Last Sunday when we included a Remembrance Day Observance as part of our worship service, I was aware that war can seem very far away in both time and distance. The annual gatherings at cenotaphs for Remembrance Day ceremonies have fewer and fewer veterans. Each year at the nursing home when we mark Remembrance Day, there are veterans whom we have previously honoured who have now passed. War might appear as a distant memory and people today might assume themselves quite unaffected by the reality of war. Yet, the current conflicts in our world are brought right into our living rooms when we watch the news or read about what is happening. We cannot escape the fact that war, as it rages, does affect us all. While we sleep comfortably in our beds, there are those who are displaced by war and have no shelter or security. When we go for medical appointments, there are those who have no hope of care because of bombed out hospitals and lack of health care supplies. We are compelled to pray for peace in our world while there are so many suffering because of the destructive and evil effects of war. We read in Scripture, ”…As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Peace between those in dispute does not happen without concerted effort and a desire for something different, something better. We can quickly conclude that we want our world to find the means for peace. We do not want war to continue anywhere in our world. This week we will continue to pray for God’s intervention to bring love where there is hate and peace where there is war. You can join in this WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow November 8th at 1 pm using the prayer provided below.
Praying that we will not give up praying for peace and seeking God’s help to live at peace with each other, Pastor Lola
Our God Who has given us the gift of life and placed us in this world to live at peace with each other, we so desperately need Your help. We as human beings have not done our part to ensure peace with each other. Often we have forgotten to seek You and our own attempts to right what is wrong have failed. We see that negotiations between people and countries are always tainted by self interest. Only as You transform us Lord can any of us be willing to act in the best interests of others, not just ourselves. Peace when there is war can seem so impossible. When will we learn God? When we will we learn the lessons of peace that You are willing to teach us? We think of Jesus Your Son Who did not come to be served but to serve and to give Himself for us. We see Jesus demonstrating the possibility for peace. We hear Jesus inviting us all to be peacemakers. Making peace is hard work. God we pray for those who will be willing to do the hard work of making peace. Today we pray that You will replace the determination for war and revenge with a strong and persistent desire for peace. Please help us to remember Who You are and Help us to remember Who we are as Your followers. You have entrusted us with caring for this world and for each other. We recognize that there can be no peace without You guiding us all on a path of peace. What seems impossible to us is not impossible to You God. This longing to live at peace with everyone is not just a hopeless dream. Please help each of us to advance the cause of peace one relationship at a time. As we forgive and are forgiven, the surging force of peace can grow. When we grow tired of striving for peace in our world, please renew our energy and resolve. Help us to see how peace does depend on us depending on You. When You have pulled us out of the places where peace is threatened, we pray that we will not slip back into old patterns that thwart the progression of peace. We pray God that the peace that is established in our hearts and in our world will not be an overlooking of what is wrong. We do not want to deny the need for transformation. We pray for the courage needed to confront what needs changing so that there will be justice. Where there are people of privilege and power who control the outcomes, we pray that this will be disabled to place in each person’s hands the opportunity to choose peace. We are asking You God to provide us with the tools for peace and to instruct us in using these tools for peace wisely and well. We remember the painful cost of war and we are remembering today that only as You enable us to live differently can peace survive and thrive. We welcome You using us to step into what You are already doing to establish peace both near and far. In the Name of Jesus Who makes peace possible. AMEN.