REMEMBRANCE PRAYER

Loving God,

We praise you that you are a God who is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Here in this moment together we recognise before you the terrible cost of war

and remember the bravery and courage of all who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

We thank you for the freedom we enjoy today as individuals and as a nation:

freedom to worship, freedom of speech, freedom from war and oppression.

We remember before you with immense gratitude those who made such freedom possible,

giving their lives to secure a better future for their loved ones, their nations and the world.

We praise you for victory against evil and tyranny, and those who sought to dominate and subdue,

for their dedication to fight for good, and perseverance despite their own fear and fragility.

We acknowledge before you the ongoing presence in our world today of forces of evil and oppression,

of those who resort to killing and destruction to fight for their cause

of peoples living in fear and deprivation due to conflict and aggression,

of those who are persecuted for standing up for freedom and justice,

and those who suffer the consequences of hatred and aggression.

We thank you for the measure of peace in which we live today;

may we value it and nurture it recognising the price at which it was won.

We pray for the day to come when there will be no more war,

when all people and nations of the world will live together in harmony,

and you will rule over all.

As we remember the sacrifices of the past, help us also remember your ways of peace,

that we too might work for peace and reconciliation in our families, our communities and our world.

From a A Virtual Prayer Meeting for Remembrance Day – from Carolyn Urwin, (used with permission from North West Baptist Association).