of listening for pain. We choose fear instead of love, certainty instead of humility.
Soften our hearts, O God. Teach us to see one another first as human beings— created in your image, beloved by you.
Where there is violence, bring restraint. Where there is injustice, bring accountability. Where there is hatred, bring repentance. Where there is despair, bring courage. Where there is division, begin your work of reconciliation.
Make us people who seek peace—not just in words, but in the ways we listen, the ways we act,
and the ways we love our neighbors, even when it is hard.
We place our country, our communities, and one another into your hands, trusting not in our own righteousness, but in your steadfast love.
In the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.
A Prayer for Peace and Softened Hearts (week 2)
God of mercy and truth, we come to you aware of how divided we can be— and how deeply we long for peace.
We confess that we often speak past one another. We cling to positions instead of listening for pain. We choose fear instead of love, certainty instead of humility.
Soften our hearts, O God. Teach us to see one another first as human beings— created in your image, beloved by you.
Where there is violence, bring restraint.
Where there is injustice, bring accountability.
Where there is hatred, bring repentance.
Where there is despair, bring courage.
Where there is division, begin again your work of reconciliation.
Make us instruments of your peace— in our words, in our actions, and in our love for neighbor.
We place ourselves, our communities, and our country into your care, trusting in your steadfast love. Amen.
A Prayer for Peace: Keeping the Flame. (week 3)
God of peace and grace, as we gather today, we pause— before words are spoken, before songs are sung— to receive your peace.
In every generation, a flame is carried forward, not for victory over others, but as a sign of hope, endurance, and unity. Today, we ask you to place that flame in us.
As we light this candle of peace, remind us that love must be tended, that grace must be protected, and that the light you give us is meant to be shared, not hidden.
When fear threatens to extinguish compassion, keep the flame alive. When anger flares hotter than justice, steady the flame. When we grow weary, cynical, or divided, help us carry the light for one another.
Teach us to run this race not against our neighbors, but alongside them— bearing patience, humility, mercy, and courage as signs of your kingdom.
May this flame remind us who we are and whose we are: people called to keep love glowing, grace burning bright, and peace alive in a fragile world.
We offer this prayer as we light this candle, trusting that your Spirit will fan the flame within us and among us. Amen.
Prayer of Peace: From Light to Lent (week 4)
God of radiant light and quiet strength, we stand at the turning of seasons.
We have walked in Epiphany brightness, catching glimpses of your glory. Yet even in moments meant to unite us, division lingers, anger simmers, and old fears remain.
As we light this candle of peace, remind us that your light is not spectacle— it is transformation.
On the mountain, Christ shone with glory. Soon he would walk the road toward the cross. Teach us that true strength is not winning, but self-giving love. Not louder voices, but deeper courage.
As we turn toward Lent, take what lingers within us— our pride, our certainty, our quiet resentments— and begin your work within.
Leader: Lord, work within us.
People: And make us people of peace.
Amen.