By the request of our Bishops, we will pray for 30 days starting October 12, 2023, ending Friday, November 10, 2023. Below are 30 prayers you may use during this time.
Read the statement from our Bishops about the 30 Days of Prayer
1. Prayer for Peace by Rev. Oscar Gomez
Come, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, come. Gracious God, none of us like conflict, especially when there is nation against nation. God, we pray for your peace, the peace that only you can provide for a ceasefire, God. Especially, we lift up those who are directly affected, those who are suffering the consequences of the actions of those governments. We lift them up into your hands and care. God, what better hands to be than yours.
Bring your shalom upon the people of Palestine and Israel. Bring your shalom. Your peace may be done. Guide them, lead them and pour out your Holy Spirit on each one of those who are affected by those who are making decisions at high levels. Protect them, those the most vulnerable God. We come today as brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for peace, your peace. Your peace will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Thank you God and be with us and forgive us and forgive those who have trespassed. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
2. For Peace for Those Intoxicated with War
God of peace;
God of shalom;
God of salaam:
Save us from intoxication with war.
Turn down the media’s frenzy and
unquestioning assumption that war will come.
Pull all peoples back from unstable international policy.
Deliver the nations from going out of control as the solution to conflict.
Bring us to sobriety of spirit.
Turn our hearts to peacemaking.
Give wisdom and light to our leaders as they choose the way to peace,
in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Daniel Benedict
February 1, 2003
3. A Prayer for Protection of Those in Military Service
God of Love and Compassion,
We have come to ask for your protection for those who are being sent to faraway places to prepare for our defense. Before this season of unrest, we had grown comfortable with thinking of them only as they relate to us — as our parents and spouses, our sons and daughters, our neighbors and friends. We look forward to a day when no community will ever be asked to release its loved ones for purposes of war. But today, Lord, history and circumstances force us to release them into your care and into our country’s service. We pray for their safe return; and not only for theirs, but for the safe return of others who are being sent from communities, so much like ours, in other parts of the world. As they face the myriad challenges and decisions that each day is destined to bring, may they be anchored by their faith, protected by your presence, and comforted by the knowledge that they are loved by you and by this community.
We bless them in your name, and look forward to their safe return, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Safiyah Fosua
January 31, 2003
4. A Prayer for Armed Forces Personnel and their Families
Dear Lord,
Many of the families of those who enlisted in our armed services in peace time…
Never expected this nation to face a military threat
Never imagined that as reserves, their loved ones would be called
to active duty
Never suspected that war might be declared on their watch
Many of the men and women who enlisted in our armed services in peace time…
Have never faced real danger
Have never been in life or death situations
Have never been in a war
No one is…
Fully prepared for war
Fully prepared to take another person’s life
Fully prepared to face an untimely death
As unprepared as we all are for the unthinkable
We turn to You
And entrust into Your hands the lives and hearts of our loved ones
And ask You to comfort our loved ones and us
in the midst of situations that we cannot control
And ask that You place an assurance in the souls of our
loved ones
that we are continually remembering them in ways that matter
through our sincerest prayers and our abiding love
While our loved ones live on the edge…
Remove from us in this country the luxury of escape into our
numb routine
Give us no rest until we express a sober vigilance
That compels us to pray without ceasing…
For our leaders whose decisions today
will impact the future of our children and grandchildren
Allow us to feel Your love and sorrow, joy and anger at the
actions of humanity
In hopes that the next generation
Will not have to pray
A wartime prayer
For their loved ones
Kwasi Kena
Copyright © 2003 General Commission on United Methodist Men. Please note this copyright when using the prayer.
5. Native American Prayer for Peace
O Great Spirit of our
Ancestors, I raise
my pipe to you.
To your messengers the four winds, and
to Mother Earth who provides
for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children
to love, to respect, and to be kind to each
other so that they may grow
with peace in mind.
Let us learn to share all good things that
you provide for us on this Earth.
6. Prayer for Peace
Come let us go up the mountain of
the Lord, that we may walk the
paths of the Most High.
And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares,
and our spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation–
neither shall they learn war any more.
And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the
Lord of Hosts has spoken.
7. Prayer for Peace
Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS,
for they shall be known as
the Children of God.
But I say to you that hear,
love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who abuse you.
To those who strike you on the cheek,
offer the other also,
and from those who take away your cloak,
do not withhold your coat as well.
Give to everyone who begs from you,
and of those who take away your goods,
do not ask them again.
And as you wish that others would do to you,
so do to them.
8. Lead Us
Lord,
Lead us from death to life,
From falsehood to truth.
Lead us from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Let peace fill our hearts, our world and our universe.
Let us dream together, pray together and work together,
To build one world of peace and justice for all.
9. Prayer for the Decade of Nonviolence
I bow to the sacred in all creation.
May my sprit fill the world with beauty and wonder.
May my mind seek truth with humility and openness.
May my heart forgive without limit.
May my love for friend, enemy, and outcast be without measure.
May my needs be few and my living simple.
May my actions bear witness to the suffering of others.
May my hands never harm a living being.
May my steps stay on the journey of justice.
May my tongue speak for those who are poor without fear of the powerful.
May my prayers rise with patient discontent until no child is hungry.
May my life’s work be a passion for peace and nonviolence.
May my soul rejoice in the present moment.
May my imagination overcome death and despair with new possibility.
And may I risk reputation, comfort, and security to bring this hope to the children.
– Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB
10. A Prayer for Peace
We are moulded, each one of us,
in the image of God,
and within our souls there is a fingerprint
none can erase.
We pray for those who have no regard
for anyone but self,
who put no value on human life.
For nations and individuals who abuse and kill.
We are not called to be judge or jury,
but we are called to be agents of change,
and if the butterfly that flaps its wings
should be our attitude to others
then so be it, Lord,
and may the hurricane this generates
somewhere within the world
reach into the hearts and souls of those
for whom we pray, and reveal to them
how precious are those
for whom they have no love,
and how precious are they
who now bring tears to the eyes of God.
– John Birch
11. A Prayer for World Peace, 1978
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 on 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 or women 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 and women were created.
– Author Unknown, Offered by Beth Amyot
12. For Courage to Do Justice
O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others
Open my ears that I may hear their cries;
Open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
And use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears
That I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.
– Alan Paton, South Africa, United Methodist Hymnal #456
13. Prayer for Peace in the Middle East
God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East:
Jews, Muslims and Christians,
Palestinians and Israelis.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all.
– Reverend Said Ailabouni
14. Prayer for a World Where Hope Seems Dim
Dear God, the world seems so dark and foreboding.
Where are the signs of hope?
What are you calling us to do?
Wars, uprisings, displacements, hunger, poverty, and disease continue to claim victims by the millions around the world each year.
Our ears do not want to hear their stories and our eyes do not want to see their plight because the suffering and destruction is so massive and cruel.
In our hearts and minds there is a desire to help somehow, but the crisis seem so overwhelming that we shake our heads in dismay and we wonder what the point is for us even to attempt to be witnesses for healing and hope in this hellish morass.
We beg with the song writer to open our eyes that we may see glimpses of truth you have for us.
Help us to follow the path of Jesus, the Suffering Servant. Give us the courage to be willing to walk the path of depression and pain with the victims of injustice here at home as well as abroad.
Help us to seek ways to light candles of hope, however small, through our words, our deeds, and our prayers, to encourage our sisters and brothers to hold onto the faith in spite of the pain and suffering they are facing.
And help those of us who are among the fortunate ones, who have enough bread to eat, good health, and who live in relative peace, to open our heart to learn from our sisters and brothers who are living lives of grace and forgiveness in the horrid circumstances which surround them. O God, help us to light one candle rather than to curse the darkness.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, who knows what being a light in this dark world is all about.
– Larry Kehler, Mennonite Central Committee, Canada, 2009
15. We Are One With You
O God, we are one with you. You have made us one with you.
You have taught us that if we are open to one another, you dwell in us.
Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts. Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection.
O God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept you, and we thank you, and we adore you, and we love you with our whole being, because our being is your being, our spirit is rooted in your spirit. Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes you present in the world, and which makes you witness to the ultimate reality that is love. Love has overcome. Love is victorious.
– Thomas Merton (1915-1968)
16. Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hated, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may no so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying hat we are born into eternal life.
– St. Francis of Assisi
17. Prayer for Peace
O God, Creator of the universe, who extends your paternal concern over every creature and guides the events of history to goals of salvation, we acknowledge your Fatherly love when you break the resistance of mankind and, in a world torn by strife and discord, you make us ready for reconciliation. Renew for us the wonders of your MERCY; send forth your Spirit hat He may work in the intimacy of our hearts, that enemies may begin to dialogue, that adversaries may shake hands and peoples may encounter one another in harmony. May all commit themselves to the sincere search for true peace which will extinguish all arguments, for charity which overcomes hatred, for pardon which disarms revenge.
– Pope John Paul II
18. Prayer for Justice and Peace
Eternal Father, You created us in Your own image and likeness, but sin has warped the minds of men and throughout the world there is much injustice and much carelessness of the rights of other people and personal responsibility.
Lord when You are excluded from the hearts and consciences of men, the inevitable result is that people suffer and Lord, there is much injustice and corruption taking place in our world today, not only in the lives of individuals but also in the corridors of power and the council rooms of many nations.
We pray Lord that You will right all the wrongs that are taking place in our world and vindicate those that are being treated unjustly. Keep us Father from trying to take matters into our own hands for vengeance is your and You will repay – but Lord in your grace and mercy we pray that you would give justice and peace to all those that have been cruelly and unfairly treated by their fellow man and may injustice and carelessness that they have had to endure be the means to draw them into Your saving arms of grace – we ask this in the precious name of the Lord, Jesus.
– Author Unknown
19. Litany of Peace
One God, so many people are in pain.
All Teach us the way to peace.
One When people around us don’t agree and think differently,
All Teach us to listen and try to understand.
One When we see people getting hurt,
All Teach us to speak up.
One When we see people treated poorly because of their skin color, or language, or religious belief,
All Teach us to be an example of love and acceptance.
One When we see war and conflict,
All Teach us how to make a difference and seek peace.
One When we see pain,
All Teach us to bring healing,
One When we feel confused and afraid,
All Remind us to talk to our friends, our family and to you.
One In our lives, our neighborhoods and the world,
All Teach us to pray and teach us the way of peace.
– Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
20. A Prayer for Peace
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly, do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Rather, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
– Romans 12:9-21
21. God of Peace
Finally, sisters and brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence and if there is anything worth of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard
and seen. Then the God of peace will be with you.
– Paul’s Letter to the Phillipians 4:8-9
22. Everlasting Peace
O God! O our master! You are eternal life and everlasting peace by Your essence and attributes. The everlasting peace is from You and it returns to you. O our Sustainer! Grant us the life of true peace and usher us into the abode of peace. O Glorious and Bounteous One! You are blessed and sublime.
– Author Unknown
23. A Prayer for the Fallen World We Live In
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)
Father,
The state of our world convicts us and causes us to cling to You for dear life. The volatile history of mankind’s fallen nature is recorded in Scripture. Human history is scarred. The deplorable conditions of our world continue to increase.
Bless and heal the world, Father. Come, Lord Jesus. May Your love comfort every soul as only You can. Bring hope to the hopeless and unity where there is conflict.
Motivate us by love to work together, gathering souls for Christ. Show us our place, Father, and embolden us to obey Your direction. While our world is crumbling, You remain the same loving, defending, and protecting Father. Amidst the rebellion and destruction, You reached down to restore us to the light of Your presence through Jesus.
Light pierces the darkness. We do not have to succumb to the doom-and-gloom reality of our society because we have the power of the living God in us through salvation in Jesus Christ. Your love forges a path for us, illuminating the way and adjusting our perspective to see past destruction to hope.
ou are a personal, saving God, creating each of us with a purpose, allowing us to feel Your love and extend it to others. May Your love rule our hearts, because all life flows through it.
Forgive us for allowing the ways of the world to overwhelm us. Help us to be a consistent source of light for all those around us.
You see us, God. You hear us. You are good and You are fair. Prepare our hearts, Lord who goes before us. Repair our wreckage, God of our memories. Bless and empower us with Spirit-fueled confidence, Lord of our hearts. May all we do bring glory and honor to You—as shards of light piercing the darkness.
24. A Prayer for People All over the World to Come to Christ
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (Titus 2:11-12)
Father,
Creation sings of Your majesty. Created in Your image, we are a direct reflection of You. Every good thing comes from You. Every note of love and goodness we feel and extend is rooted in Your great love for us.
Whether we know Jesus yet or not, we know love. We all know what it feels like to love and be loved. It is this commonality that supplies the empathy we need to see each other for the people You created us to be. Help us to find the good in every person You place in our lives and on our paths, Father. You are not a God of coincidence.
You watch over us, encourage us, and love us perfectly. You are faithful to hear us and answer our prayers. You are close to the brokenhearted.
Father, we are in awe of how you orchestrate the days of our lives and the individual love You have for each of us and our purposes. We are all unique, every person, and it brings You joy when we recognize each other for the people we are in You. Love leads us to love others for You. The Great Commission, to spread the gospel, starts with love.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Father, today we pray for every soul on earth to embrace Jesus Christ. His selflessness is reflected in our lives when we follow Him in faith, allowing others to catch a glimpse of who He is. We pray to be good representatives of love on earth, Father.
Give us the courage to live our faith boldly and consistently. Clean hypocrisy out of our hearts and wipe away prejudice and favoritism. Give us strength and sight. Help us to look at each other through the lens of love.
It is in this way God’s alive and active Word will travel to every far corner of earth. All will have a chance to hear the gospel, and we praise You for that! Bless this world and bring the hope of Jesus into every corner of every heart.
Just knowing who You are is not enough. Telling of You is not enough. Help us to live boldly and selflessly, to model love accurately and completely, to anyone and everyone.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
25. A Prayer for Stewardship over Our Earthly Gifts
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
Father,
We praise You for Your provision, and for propelling us into our callings by unveiling our strengths and weaknesses. Help us to listen, learn, and seek You in all we do, for we desire to steward our gifts well.
Every good gift comes from You, Father. Let us not look to the right or to the left but upwards to You and through Your perspective of love. Protect us from idols and remain seated on the throne of our hearts. All good things we do flow from You and Your Love.
Father, in this insane world You have a good plan for us. Help us to remain calm on days that don’t line up with our plans. Forgive us, for we fail so often to submit them to You and run great risk of following the ways of the world.
Daily, protect us from distancing ourselves from Your voice. May we be stirred to seek You first and listen to Your wise leading on our lives. We are built to crave You, Father. It’s Your presence that drives us, whether we realize it or not. We want more of You. This world is not our permanent home, for we are citizens of heaven.
Remind us, in moments of frailty and desperation or lack of confidence, that You hold us in the palm of Your hand. You are unchanging, and we can overcome the world when we put on the armor of God.
“…‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” (Mark 16:15)
May everything we do lead us one step closer to You. Let the witness of our lives lead others to Jesus. Heal us, Father.
This world is hard, but not impossible with You. May we bear witness to many miracles in our lives and sing of the glory each brings to You. Let us honor You with our gifts, loving the people You place in our lives. Help us to submit to You and work diligently for You. Bless our lives with truth and love. Lead us and be with us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
26. A Prayer for World Peace
Lord Jesus, You came that the world might know the peace that You have experienced with the Father eternally. Yet, You taught us that in this life there will be wars and rumors of wars. Nations will rise against nations as violence works itself out in the world. However, through You, the world may be saved. O Lord, send Your spirit into the hearts of all men, that the world might know true peace through Your abundant mercy. Amen.
27. Unity Prayer
Father, You sent Your only begotten Son into this world to bear our flesh and to save us. In His mission, He taught us about Your heart. You are surely a God of peace who abhors violence. Wherever possible, You encourage unity. He taught us to follow Him, to be the salt of the earth, and to make peace wherever we can. Lord, teach us to be peacemakers and to walk in a manner that reflects the wondrous peace that is given through Your Spirit in Christ, our Lord. Amen.
28. A Prayer for Faith in God’s Intervention
Father, even when things seem hopeless, we know that through You we are never without hope. We beg Your intervention for a world on the constant brink of war. Beat the swords into plowshares and cause the lion to lie down with the lamb. Intervene in this world that they might avoid the horrors of war and let peace rule in all lands. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
29. A Prayer to End Violence Through Forgiveness
Father, violence is never the answer. It destroys Your good creation and it grieves Your heart when people resort to it. Despite the world knowing who You are, they do not know the peace that You can give them. Lord, I ask that You arise and put an end to all violence. Extinguish pain and misery wherever it is found, and spread Your gift of grace and peace upon the face of creation. Let forgiveness reign and end the bloodshed. Through Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
30. A Prayer for Hope in Lasting Peace
Father God, we know that You are the giver of all good things, including times of peace. Yet, even amid peaceful times, some seek to cause upheaval and war on the Earth. Therefore, we ask that You allow the peace on Earth to endure through the schemes of these wicked people. Give us hope in the establishment of Your kingdom. Let Your peace that surpasses all understanding keep all the Earth in Christ. Amen.