Many people have difficulty praying, especially spoken prayers.  Often it is helpful to have a model prayer to follow as a guide. Here is a prayer for peace that can be used in a group setting or alone using whatever name for God you feel most comfortable with.

Prayer for Peace

God, the creator and sustainer of all life, we come to you in prayer about the tensions existing between our nation and the nation of_______. In today’s world, we know that wars destroy people and the ecology of our planet. Most wars are fought in the national interest and out of a sense of some form of social justice. Yet the world craves peace.

We pray for our national leaders, ______, and for the leaders of the nations of _____. We ask you to fill these leaders with your love, peace and presence. Enable understanding to be negotiated so that no military operation takes place. Enable them to be responsible in recognizing the precious sacredness of every human life. We hold these leaders in oneness with you and ourselves. (Here visualize yourself being at peace and in oneness with God and these leaders.)

We also pray for the people of the nation ______. Fill them with your love and peace. Unite us as fellow sacred human beings, seeking to live daily in peace with fairness for all peoples. Thank you for hearing our prayer and for the new life you bring.  Amen.

Written by Dr. Walter Weston.