Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and love proceed, kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all men the true love of peace; and guide with thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take council for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth be filled with the knowledge of thy love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Bishop Paget of Oxford, 1851-1922
Show us, good Lord,
the peace we should seek,
the peace we must give,
the peace we can keep,
the peace we must forgo,
and the peace you have given
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer used by the Corrymeela Community
O God, who wouldest fold both heaven and earth in a single peace, let the design of thy great love lighten upon the waste of our wraths and sorrows, and give peace to thy church, peace among nations, peace in our dwellings, and peace in our hearts; through thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
From Memorials upon Several Occasions
A Simple Prayer in Troubled Times
God of love,
Turn our hearts to your ways
And give us peace. Amen.
A Prayer for Justice
Grant us, good Lord, a vision of our land as your love would make it:
- a land where the weak are protected and none go hungry or poor;
- a land where the benefits of civilised life are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
- a land where different races and cultures live in tolerance and mutual respect;
- a land where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
And give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer of St Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, vision.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master,
Grant that I may not 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 that we are born to eternal life.
