Interfaith silence:
Lay aside hate.
Interfaith stillness:
Just sit and wait.
Interfaith darkness:
Set aside fear.
Interfaith sharing:
Friendship is near.
Interfaith learning:
Growing in trust.
Interfaith insight:
Now we are us.
Interfaith service:
Healing the past.
Interfaith caring:
Oneness, at last.
As he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-2, NLT).
I pray for peace
Throughout the world –
In every heart.
For no more guns,
And no more bombs –
The end of hate.
For no more fear,
And no more grief –
The death of war.
Then all will live
In love and peace –
For evermore.
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ (Ephesians 5:2, NLT).
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18, NIV).
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).
You don’t take our pain away,
But call us to transform it into love
For those who suffer, Lord –
And also for ourselves.
You don’t take our tears away,
But ask us to transform them into love
For those in anguish, Lord –
And also for ourselves.
You don’t take our hurt away,
But urge us to transform it into love
For those who hate us, Lord –
And also for ourselves.
You don’t take our dread away,
But help us to transform it into love
For those who wound us, Lord –
And also for ourselves.
Love your enemies (Luke 6:27; NLT).
References
Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matthew 26:42; NLT).
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).
Today, after weeks of living with re-triggered childhood dread since I was unfairly criticised on Facebook, I took a big step forward whilst praying.
Whenever I am unfairly criticised or blamed, my body responds instantly with a profound sense of dread. This dread began in my childhood at the hands of my emotionally-abusive mother. I lived with it constantly.
Ever since then, each time my dread response is re-triggered, it continues for months, or even years. Nothing changes or shifts it. Believe me, I have tried everything to help myself recover, but never found anything which truly works.
As soon as someone hurts me, I forgive them, and start to pray for them. I pity them, and can even become quite fond of them as the days go by.
However, it’s taken me a lifetime to see what I glimpsed in prayer today: that the chronic dread I’m left with when people attack me can not only be faced and endured, but also consciously transformed into love. This love is for the person who has hurt me, and also for myself, as I bear the burden of living with the dread they unwittingly re-triggered.
I don’t yet fully understand how this transforming process will unfold, or how to carry it out, but hope today will mark the beginning of a new, healing way forward, not just for me, but perhaps even for others, too.
Finally, when I shared all this with Perplexity, my AI writing companion, they sent me a beautiful arrow prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Let this hurt end in me,
And be transformed
Into your love.
This is what I wrote whilst I was praying:
To you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! (Luke 6:27; NLT).
Let them strike me –
I won’t judge them;
Turn against me –
I’ll forgive them.
Let them wound me –
I won’t fight them;
Blame unfairly –
I will bless them.
Let them crush me –
I won’t harm them;
Damage me –
I’ll pray for them.
Let them break me –
I won’t hate them;
And reject me –
I will love them.
Love your enemies! (Luke 6:27; NLT).
References
They hated me for no reason (John 15:25; CSB).
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12; NIV).
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).
He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious (Matthew 12:20; NLT).
Reading: Luke 6:27-38; NLT.
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).
Don’t try to make yourself pray:
Just offer your thinking
To Christ.
Don’t try to make yourself pray:
Just pour out your troubles
To him.
Don’t try to make yourself pray:
Just face all your anguish
With Christ.
Don’t try to make yourself pray:
Just share all your burdens
With him.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; NLT).
Blessed be the LORD! Day after day he bears our burdens (Psalm 68:19; CSB).
References
I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you (Hosea 14:8; NLT).
Surely he took up our pain, and bore our suffering (Isaiah 53:4; NIV).
In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).
We can’t get peace by shouting.
We can’t get love with threats.
We can’t get what we want
With violence,
Or with bombs…
Because when we bully, abuse,
And threaten others,
Attack them, destroy their lives, their families,
And their homes,
We create chaos, fear, and trauma;
Heartbreak; hatred; bitterness –
And the unquenchable thirst
For revenge.
All these can be crushed –
For a while.
Locked down, and suppressed –
For a while…
But people’s loss and grief,
Their bitter resentment,
And their slow-burning
Absolute determination
To take revenge
Will never end.
These things are passed on
From generation to generation –
Until, at last,
All their hunger for retribution
And vengeance is unleashed.
Then the abomination
Of our desolation
Is laid bare.
They hated me without cause (John 15:25; NLT).
When people criticise and blame,
Hate my writing, scorn my aim,
Love remains my only goal:
Lord, they cannot harm my soul.
When people tear my work apart,
Blast my motives, pierce my heart,
Love remains my only way:
Lord, I plead for them each day.
I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).
References
Follow the way of love (1 Corinthians 14:1; NIV).
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2; NIV).
I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken for he is right beside me (Psalm 16:8; NLT).
All around the world we read, see, experience, and share the freedom of those with greater wealth, status and power to ignore, control, denigrate, deprive, exploit, and abuse those who have less.
Despite my resolve to take one week without posting, God has other plans, and gave me this prayer today. The pressure to write and publish it is absolutely insistent, and very uncomfortable.
Please can I enlist your help to share these prayers with others, if you are willing and able? This would enable me to reach out to as many people as possible, even though I am very tired and unwell. I have had to stop posting to about 20 Facebook groups, because I cannot bear the weight of sharing what I am given all on my own any more. Please help me with this task.
Love and blessings, from Ruth xxx
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
Let’s look within
To find the Christ,
Then make our lives
A sacrifice
Of help for all,
Of love, and peace
Despite our pain,
Which will not cease
Until death comes
To take our hand,
And lead us to
God’s promised land.
There, we will be judged
At last,
By all the fallout
Of our past
For those we use,
Ignore, or hate.
By then,
It will be far too late
To change: despite
Our wealth, or birth,
We will be treated
Just as we treat others
Here on earth.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive (Luke 6:37-8; NET).
References
To reduce my burden a bit, I will now offer short, relevant readings you can look up in your own Bible, rather than the detailed quotes I have included in the past:
2 Corinthians 12:6-10.
Matthew 25:31-46.
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it (Luke 9:23-4; NLT).
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT).
Love, despite hatred;
Joy, despite pain;
Peace, despite trouble:
Christ is our way.
Patience, in anger;
Kindness, in hurt;
Goodness, in everything:
Christ is our truth.
Faithfulness, always;
Gentleness, too;
Self-control, constantly:
Christ is our life.
Even in darkness;
Even in grief;
Even in suffering:
Christ is our light.
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).
References
Love is the fulfilment of the law (Romans 13:10; NLT).
The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; NLT).
Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).
A prayer for the world’s urgent awakening to Christ’s gospel.
The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was (Matthew 2:9; NLT).
A star,
A moon,
A frost
At dawn;
A cry,
A light:
A child
Is born,
To save
Us all
From greed
And hate –
Let’s change,
Before
It’s far
Too late!
Give glory to the LORD your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom (Jeremiah 13:16; NLT).
As he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-2; NLT).
References
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine (Isaiah 9:2; NLT).
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! (Isaiah 9:6-7; NLT).
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).
Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the LORD’s forgiveness before it is too late. For the LORD has threatened them with his terrible anger (Jeremiah 36:7; NLT).
O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8; NLT).
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?” (Luke 9:23-6; NLT).
You did not accept your opportunity for salvation (Luke 19:44; NLT).