Praying for the Middle East

Prayers for peace 

God, I come to You not as someone strong, but as a person in a place that feels heavy. You know our fears, struggles, challenges; the fear from the sounds of planes and bombs, and the silent worries we carry. Lord, hold us close and remind us that we’re not alone. 

Give us courage to keep hoping, to choose kindness over anger, patience over fear, and hope over despair. Let Your peace reign here in Lebanon, and from this small place, let it spread across the Middle East and the hurting world. Use us to be a light, a listener, and a bearer of Your peace. Amen 

(Prepared and led by Maria Bzdigian, Armenian Evangelical Church of Nor Marash - Christian Endeavor Movement) 

Prayer for the victims 

O God of compassion, we come before You with much hope, lifting up the Middle East to Your loving care. We pray for all who have been injured. Grant them healing in body, mind, and spirit. We remember those who have died. 

Receive them into Your eternal peace, and console those who mourn their loss. We entrust to You all who suffer, the displaced, the fearful, the weary, the broken-hearted. Let Your justice rise, Your mercy flow, and Your peace take root in every land. Amen 

(Prepared and led by Elia Nasrallah, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East- Orthodox Youth Movement)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NRSVue 

The World Council of Churches invited Christians around the planet to pray for peace in the Middle East yesterday, so I really should have mused about this 24 hours ago.The prayers above and the benediction below are from the prayer resources provided for the day.

 Some people, even some Christians would ask "why bother" because we do a lot of praying and at times it's hard to discern any results. The world seems to be addicted to war and madmen direct the missiles and drones with a Strangelovian fervour. Sometimes they do pray with a maniacal tone that is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ -- I'm looking at you Pete Hegseth. 

Part of the reason I continue to pray is because the alternative is so much worse. Prayer is an expression of hope even when it seems like whistling in the dark. I have literally sung hymns  in the dark (a form of prayer)  when I was afraid and it made a difference in ways it's hard to explain. Sometimes when I wake in the wee hours when every worry is amplified and mumble my way through little prayers and portions of scripture and I'm comforted. 

I'm not so naive as to equate prayers for personal comfort with prayers to end global conflict yet the God I beseech in each instance is the same. 

Some observers are asking whether we have actually shambled our way into WWIII with conflicts everywhere. I would rather continue to seek glimmers of prayerful hope  that to curse the darkness.

“May the unconditional love of the Triune God envelope all people in justice and peace, prospering the work of our hands, so that God’s shalom may reign.”