Take out all our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of living, beating flesh. Transform us into instruments of your peace.
Ongoing violence and destabilization threatens the most vulnerable in the DRC. In our global communities and churches, this violence is not so far away.
Good Father, move to stabilize the governing bodies and instill leadership that promotes peace.
Move in the DRC by your unlimited Spirit to protect its civilians, including vulnerable women and children from sexual violence, dehumanizing oppression.
Where conflict and violence threatens, douse it with your peace. Raise up peacemakers in every community. May your spirit, through your people, bring healing to the land, bodies and communities.
May 5 is a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls marked by people in both the US and Canada. While there are usually gatherings to remember and raise awareness, social distancing measures have kept this from happening this year. In our communities and churches, this violence is not so far away.
Brother Jesus, Lord Jesus, walk with these sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts, cousins all the way home. Protect them. Protect the young people who are growing up knowing their lives are at risk and wonder about their worth. Bring peace to homes that live with this deep wound. Transform your people into people who would make room for these voices and work for justice.
While much of the national and international news has moved on, we continue to pray for the victims and families, lives senselessly cut short. In our communities and churches, this violence is not so far away.
To the one who said "Behold, I am making all things new,"
Bring these loved ones to mourn and grieve in ways that will work for their healing. Jesus, sow seeds of shalom in these communities, that will grow and bear fruit in the years to come. Be so very close to the grieving hearts, healing them. And cause our hearts to bend to the grieving in this community and all affected by gun violence, that we may also learn how to best be your hands and feet of peace.
We hold all these prayers open to you.
Your resurrection life says that we can know of
Joy from despair,
Healing out of violence,
Hope when it is very dark.
Start with your mercy,
and with your justice,
and with your compassion
and with YOUR peace.
Amen
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