Praying for Peace

With the looming conflict between the United States and Iran, many are questioning what lies ahead for us and to those directly affected by the ongoing crisis. The year 2020 was greeted by the events happening in Iran and Iraq where the US military facilities are in place. The lives of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in the Middle East are in danger. That is why our government is drawing up an emergency evacuation plan for them. We hope and pray for the safety of our OFWs.

But what can we do about it? As Christians we can offer prayers for peace. As Jesus is the God of peace we can trust Him for a peaceful solution on the said conflict. If the inevitable happens and it escalates into greater proportion, then we should not question God’s will. There must be a reason for everything.

For the meantime, we can go on with our lives. But hopeful that all will be well in this world we live in. Let us continue to be mindful with one another spreading kindness and peace through our actions.

Peace should start within ourselves before we can spread it to others. As the song goes “…Let there be peace on earth, And let it begin with me, Let there be peace on earth, The peace that was meant to be…” With that, here is a prayer for peace within ourselves taken from the book “Prayer for Good Times and Bad”.

“God of peace, I thank you for the ways in which you have blessed my life with your harmony. When circumstances have been chaotic, you have extended your calm to my heart. But there are havens where I can find outer peace as well—in trusted friends and family, in places of solitude, in the sanctuary of nature, even in sleep. Bring peace to my world through the peace you have placed within me, and help me not to forfeit that peace, even in times of trouble.”

Amen!

Moreover, here’s another prayer for us to ponder upon, A Prayer for World Peace (Prayer for World Peace, 1978) that was posted at Catholic.org.

Lord, we pray for the power to be gentle; the strength to be forgiving; the patience to be understanding; and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding to what we believe to be right.

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil and the power of love to overcome hatred.

We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe in a world emancipated from violence, a new world where fear shall no longer lead men to commit injustice, nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy to the task of making peace, praying always for the inspiration and the power to fulfill the destiny for which we and all men were created.

Amen.

“We must believe that others need peace just as much as we do. Peace will not be obtained unless it is hoped for. Let us ask the Lord for the gift of peace!” – Pope Francis @Pontifex, tweeted on January 4, 2020