Here is a collection of prayers for peace and prayers for reconciliation that you could pray on your own, in your church, or in a small group setting like a Bible study.
Prayers for Peace
For peace
Almighty God,
all thoughts of truth and peace
proceed from you.
Kindle in the hearts of all people
the true love of peace.
Guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel
for the nations of the earth;
that in tranquility your kingdom
may go forward,
till the earth is filled
with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–From the Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, St. Andrew Press.
For inner peace
Set free, O Lord, the souls of your servants
from all restlessness and anxiety.
Give us your peace and power,
and so keep us that, in all perplexity and distress,
we may abide in you,
upheld by your strength
and stayed on the rock of your faithfulness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–From the Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, St. Andrew Press.
For peace among the nations of the world
Almighty God, who through your prophets foretold a day when swords will be beaten into plowshares and who in Jesus Christ made peace through the blood of the cross, pour out your Spirit on all people everywhere so that we may be delivered from hate, hostility, and self-seeking, and find our peace in your will. In your mercy, make us instruments of your peace, that your name may be hallowed, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–from Liturgy and Psalms (Reformed Church in America, 1968)
For peace in the human family
Creator God,
in love you have fashioned the human family
in a variety of races, languages, and cultures.
Do not let our diversity divide us,
but help us to welcome gifts
we can give and receive from one another.
Save us from prejudice, arrogance and fear,
and teach us how to live together
as members of one family,
sharing one home,
and the children of one God. Amen.
–written for this collection
For peace in families
Bless the homes in which your people live, O God,
and strengthen the bonds of love
between husband and wife, parent and child, sisters and brothers.
Make our homes places of refuge and sources of strength
where we support and encourage each other.
When conflict and tension arise
help us to work out our differences in honest dialogue,
trusting that you will give us grace to forgive
and strength to love in even the most difficult times. Amen.
–written for this collection
For peace in the church
God of our lives,
by the power of your Holy Spirit
we have been drawn together by one baptism into one faith,
serving one Lord and Savior.
Do not let us tear away from one another
through division or hard argument.
May your peace embrace our differences,
preserving us in unity,
as one body of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–from the Worship Book, Westminster, 1970
For peace in cities
God of heaven and earth,
in your Word you have given us a vision of that holy city
to which the nations of the world bring their glory.
Look upon and visit the cities of the earth.
Renew the ties of mutual regard that form our civic life.
Send us honest and able leaders.
Help us to eliminate poverty, prejudice, and oppression,
that peace may prevail with righteousness,
and justice with order,
and that men and women from various cultures
and with differing talents
may find with one another
the fulfillment of their humanity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–from the Book of Common Prayer, Episcopal Church, 1977
Prayers for Reconciliation
Prayer for reconciliation
Loving God,
you have reconciled us in Christ Jesus
and have given us the ministry of reconciliation.
We pray for all those from whom we are estranged.
Bring healing to strained or broken relationships.
Forgive us for the times we have wronged others,
whether by ignorance, neglect, or intention.
Grant us the courage and the grace to seek their forgiveness
and opportunity to make amends.
Where others have wronged us,
grant us a gracious spirit,
that we might forgive
even as we have been forgiven in Jesus Christ. Amen.
–written for this collection
Responsive prayer for reconciliation
Across the barriers that divide race from race:
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide rich from poor:
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide people of different cultures:
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide Christians:
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Across the barriers that divide men and women, young and old:
Reconcile us, O Christ, by your cross.
Confront us, O Christ, with the hidden prejudices and fears
that deny and betray our prayers.
Enable us to see the causes of strife, remove from us all senses of superiority.
Teach us to grow in unity with all God’s children.
–Nolan Palsma, Pitcher Hill Community Church, North Syracuse, NY
Prayer of confession focused on reconciliation
O God of shalom,
we have built up walls to protect ourselves from our enemies,
but those walls also shut us off from receiving your love.
Break down those walls.
Help us to see that the way to your heart
is through the reconciliation of our own hearts with our enemies.
Bless them and us, that we may come to grow in love
for each other and for you, through Jesus Christ.
–Nolan Palsma, Pitcher Hill Community Church, North Syracuse, NY
