Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.
Gracious and Merciful God, we come before You burdened by the devastation, havoc, and collateral damage we are witnessing that are caused by conflicts in places that are far from us, as well as those that are nearer to us than we’d like to admit. We recognize that violence begets more violence and that when one suffers, we all suffer. We pray that You would saturate us with Your peace from the inside out. That we would be beacons of light and hope in this world, and that during this Advent season, we would recommit ourselves to be peacemakers – purveyors of hope, love, joy, and justice in this world. Let it be so and let our prayers make a difference. In Your name we pray. Amen.
Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune
Chief Operating Officer
National Council of Churches