By Sheryl Holstein of Ellijay, Georgia, USA
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Dear God,
We confess to times of insensitivity, ignorance, judgment, indifference, hatred, and greed. Help us tear down the walls that separate us from one another. Lord, let us see you in the faces of our brothers and sisters. Let us hear the cries of the frightened.
Living on every continent are those who are oppressed, hungry, and heavily burdened. As we merge in your love, help us unfold the red bud of passion as we become a people of compassion.
Let us keep the lamp of life burning. Free us from our own limitations that we might free others. Renew in us your Spirit, that we might be faithful to one another in your love.
Together we can build your community, in our hearts, with our minds, words, and deeds. May our hands join, our minds unite, and our hearts beat as one.
This is our prayer of peace. We lay it at your feet that it might be acceptable, and we all might be healed in your love.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer Phrase
“a new community…is being born” (Doctrine and Covenants 164:5).
Spiritual Community
Meditate on a time when you experienced true belonging—a moment when someone welcomed you, listened to you, encouraged you, or reminded you that you were not walking the journey of faith alone. Prayerfully consider the qualities that help build a Christ-centered community: hospitality, compassion, forgiveness, patience, courage, joy, and a willingness to walk alongside one another. Offer a prayer of gratitude for the communities that have shaped you and a prayer of commitment to help create spaces where all people can experience the love, peace, and presence of Christ.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.