Dear God,
If there’s one thing I know for sure right now, it’s that the world wasn’t meant to be like this.
Nice, France. Orlando. Dallas. Alton Sterling. Philando Castile. These names, and too many others like them, are my nation’s newest synonyms for tragedy. For the friends and family of those who have died, they represent moments of agony that can never be unwritten. For those whose race or sexuality or occupation has given them reason to fear the same kind of violence, they are threats, reminders that catastrophe is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
Even for me, though these names are little more than headlines to weep over and shake my fist at, they still leave me reeling. They make me wonder how much longer the world as I know it can possibly survive. They make me wonder what I can do, how I should respond, if I too am complicit in this violence.
But you, God, know these names better than all of us. They’re not just names to you. You’ve studied every detail of every life damaged or lost in these tragedies. You’ve numbered the hairs on every head, gathered every tear. The people I’ve only ever known as victims, you’ve known all along as reflections of your own image.
You know far better than I that the world wasn’t made for hatred and pain. You’re the one who knew our human race from the very beginning, the one who breathed life into our dust and called us very good. You know just how beautiful we were intended to be.
So if my heart is breaking right now, surely your heart must be breaking too.
I pray to you not as someone distant and aloof, but as someone near to me, near to us, even in the midst of chaos. I don’t have to shout to get your attention. You are close enough to hear my broken whispers. No matter how strong or weak I feel, no matter how much or how little
faith
I can muster, I’ll start by whispering this:
Give us peace.
You are the sovereign ruler, the mover of mountains, the victor of impossible victories. You are Lord over earthquakes and tsunamis, over nations in turmoil and terrorist plots, over starving children and fleeing refugees and prisoners tortured for their faith. You speckled the sky with stars and set the earth spinning like a top. You own everything, control everything. Your hand allows each mind to think and teaches each heart to beat. There is nothing you can’t do. So I pray, even though it seems impossible:
Give us peace.
Bring an end to violence and hatred and discord. Steady the feet that rush into war and the finger poised on the trigger. Bring justice to the downtrodden, restoration to the marginalized and abused, hope to the hopeless. Guide all those in positions of power—whether that power is political or physical or social—and give them wisdom to use their power wisely. Give them, and all of us, the grace to admit when we are wrong and to seek forgiveness. Give us the grace to forgive.
Help us see your face in the faces of the people around us. Give us courage to love one another even when love seems like a risk. Give us compassion for those who are unlike us. Teach us to listen to those we disagree with, to hear stories that make us uncomfortable. Heal the hatred in the world around us by healing our own hearts first.
Give us peace by making us agents of peace.
Even now, in the midst of the darkness, I believe you are at work. I believe you have the power to fashion something new and beautiful out of our disastrous ruins. Give me patience as you work. Don’t let me rush so quickly into peace that I fail to learn from the chaos. If you’re revealing ugliness in my nation and world so that I can begin to address it and transform it, don’t let me be content to simply sweep it under the carpet. I want more than a temporary cease-fire of my own making. I want true peace, lasting peace.
Your peace.
If tragedy and chaos persist, keep me from apathy. Give me a heart that loves deeply enough to break again and again. Give me a passion for peace that only burns brighter as time goes by.
Thank you that your love has never stopped blazing. Thank you that no matter how many times our human race falls, you have never fallen into apathy. When we are faithless, you remain faithful.
One day, I know, you’ll give us a perfect peace that lasts forever. One day every sorrow will be erased and every tear wiped away. One day pain will be locked in a heavenly museum and hatred will be the stuff of history books.
But I dare to ask for peace sooner than that. I dare to believe, along with King David in
Psalm 27:13
, that
“I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
I dare to plead with you in the name of Jesus, in the name of the one who suffered so I could plead with you:
Give us peace.
Gregory Coles is an author and an English instructor at Penn State University. Learn more at www.gregcoles.com. 
This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for StrengthPrayer for ProtectionMorning PrayersGood Night PrayersThe Prayer of JabezShort PrayersThe Lord’s PrayerThe Prayer of St FrancisSerenity PrayerA Birthday PrayerSinner’s PrayerPrayer for ForgivenessIntercessory PrayerIrish Prayers and BlessingsAdvent PrayersChristmas PrayersThanksgiving PrayerHoly Week Prayers for Each DayEaster PrayersPrayers for My HusbandPrayers for My SonPrayer Quotes
Now available is our new Daily Prayer devotional! An easy way to find start your day with prayer, read today’s prayer and sign up to receive by email.
www.crosswalk.com
For Peace & Healing. We are deeply aware of the tragic cycle of continuing violence around the world. As we each find our own way through the complex maze of inner feelings, it is useful to know that we are not alone in our struggles or in our hopes. Even as tragedy and suffering have occurred to so many people now and throughout history, there have also been passionate insightful voices calling for peace and healing. Below are a few special prayers which many have found inspiring.
Prayers Selected by our Visitors & Staff
- Beannacht – John O’Donohue
- At Prayer With Mary – Sister Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB
- We Interrupt This War – Cappy Hall Rearick
- Refuse to Fall Down – Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés
- Prayer for World Peace – Sister Joan Chittister, OSB
- Prayer – Dr. Maya Angelou
- Prayer for the World – Rabbi Harold Kushner
- Wage Peace – Judyth Hill
- Pray For Peace – Ellen Bass
- Here’s what to do during war – Maxine Hong Kingston
- Prayer for World Peace – Dr. Jane Goodall
- Sunlit paths of inner peace – Martin Luther King
- Do Everything with a Mind That Lets Go – Achaan Chah
- Small Wonder – Barbara Kingsolver
- One Altar – Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi
- May we love ever more – Julia Butterfly Hill
- Prayer for Everyday for All Creation – Millionth Circle Initiative
- Instrument of Thy Peace – St. Francis of Assisi
- If There is to be Peace in the World – Lao-Tse
- Blessed are the Peacemakers – Jesus
- When I Despair – Mahatma Gandhi
- Prayer for Peace – Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
- Prayer of Repentance – Meher Baba
- Creator, Open Our Hearts – Alycia Longriver
- Oh Almighty! May He Protect all of Us! – Kathopanisada
- May I Be Filled with Loving Kindness – Tibetan Mantra
- The Lord Bless You and Keep You – Numbers 6:24-26
- Deep Peace of the Running Wave – Gaelic Blessing
- Mychal’s Prayer – Fr. Mychal Judge, FDNY
- Do not stand at my grave and weep – Mary Elizabeth Frye
- Violence never again! – Pope John Paul II
- Make Us Worthy, Lord – Mother Teresa
- Soul of Our Souls – Pashta MaryMoon
- We Give Thanks This Day – Rev. O. Eugene Pickett
- Oh Allah! I Consult You – Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
- God to enfold me – Carmina Gadelica
- Today I purpose to live – Michael John Faciane
- Condemn us not if we forget – The Holy Qur’an, 2:286
- Circle me Lord – David Adam, Vicar
- Unite in Harmony – `Abdu’l-Bahá
- May Peace Prevail on Earth – Masahisa Goi
- Peace Day Prayer – Sister Rosemarie
- If I speak in the tongues of men – 1 Corinthians
More Prayers For Peace. Here are all of the prayers in our collection that include the word “peace.”
Help Us Select Prayers. If you would like to suggest a prayer for this page, please use our suggestion form.
www.worldprayers.org
It was a Christian initiative that led to the founding of the Week of Prayer for World Peace in 1974. It soon became an interfaith activity, and now welcomes everyone, of all faith traditions or none, to take part. Our first Chair, the late Dr. Edward Carpenter, former Dean of Westminster Abbey, established the guiding principle of the Week in the words “The peace of the world must be prayed for by the faiths of the world”, and this continues to be the basis of our work today.
For those inspired with the idea of praying with people of all beliefs, three thoughts may be helpful.
- First, the different words we recite are said by neighbours in the same town and the same street every week, and by sharing together we simply bring under one roof what happens anyway under the same sky.
- Secondly, we are convinced that there is only one humanity praying to one supreme consciousness, with whatever different opinions we may have on what that may be.
- Thirdly, we recognise that interfaith partnership does not itself imply agreement.
The things we agree on are many and precious. What we disagree on is precious too. We give our interior assent to all who stand and pray for peace with us. When that is challenging, we withhold our interior assent, yet stand with that person, as a friend and as a partner for peace.
Every year more people are joining in worldwide, including communities and schools in New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Germany, Canary Islands, Australia, Italy and many more. Please let us know how you celebrate. See our details on the contact page.
For dates and details of this year’s events please see our events page.
www.weekofprayerforworldpeace.com
Paramhansa Yogananda said that natural calamities such as earthquakes and hurricanes are the result of the excessive build-up of negative thoughts and emotions around the world. Healing prayers and positive thoughts of many people can help to neutralize these negative vibrations. The Blessed Mother Mary has appeared numerous times in the past century, exhorting people to pray in order to mitigate the wars and calamities that would otherwise visit the earth due to the natural laws of karma.
There have been some interesting experiences as we’ve prayed for specific geographic areas. To learn more, please read:
- Healing Prayers for an Island
- Prayers for a war-torn area
- Healing Prayers for Japan (after the Fukushima disaster)
- Visualization for Peace in the Middle East
When we pray for the planet, we focus primarily on increasing the light, by praying for those who on uplifting humanity in some way. The souls who are trying to do good will be most receptive to the vibrations of healing, and they will be strengthened by the prayers. As Paramhansa Yogananda taught, “If you are in a dark room, don’t beat at the darkness with a stick, but rather try to turn on the light!”
Our world has an ongoing need for healing prayers, whether it be for war, famine, or the environment. This will not change until we live in harmony with God and each other. These prayers can be used at any time, and you can focus it on any area of particular need. May you feel deeply blessed and inspired in your prayers. Please know that they do an enormous amount of good.
Start with a prayer to the Divine Presence to bless, guide and protect your healing prayer session. You will find it very helpful to review these Healing Techniques, taught by Paramhansa Yogananda.
Table of contents
Visualization for Planetary Healing
Feel Light and Divine Power flowing through you as you serve as an instrument of God’s healing grace.
Visualize the Earth floating between your hands. It may be helpful to think of the beautiful photos of it taken from outer space. See the aura of the Earth filled with harmony and light. Gently move your hands in space over the Earth, sending divine healing light of God to all areas.
See the physical aspect of the planet happy and healthy. Send healing light as you visualize clear waters in the oceans, lakes and streams. See divine light nourishing the green plants and trees of the earth. See life force flowing to all of the many creatures. See the earth’s atmosphere fresh and sparkling with vitality.
Visualize light and love flowing through the many churches and spiritual groups. May the Light of God shine forth through all religions, harmonizing their efforts and guiding souls to Him. The true strength of America lies in its spiritual nature. May this spiritual nature be strengthened and clarified, and may God’s light guide and protect this country.
Ask Divine Mother to bless all souls. Ask Her to give special encouragement to the souls that strive to bring light to everyone around them. May these “angels” be ever blessed as they spread God’s grace to all.
Mary Kretzmann, Director of Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry
Related
- Healing Techniques Taught by Paramhansa Yogananda (for individuals)
- Articles on Healing
www.ananda.org
