Lord God,
God of peace,
God of knowledge,
God of grace,
We come before You, diligently seeking from You
that which is severely lacking in our world:
Peace.

On a national level, we are torn with the violence
Of enemies within and foes without,
And often by our own
Self-driven divisiveness.

On a worldwide scale, we are appalled and
distressed by the lack of regard for
human sanctity,
And wonder if Your word of value for all of Your children
will ever be heard by the masses.

We confess, Lord, that the outer battles we mortals fight
are the result of our own inner conflicts,
Our own sinful pride, our own drive for power and control,
Our own willful response to hidden fears
and unspoken guilt.

Forgive us, God, when we champion violence as the only
answer to violence.
Forgive us when we demand justice for our enemies
and expect mercy for ourselves.

Help us, Father, to be a people who love You and Your ways,
A people who love much and hate little,
A people who desire and declare Your
healing, reconciliation, and joy,
A people who speak the language of love
and resist the tongue of evil.

We praise and honor You, Lord,
And lay our request at Your feet, and ask for peace within
ourselves, and within our world.
Through the Name of the One who blessed the peacemakers,
Amen.

--Virgil Fry