Praying for Peace and Justice on January 5, 2025
Holy One,
We are here with our heavy hearts as see so much hatred, violence, and suffering in the world.
We pray for those children and their families in war who are hungry, oppressed, hurting and dying.
We ask that you give these children and their caregivers the strength and courage to endure the terrible situations that they are experiencing.
We pray that you will bring your justice, your peace, and healing to bear for these children and work to bring about a true and lasting change.
We especially pray for those in potion of power and authority to give them the commitment to bring aid and change for justice.
We know you are a God of Peace and Healing. We trust your faithfulness to be with us in change for our world and its children.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who is the Christ. Amen
Background
I’m struck by the haunting pictures of the children and mothers who are suffering from the war in Gaza and Israel.
- One report by NBC News reported on Oct 26, 2023 that at least 2700 children have been killed according to Palestinian Health officials.
However, children in other parts of the world are also experiencing violence and trauma not just in conflict areas.
- The UN Chairwoman (Anne Skelton) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child that the number of child victims were verified as rising in 2024 in Gaza, Sudan, and Miramar
As I lie in my warm bed with a full stomach reflecting on my fun times this holiday season with my own grandchildren, Lyla and Aaron, I wonder how these children in places of war who experience such violence and trauma, will grow up? Will they be able to overcome the physical, cognitive, and emotional consequences of their environments?
So…my prayer today is for the children everywhere but particularly those children who are experiencing the terrors of violence and wars, whether in Gaza, Ukraine, or in some state or county in the US.
