My Prayer for the Israel/Iran/US Conflict
This prayer is based on one prayed at church the other week, and I’ve updated it now that the US has entered the conflict. You may like to pray it, or one like it, for this tense and difficult situation.
Heavenly Father, God Almighty,
Our hearts are heavy as we look out on our broken, pain-filled and rebellious world, full of wars and strife, including in the Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran.
We’re reminded of the words of Jesus that there will be wars and rumours of wars until His return. While we feel shocked at the awful state of many places in our world and of the wars being fought, may this not surprise or unsettle us. But as we mourn the state of our world, may it also draw us ever closer to you, the Lord Almighty, our refuge and our fortress.
And so, we pray for the situation in the Middle East, in the conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran.
May this situation be resolved according to your good and perfect will. We pray for a just outcome to this conflict, for peace, and for limits to the destruction. May your hand prevent further escalation.
Please spare the innocent on both sides of this conflict. May the governments of Israel, Iran and the US discriminate carefully between military and civilian targets, and only fight according to the Laws of Armed Conflict. In particular, we pray that Israel and the US may warn civilians ahead of time about which military targets they will bomb so that they may flee the destruction. And we pray that you might restrain the Iranian government from attacking innocent Jewish and American civilians in Israel, America, and abroad. But again, we pray this conflict will end soon and lead to a just and lasting peace.
We pray for the people of Iran. Father, we know that the Iranian regime persecutes political and religious dissenters. If it is your will, may you bring about a change in the Iranian government so that they would begin respecting the dignity and human rights of the Iranian people, who are made in your image. And we pray that the gospel will continue spreading across the peoples of Iran, as it is already doing, as increasing numbers see the futility and emptiness of Islam.
We pray this also for the Iranian leadership, that at this time of conflict, they too might look to you for salvation and leave their false worship. May they bow their knees before the Prince of Peace and turn from their evil and oppressive ways.
We pray for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. May they, too, bow their knees before the Prince of Peace and prosecute this war in a way that leads to a just outcome and greater peace and flourishing for all in the Middle East. May they not be arrogant or filled with a desire for bloodlust or revenge.
And most of all, we ask, Heavenly Father, that you may bring on that great and glorious day when, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, you will judge between nations and settle disputes for many peoples. When nations will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. When nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. And when the earth will be filled with the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Amen.