Blessed are the Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

I guess I just felt like sharing this prayer tonight, maybe some of you out there reading would like to join me in it. Or maybe you have a similar (or different) prayer for your own country. Feel free to share in the comments! I don’t know, maybe I’ll start doing a bit more of this, sharing my prayers. Or maybe not. We’ll see how this one goes.

This is my prayer for America: that peacemakers would rise up. That in a country filled with division that’s beginning to border on hate, a group of “children of God” would decide to stand staunchly in the middle, and not be moved. That there would be a voice or two voices or a generation of voices that would begin to say enough. That they would clasp hands with both sides and slowly, steadily, draw them back to common ground. That there would be men and women driven by compassion for all, who refuse to accept nasty comments about “the other side,” who will stand up for any or all and who don’t take any side other than God’s. Who can suffer the attacks that will surely come at them from all sides because they will be too conservative for the liberals and too liberal for the conservatives and too inclusive for the fundamentalists and too grounded for the free-spirits. Who can take all of this with a cheerful spirit, remain mute and unoffended before their accusers, much like a certain savior did 2000 years ago. I pray for those who can look on the oppressed and the oppressors, the rich and the poor, the democrat and the republican with equal compassion, understanding, and open-heartedness. I pray for men and women who will fight for justice and fight even more for mercy. I pray that their actions will speak just as loud as their voices and that the country and the world will have to take notice. Will have to admit that something, something is different about them. That they practice what they preach and that the love that they exhibit actually lives up to all the claims that Christians make about it.

I pray for God to give them eloquence so that when they speak, they will be heard and their words will be well-received. I pray for Him to give them strength so they can keep standing. I pray for His wisdom and discernment in their lives so they can cut through the fog and get to the heart of matters with clarity. I pray for His vision and strategies so they can see what actions to take to begin to repair the breaches. I pray that He’ll give them His eyes, so they can look on the world with His love and perspective. I pray that He’ll give them platforms to speak from and arenas to serve within. I pray that they will be noticed and have an impact, that their compassion and selflessness will spread. I pray that He will provide them abundantly with whatever provision they need. I pray for His patience, His forgiveness, His joy, His hope, and His power being at work within them. And I pray that, ultimately, God and they and the rest of us can bring this country a little bit of peace.

Amen.