A prayer for all whose lives and spirits are impacted by the current violence between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip.
Peace be within your walls and security within your towers. For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. (Psalm 122)
God of Shalom, source of all that is good and just: We pray for all the lives lost in and around the Gaza Strip as a result of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks over the weekend. We know you weep with all families who are grieving the deaths of their loved ones. We pray for the safe return of those who are being held hostage. Oh God, we know there are many innocent people caught in the middle of this war. And our neighbors near and far carry great fear and trauma from this unrest, and from the disease of hate. For impacted members of our Augsburg community, we pray for your strength and well-being. We see you, we care for you, and we are holding you close in prayer and in the Light of Christ who is our Prince of Peace. We pray that love and peace prevail, that the families and friends of this community be protected, and that this unfortunate war will end soon.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Amen