Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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Republic of Congo
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Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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Welcome today to this sacred
place. Each day in this Temple dedicated to the pursuit of peace, we
pray to God for peace in our world. In addition, each day we pray for a
different country.
Today we will hold up the people of the Republic of the Congo in our
prayers. The Republic of the Congo is located in Western Africa. Since
it achieved independence in 1960, political turmoil has hampered the
country. After almost three decades of Marxist rule, Congo adopted a
multiparty, democratic system in 1992. Conflict in the late 1990s
derailed democracy, but a new constitution in 2002 brings the promise of
stability.
We light this candle as a symbol of our commitment to a just and
peaceful world. May the peace of the God who has called us here be with
us as we worship together. |
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| Scripture Reading: Isaiah 33:5 & 6 adapted |
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The Lord is exalted and dwells on high. You
will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. You will be the sure
foundation for our times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and
knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. |
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Prayer for Peace by Jim Davis, Blue Springs,
Missouri |
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O God of Justice and Mercy,
We pray in the name of your son, the Prince of Peace, for all those
souls who suffer from the terror of oppression and war. When we hear the
daily news concerning the strife of peoples in Afghanistan, Malawi,
Iraq, the Gaza Strip and other places throughout the world, we are
deeply saddened by their suffering. In our finer moments we might
actually grieve for our nameless brothers and sisters. We can only
imagine how terrible is their pain and anguish.
But how much more grievous their burdens must be to you, their creator
and their God. They are your children as are we, and we know you love
each of them far more than we can comprehend. And their oppressors are
also your children, and you love them, too. Our compassion for them is
paled by your compassion for them. Our concern for them is diminished by
limited knowledge of their plight and absorption with our own day-to-day
trials and tribulations. Your concern is borne on full understanding of
their external pain and the anguish in their hearts. You hear their
prayers and find ways to bless them in spite of their turmoil.
O God, we would pray for a righteous peace in all those places. Help us
to become your peacemakers, your hands and feet, to bring about
conditions that overcome injustice and lead to peace. Help us to
recognize the need for peacemaking in our own neighborhoods, in our work
places, in our schools. Bless our good desires, purify them and make
them righteous that we might be your servants in the building of the
kingdom. Amen. |
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Hymn - O God of Every Nation - Hymns of
the Saints #175 |
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Prayers of the People
Please join us now, praying the Prayers of the People. During the
moments of silence, you are invited to pray silently or meditate. |
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God of All Persons, we praise you and worship you and
give thanks for our bountiful blessings. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We remember the lonely, the oppressed, the victims of greed, and those
who have not. Help us to be aware of times we can share our bounty,
whether it is a kind word or material wealth. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We lift up to you our brothers and sisters in the Republic of Congo. Be
with them as they seek to be a country of peace. Bless them in their
efforts, we pray. May all people everywhere have the light of your
Spirit to illumine the way of love and peace. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We hold up before you the concerns of the people gathered here this day.
We confess our shortcomings and ask your forgiveness for those times we
have not been the persons you created us to be. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Please use this space to pray for any
current concern or event in our community, city, state, nation or world
that you feel needs to be held up to God for prayerful consideration.
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| The People Pray in Silence |
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Hear our prayer, O God, as today we offer ourselves to be instruments of
your peace in our families, our city, our nation, and our world. In the
name of the Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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We will conclude our service today with ministry of
music. We invite you to remain in the quiet of this place to pray or
meditate for as long as you may wish.
And again I say unto you, "Sue for peace, not only the people that have
smitten you, but also to all people." Go forth and be peacemakers. Amen. |
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| Ministry of Music |
