Today in our prayers for the people of Taiwan.

Prayer for Peace

Barrie Fox

Eternal God,

We come at this time to thank you for your presence in our lives. May we continue to seek to develop a real and deep desire to become true peacemakers and, as such, to bring some support and encouragement to others. Help us to find peace in our lives, to seek to develop peace in our homes, in our families, in our friendships and with the people we meet from day to day.

May we never forget to be willing to raise our voices to you in thankfulness for the blessings that we do undoubtedly have in life. Help us to find opportunity and time to seek to lift and comfort those with whom we come in contact who have some real and demanding needs. From time to time, may we become more aware of your presence and, as we feel a sense of gratitude for the touch of the Holy Spirit, may we have an earnest desire to help others in their moments of genuine need.

Help us to find peace and encouragement in our lives and to seek to share these blessings with others. Please forgive us Lord for the times that we seem to just look the other way and to set aside the opportunity to support others in their moments of need. Help us, we pray, to see the good in other people, to become better listeners, to share a warm handshake and to offer words of comfort and encouragement. Enable us to find the courage to seek to respond on occasions where friendship and assistance are undoubtedly needed and we are in a position to offer one or the other or indeed both of these.

Our world seems to be beset with so many challenging and demanding problems. Help us to continue to try to face up to these with a real measure of faith, assurance and understanding. May we, who have so much to be thankful for, seek to live our lives in true gratitude and with a real desire to help others as opportunities present themselves. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray this prayer. Amen.