Prayer for Peace in the World and an End to War

Prince of Peace, we live in a world at war. Tonight there are cities under fire, families fleeing with what they can carry, children who have learned the sound of sirens before they learned to read. We cannot look away and we cannot fix it. So we bring it to You.

Bring peace to the nations at war. Silence the weapons. Soften the hearts of those who give the orders and those who carry them out. Let the voices of reason be heard over the voices of vengeance.

Protect the innocent: the civilians in the crossfire, the aid workers, the journalists, the medics, the children. Shelter the refugees and open the hearts of the countries they arrive in.

Give wisdom to leaders. Where they are tempted by pride, humble them. Where they are tempted by fear, steady them. Raise up peacemakers in every parliament and every village.

Heal the wounds that cause war: poverty, injustice, old hatreds passed down like heirlooms. Teach us to see every human face as the image of God.

And begin with me, Lord. Make peace in my own heart, my own home, my own neighborhood. I cannot end a war, but I can end a feud, forgive an enemy, and refuse to pass on hatred.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for the world. Jesus, Prince of Peace, come quickly. Amen.