ABM has written this prayer in the face of the worsening situation in the Middle East, and as we approach the first anniversary of the commencement of the current violent hostilities.

One year on: How long, O Lord, how long? Prayers for the people of Israel, Palestine, and now Lebanon

Today we pray to you with broken hearts and perturbed minds, God of Abraham and Sarah, God of Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael, for the peoples of Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. Help us to hold them firmly in our hearts and not separate them one from another, for they are all your children. We pray for an immediate de-escalation in the cycle of savagery and brutality that threatens the stability of the whole Middle East and beyond. Bring, O God, your peace.

We pray for the people of Israel: We remember particularly the victims of violent attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah and their families. We pray for the hostages and yearn for their safe return home without any further delay. We pray for those whose lives are filled with fear and anxiety because of rocket attacks. And we pray for all those who suffer trauma because of inter-generational violence. Send your Spirit to be with the people of Israel, to comfort them and restore them to fullness of life.

We pray for the people of Gaza and the West Bank: We acknowledge their endurance through decades of occupation and oppression. We pray for all the victims of violent attacks by the Israeli military (or settlers in the West Bank), remembering especially the loss of lives, homes and employment opportunities. We pray for those who have been denied food, water, electricity and medical care. We ask for your special protection over doctors and all who serve others at this difficult time. For those who are refugees, long displaced from their homes, we ask for your care. Guide and bless the work of UNWRA, as it seeks to help the latest wave of Palestinian people who have become refugees. Send your Spirit to be with the people of Palestine, to comfort them and restore them to fullness of life.

We pray for the people of Lebanon: We pray to you that the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah does not spiral further out of control. We pray for all those civilians caught up in the bombings and ask that you protect them. We pray again for your special protection over doctors and all who serve others at this difficult time. May hospitals be spared from bombing. Send your Spirit to be with the people of Lebanon, to comfort them and restore them to fullness of life.

Hear us especially as we pray particularly for the children of Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon: We pray for the families and friends of children who have died as a result of the war. We pray for children who have been maimed or otherwise permanently injured, and we remember especially all those who will need psychological support as a result of evils perpetrated by adults. We pray for all children whose educations have been negatively affected by the fighting.

We ask you to restrain those who have led others down the futile path of violence – not only those killing others, but also those on the sidelines such as foreign governments who turn a blind eye and alms dealers who cynically make a buck out of human misery. Let them repent in shame and turn away from iniquity. Let their minds turn to imaginative ways to bring about peace and concord.

God of the Nations, help us to always to discern right from wrong. May we not give in to the temptation of hating others. May we always seek and pursue justice. May we proclaim peace in word and deed. Help us to affirm and express that every life is sacred. Grant us your wisdom, that we may profess that justice, peace and safety belong to all people. Give us the fearlessness to champion justice and look to a future in which all people can flourish.

And so, we ask you to empower us to pray for and work towards a successful and secure Israel, a successful and secure Lebanon, and a successful and secure Palestine. Let the occupation cease. Let the weapons of war be abandoned. Let the walls of separation, whether metaphysical or made of concrete, come tumbling down. Let prisoners be released back into their communities. Let the demonising one of another become a thing of the past. Let political leaders around the world seek the good of all people in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. Let them, and us, find the courage to work for peace and the mettle to seek justice for all people in the Middle East. God, help us to fashion, alongside all people of goodwill in the Middle East, a future of equal rights and freedoms for all.

Thus, God of Abraham and Sarah, God of Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael, may your justice inhabit the land, your righteousness dwell in fruitful fields. Let the consequence of justice be an abiding peace. Let the outcome of righteousness be amity and peace of mind for ever. Let iniquity and misery be no more.

In the name of Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord,

Amen.