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A Prayer for Sowing Peace in Places of Conflict

     And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:18) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matt. 5:9) If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Rom. 12:18)

     Dear Lord Jesus, though I don’t have a great history as a backyard gardener, I praise you that there’s at least one kind of gardening for which there’s no possibility of crop failure. When we sow in peace and seek to live out stories of your reconciling love—there’s assurance of ample, delectable, righteous fruit, in time. It may not look like what we hoped for, but we are never foolish to long for and work for peace.

     Indeed, our only hope for a good crop of reconciliation and restoration is entirely bound up with you; for you are our peace and the ultimate Peacemaker, Lord Jesus I’ve borne the worthless fruit of both my peace-breaking and my peace-faking in the past. I’m so done with that.

     Jesus, keep me mindful to the peacemaking you have already accomplished between yourself and us. While we were your enemies, you died for us—destroying the hostility and replacing the enmity with your lavish love and eternal peace. You have reconciled us to yourself through the cost of your life—the price of your blood. There is no greater love.

     And the coming harvest of perfect fruit (glorification) is not the least bit in doubt. You will bring to completion the good work you have begun in each of us, and in your whole creation. Don’t let me lose sight of this hope for one nanosecond. Perfect relationships define our future.

     So, Jesus, give me your patience when peacemaking takes much longer than I hope, requires more emotional currency than I have, and demands more forgiveness than I want to offer. Give me courage when you send me to people and situations I want to avoid like a highly contagious disease. Give me more of your mercy and compassion, Jesus, for you have called me to love people, not to treat anyone as a project. So very Amen I pray, in your triumphant and tender name.

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