Prayers for peace

We grieve with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and with all who live in the Land of the Holy One. Please join us in an outpouring of prayer in the name of the Prince of Peace. You will find a selection of prayers on this page to guide you and we welcome you to add your own prayers in the comments section below.

Via Dolorosa: The Women of Gaza

Luke 23: 27-29

‘Daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me, weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when people will say “Happy are the barren, the wombs that never bore a child, the breasts that never fed one”.’

Lord, I never understood those strange and stark words.
I simply couldn’t make sense of what you were saying. Who would want to be childless?
Children are a gift from God; a woman’s greatest joy.
I had always envied my relatives and friends who had children.
I could see the joy their children brought them in their smiling faces; their laughter; their love and a whole life of potential ahead of them.
Now, in this new reality, this hell on earth I fully identify with what you said.
I pity my friends and neighbours who have children, my heart aches for them.
My cousin whose premature baby died in hospital because there was no electricity to power her incubator.
My neighbour whose young baby died because he couldn’t access the life- saving medicine he needed.
My friend from two streets back whose toddler was caught in a bombing raid whilst he was playing outside their house, his young life, barely started, snuffed out in an instant.
The thousands who are apprehensive and anxious about what the future holds for their beloved children.
Those who feel so inadequate because they cannot provide or care for them.
Yes, we weep for ourselves, and in our suffering, misery and isolation we cry out to you.
We know you weep with us and for us, the women of Gaza.

Anonymous

We urge the people of the Church of Ireland to pray for peace in the Land of the Holy One and pray for wisdom for those in positions of authority to work towards an end to all violence. We uphold to God in prayer all who are affected by the current conflict. All human life is the gift of God. The Church of Ireland, in its daily prayers, prays for people suffering in conflict, those who seek to bring care and relief, and the peace of the world.

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed; Kindle, we pray thee, in every heart the true love of peace; and guide with thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquillity thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Archbishops John McDowell & Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland

Father, we bring our supplications before you on behalf of our friends in the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem at this time of conflict. We call upon you to show mercy to the people Israel and Palestine and protect them. We pray for the staff and patients at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza which is run by the Diocese. By the power of your word, we plead for protection for them as conflict rages around them.

God of light and salvation, our refuge and our strength, we pray for the people of Israel and Palestine amid the escalating violence taking place in these days. We pray for those killed and injured. May your rod and staff comfort them. We pray for those who are grieving and fearful. We pray protection over those who have been taken hostage into Gaza.

Oh God, we call on you this day to change hearts, bring an end to this current violence and protect the people living in this land that is so precious and dear to your heart. Amen

Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Council for Mission, Church of Ireland

“Let us pray with one heart and one soul – Lord come to our aid, grant us peace, teach us peace,
guide our steps in the way of peace.

Open our eyes and our hearts and give us the courage to say: Never again war.’ Lord Hear Us.”

“May the weapons be stopped: they will never lead to peace, and may the conflict not widen! Enough! Enough, brothers! In Gaza, let the wounded be rescued immediately, let civilians be protected, let far more humanitarian aid be allowed to reach that stricken population. May the hostages be freed, including the elderly and children. Every human being, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, of any people or religion, every human being is sacred, is precious in the eyes of God and has the right to live in peace. Let us not lose hope: let us pray and work tirelessly so that the sense of humanity may prevail over hardness of heart.”

Pope Francis

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Prayer

"Violence is never a solution. Retribution is never a contribution to peace. Please pray today for that peace. Pray for all who have lost their lives and for the immediate release of those taken hostage.

"Pray especially for the small but active Catholic community in Gaza City who at this moment will be reaching out courageously to their neighbours, trying to offer shelter and support. Today please pray the great prayer of the Rosary that this conflict, in the homeland of Mary herself, will quickly come to an end."

His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols

We pray without ceasing for justice, reconciliation, peace, and an end to hatred and war. We also pray for God to change the hearts of all leaders and decision-makers in our countries and around the world, For we are in dire need or hearts that love, show mercy, and are willing to live in unity with others – hearts that respect human dignity and choose life rather than death.

We entrust the countries of our Lord’s earthly home into the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, asking him to have mercy on us all and to give us his peace and blessing. Amen.

Archbishop Hosam Naoum, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem

Lord Jesus,
while you hung in agony,
in your innocence crucified,
you cried to your Father,
'My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?'
In the midst of such great darkness
be among the suffering in your land,
and be their light in the darkness.
Lord, have mercy. Amen.

Reverend John Reese, Friends of the Holy Land Prayer and Spiritual Lead

We lift our prayer to you, Lord, hear us. Lord, we raise all people in The Holy Land to you, and pray for those suffering. We ask that you provide peace in this crisis, and protection and comfort for all those who have been impacted.

Fr Mamdouh AbuSada, Director of the School of Joy, Bethlehem

O God of all
Of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael:
Our hearts are broken in pieces at the suffering and murder of your people.
Our voices cry for peace and for justice.

Comfort those who grieve,
Console and heal the injured,
Be close to those in fear,
Restrain with your mighty hand those who perpetrate violence.

Send us your wisdom in all that we say and do,
That our voice may always seek justice, peace and security for all.
Amen.

Revd Peter Colwell, Deputy General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

Lord God,
It is with shock and horror we witness the devastating violence and loss of life in Israel-Palestine over recent days.

We come to you as the source of all comfort
asking that you send your Spirit to surround and uphold
all those who are grieving,
all those who are suffering,
all those in fear,
and all those in captivity.
May the arms of comfort and compassion, overwhelm the arms of war.

We come to you as the source of all peace
asking that you send your Spirit to
strengthen and uphold those pursuing an end to violence,
embolden those with a heart for truth and justice,
and amplify voices of wisdom and restraint.
May the light of peace and reconciliation, overwhelm the darkness of destruction.

We come to you as the source of all hope,
asking that you send your Spirit to bring about a future,
where neighbours embrace despite their differences,
where love conquers hate,
humility surpasses pride,
and where forgiveness is treasured as a fundamental strength.
May the hope of a day when weapons of conflict will be transformed into tools of reconciliation be realised soon,
so there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away.
Amen

Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain

God of peace, be with all those who live in fear and danger. Heal those wounded by hate and conflict. Teach us to love our enemies and live together with understanding and compassion. Amen.

The Church in Wales

God of peace and compassion,
We pray for all impacted by the escalation in conflict in Israel-Palestine
For all who are mourning
For all who are fearful, today, and for what may lie ahead
For all traumatised and re-traumatised by what they have experienced.
Enable us to stand in solidarity with people of peace
May your Spirit bring peace and healing to your troubled world
Amen

President and Vice-President of Conference, Methodist Church

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ Matthew 5.9

Lord Jesus,
who walked the land you made holy
and blessed those who made peace;
look with compassion
on the people of your land today,
Jew and Muslim and Christian,
Israeli and Palestinian.
May peace come for all with justice,
may war cease and all live in harmony,
and be the children of the one God
who you made known,
now and always.

The Very Rev Andrew Nunn

O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land.

Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths - Jews, Muslims and Christians, for all people of the land.

While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children, for to all of us, you are our Heavenly Father.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

Revd Richard Sewell, Dean of St George’s College, Jerusalem

We lift up those who have died as victims since the start of this war, and pray for comfort for their families and loved ones.

We ask God to heal those who have suffered injury and trauma, both physically and psychologically.

And we pray for God's holy protection on those innocents still caught in the crossfire, especially the staff of Ahli Hospital.

May God bless them as they minister tirelessly to the wounded who are carried into their wards.

We pray for the peace of Jerusalem—and security for all who live within its lands.

Revd Don Binder, Chaplain to the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem at The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East:
Jews, Muslims and Christians,
Palestinians and Israelis.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces, and peace and justice could be experienced by all. Amen

via Terry Hephrun, President of Burnley Catenian Circle 54

Lord, you know the anguish of the sorrowful,
you are attentive to the prayers of those who seek you.
Hear your people who today cry out for peace
in the land your footprints made holy,
the lands we today call Palestine and Israel.
Take away the people’s fears and still their troubled hearts,
heal the wounded and comfort the bereaved,
gather into your arms the souls of the dead.
You once calmed the storm to take away your disciples’ fears,
calm now the storm of violence that rages
across your Holy Land
that brings fear and terror into innocent hearts
so that all people – be they Christian, Jew or Muslim –
can seek the ways of true justice, love and peace together,
turning their backs on violence and aggression
seeking instead the ways of friendship and respect.

Fr. David Borland

Let us pray for Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem who has recently been elected Cardinal.   May God continue to give him the strength and courage he needs to sustain the faith of his community in these times.
Let us pray for the tiny Catholic community in Gaza, who are offering sanctuary to their neighbours.   May they be kept safe from all harm.
Let us pray for world leaders, that they will begin to act constructively for peace in the Middle East.
Let us pray for the Jewish community in this country.
Lord, you sent Jesus your Son to be our Prince of Peace.   May we have the courage to follow him even when our fallen human nature tempts us to go our own way.    Help us to reject violence in all its forms, and make our world one where everyone is at home, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Fr John Deehan

Lord have mercy

I saw the newborn Jesus today, not in the warmth and safety of a stable lent by a kindly innkeeper but wrapped in a blanket, exposed to the elements on a roadside in Gaza.
I saw Joseph the holy father today totally unable to care for his wife and her child, unable to offer them food or protection from the bombs that relentlessly fly overhead when they are so far from home.
I saw countless Rachels weeping for their innocent, helpless children for they are no more. Bombed, starved, dying for want of urgent medical care.
I saw thousands of frightened people today far from home, ordered to move by those in authority not for a census, but so that their homes, their livelihoods can be levelled to the ground and their hopes erased.
I saw thousands of rampaging soldiers today seeking vengeance on innocents. Children, women the elderly killed in their thousands. I saw them accompanying and supporting violent settlers breaking into the homes of unarmed civilians in The West bank murdering the defenceless in their homes simply because they were Palestinians.
I saw Mary, mother of God today, cradling the bloodied, battered body of her son today blown apart by an airstrike.
I saw his friends unable to give him a burial. The hospitals have run out of shrouds and funeral processions are seen as legitimate targets.
No loaves or fishes anymore; no water into wine. No bread, no water, no medicine ,no hope.
Where is the good news for the poor, the freedom for the oppressed?
I heard the voice of Cain today. He spoke on behalf of the world community: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’
But quietly, almost inaudibly I heard another voice.
Blessed are the sorrowful: they shall find consolation.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst to see right prevail: they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the peace makers they shall be called God’s children.
Whatever you did for one of my brothers here you did for me.

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never overcome it.

Revd Alison Askew

Lord, as we walked in the footsteps of the Apostles, we, too, could say what they said: “It is wonderful for us to be here”.

I have been here so many times, but for all the others in my group it was their first visit. It has been wonderful to see their faces and hear their expressions of real joy and fascination to see what you saw, and hear so many familiar Gospel stories in the places where they took place. Your words will never sound the same to you again.

It has been touching to hear a couple say they were not really looking forward to Mass every day, but how this really changed and it became a moment they looked forward to, a creator of real unity in our group. We have been blessed - even in our little group - with rare musical talent, used to praise you and bring joy to our ears and our hearts.

You blessed us with good humour, hilarity and gestures of phenomenal kindness, all of which oiled the wheels and made our time here spiritually rewarding and humanly enriching.

Lord, you know I promised not to colour this week with my opinions, so it was a real blessing for us to meet some students in Bethlehem University and learn from them about life in Palestine. I’m truly grateful, Lord, that you moved the hearts of our group through this encounter. Another blessing was our encounter with the Bridgettine Sisters, who welcomed us to their little oasis in Bethlehem for Mass, after which their hospitality and cake won everyone’s hearts.

All the time you kept me busy as a priest, from Bill’s many and varied questions - about so many things - to impromptu confessions in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

You gave us moments of quiet beauty in the little chapel at Saint Anne’s church and the astounding church at Magdala.

So many calm times.

And for the first time you let me and all my group witness the joy of the Hews celebrating sukkot - my fellow-pilgrims were delighted to see whole families enjoying these days.

Then, on Saturday, we heard, saw and even felt the explosions as Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted rockets coming from Gaza. Then I saw the first expressions of nervousness and fear in some of my group. “Harb” - the Arabic word for “war” - was on the lips of many in the Little Town of Bethlehem. I have been hear before when this happened, and once again I heard an eerie lament from the muezzin in the mosque. At first I couldn’t pinpoint the sound, which was vaguely familiar, but then I remembered I had heard it at the beginning of another period of fierce combat in Gaza.

Lord, how do you expect us to react? I have been touched by people in my group saying how concerned they are for the people we leave behind in Bethlehem in particular.

It is thoroughly heartbreaking to see your children - Jews, Christians and Muslims alike - locked into a cycle of fear and hatred again!

Lord, when will it end?

People have written to tell me how concerned they are for my group, stuck in a weird situation with an endlessly complicated process of finding a way home. But I’ve told them all that what we are going through is frustration, but what our friends - which is what they are - in Israel and Palestine now have to face is truly terrifying.

Lord, I am constantly brought back to the words of the Psalm: “for the peace of Jerusalem, pray”. But now I add, “For the peace of this Holy Land, pray”.

Monsignor Peter Fleetwood
Pontificio Collegio Beda, Rome

A Prayer for the Peace of the World – from the Book of Common Prayer

Please pray for the Christian leaders, and their congregations who increasingly feel insecure in the land of their birth.

Pray for the leaders of Hamas, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, long trapped in a spiral of mistrust and hate.

Pray for the fearful, the injured, the bereaved, the homeless and the despairing.

We invite you to add your own prayers and comments below.

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