Prayer
Almighty God,
we give you praise for your abundant mercy, grace and faithfulness.
You have kept your promise to us: “my peace I give to you not as the world giveth.”
May your peace, given in Christ,
be made real in the midst of tension, disagreement, heartbreak and devastation.
May your peace, that surpasses human understanding,
be shed abroad in the hearts of all Ethiopians.
May your peace bring calm among the chaos that has unfolded
in different communities throughout the nation of Ethiopia.
God of peace, we pray too for love, kindness and compassion
will lead to reconciliation and lasting peace.
Uproot the seeds of bitterness and rage that have created walls of division
that hinders your promised peace.
In its place, may seeds of mutual respect, genuine love, sincere compassion
and a willingness to live in harmony, be planted and nourished.
God of all, we pray for the softening of people’s hearts one to the other,
so that the hungry will be fed, the naked clothed, the needs of all are met.
Bring healing to all who are sick and hospitalized,
especially those who have become infected with COVID-19;
may those who care for sick and dying not grow weary in well-doing.
Divine Comforter, may your abiding presence be with the most vulnerable,
who lives are often greatly impacted: women, children, people with different disabilities, refugees and other displaced people, hiding for fear of their lives.
Give wisdom, we pray, to the leaders at all levels in Ethiopia,
that they will seek to bring an end to the ongoing conflict,
seeking above all else the interest and welfare of all Ethiopians.
May those who have taken up arms in anger, revenge or even in the cause of justice,
be converted to embrace the pathway of peace
through hopeful dialogue and constructive collaboration.
Grant, merciful God, we pray, peace in the nation of Ethiopia,
so that there will be a return to the normalcy of daily living, without fear.
Awaken, Triune God, your people to pursue the path of peace, mindful of these words: ‘blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called the children of God.’
Lift up your face to your people, O God, and grant them your peace. Amen
