Praying for Peace and Justice on March 8, 2026
Oh God! Our hearts are breaking this morning as, once again, we see Your world, Your creation being pushed into violence and chaos. It’s like Satan tempted our national leaders up on the mountain top and our leaders responded, “Sure Satan. Whatever you want.”
Oh God:
- We lament the staggering loss of human life which has already claimed more than 1,300 lives – each, one of your children.
- We lament the cycle of retaliation that is falling on civilian areas across the entire region, spreading the geography of grief.
- We lament the targeting of places of healing, learning, play and worship, particularly the bombing of an elementary school where the lives of 160 little girls were sacrificed for some unknown military objective.
- We lament that the values of domination, supremacy, power and retribution currently lead the policies and actions of the U.S. and Israel, violating Your primary values, Christian and Jewish alike.
- We lament the fear and terror of displacement that is gripping millions as we edge closer to wide-ranging and potentially catastrophic war.
We lament the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank whose plight is once again being cast aside and ignored. - We lament and are ashamed that we humans, supposedly your most intelligent species, refuse to learn from history. When it comes to peace, we are very slow learners.
- Oh God, we lament the billions and billions that we devote to killing Your people and destroying Your creation, while at the same time denying people dollars for health care and food.
- We lament the destruction of sacred and cultural history and the annihilation, toxins and pollution being rained down, threatening the well-being of all of Your creatures and all of Your environment.
Oh God, give us breath to blow upon those remaining embers of hope. As a community, help us to be clear that all people, including the people of Iran, are Your beloved. Help us to live lives that truly welcome the stranger, love our neighbors, and love our enemies. Help us to recognize that NO single life is less valuable than another. Help us to be clear that there is NO bomb that You would drop. There is NO missile that You would launch.
Oh God, we hold up all the people of the region, asking for their care and an end to the perpetual wars that claim the lives of Your children. As individuals and as a Seekers community, we commit to prayer and action, working to end this war, this violence, this discord.
AMEN