Today is the National Day of Prayer. We met as an assembly of many churches today and prayed for many topics of concern. My topic was Peace. As I was praying about just what to say, I thought about some of the scriptures that talk about God’s people as sometimes being a stiff-necked people stubbornly wanting their own way, not God’s way. I prayed for us to be the people who can be used by God to walk into the world and bring peace. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
I used the prayer for peace from the Lutheran Book of Worship that is in an earlier post. I, then prayed for us to have the qualities of a peacemaker and prayed the prayer attributed to St. Francis.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
May we be people that God can use. May our stubbornness be put to use for God so that we do not give up on peace, that we do not weary of doing good. May God bless us by putting us to work. That reminds me of a prayer of John Wesley’s – but that will be for another day.
Bless you all.
Hope Talks 
Wonderful choices! Thanks on everyone’s behalf.