Praying for Peace

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls."
-Psalm 122:6-7 (NIV)


THE room was hot and the floor was hard where seven college-aged women (including me) were trying to sleep. Working for an urban ministry for the summer, we were getting a taste of what the coming weeks would be like as we hosted teens and adults joining us in an outreach ministry to the inner city.

In the morning, we heard that overnight four acts of violence had occurred in the neighborhood. We sat motionless, each contemplating our own feelings of fear or surprise. What could we do? As I silently asked God that question, God brought to my mind the words of David in Psalm 122. I realized I could pray for the peace of my neighborhood, not simply for my own sake but for the sake of my co-workers, my friends, and the neighborhood families. Their faces floated through my mind as I prayed, and in no time my intercession for peace in those urban streets had become personal.

As a staff, we continued to faithfully pray for peace in our neighborhood that summer. I am thankful to say that our staff, neighborhood youth, and volunteers were safe. Not only that, I experienced peace in my mind and heart as I placed my concerns into God's competent care.


Prayer
Dear God, bring your peace into the lives of all those who have been touched by violence. Amen.


From: UpperRoom Devotionals - Melissa Chappell