Prayers for Peace

President of the Uniting Church in Australia Rev Charissa Suli has called the national Uniting Church to a Week of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East from 29 September – 5 October.

A Prayer from the President

Gracious and loving God,
You are the source of all peace, justice, and reconciliation.
We lift before you the people of Palestine and Israel,
whose lives are torn apart by conflict and division.

For those who mourn the loss of loved ones,
for those who live in fear,
and for those who long for freedom,
we ask for your comfort and healing.

May your spirit of peace rest upon the children who cry out in fear,
the families displaced from their homes,
and the communities struggling under the weight of violence.

Guide the hands and hearts of leaders to seek justice and mercy.
Open the eyes of the world to the suffering in the Holy Land,
so that we may respond with compassion and action.

Lord, we pray for an end to violence,
an end to oppression,
and an end to the cycles of revenge and hatred.
In your mercy, soften the hearts of those in power,
that they may seek paths of reconciliation and hope.
May your kingdom come, and your will be done,
in this land and across the world.

Help us, your church, to be instruments of your peace.
Strengthen our resolve to work tirelessly for justice
and to speak out for those whose voices are silenced.
In all things, may we remember that what we do for the least of these,
we do for you.

In Christ’s name, the Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.