What Difference Does It Make to Pray for Peace in Our World?
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Praying for peace seems an impossible task, or even a waste of time. When we look at the current unrest in our world — the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan, to name just three — we know that even when conflict comes to an end in these regions, peace can be tentative. If war doesn’t return to these areas, it will flare up elsewhere in our world.
Even down to the level of our homes, we know that peace is elusive. Quarrels, silent treatment, or someone walking out can occur at any time. As much as we try to keep the peace — or work to make those times we get together with our families peaceful — it is often an ongoing battle to live without tension.
In any case, didn’t Jesus tell us in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble”? Didn’t Jesus say that “wars and rumors of wars” were a sign of end times and his return (Matthew 24:6-8)?
And yet, the Bible doesn’t leave us with this sense of unrest. It does the opposite. The biblical view is to seek peace. As I heard someone say recently, “Chase after peace, pursue it.”
First, to understand what we are praying for, we need to grasp the meaning of peace more fully. We need to know what the word “peace” means in the Bible.
The word for peace, shalom in Hebrew in the Old Testament, is more than an absence of conflict. Shalom’s meaning is much broader and more comprehensive. It more correctly means wholeness, soundness, health, security, well-being, and salvation. It can also mean quietness, rest, and completion.
So, here are three reasons we should pray for peace and the difference it can make.
Peace Is a Blessing from God for His People
Peace, in all the forms mentioned above, is not created by human beings but comes from God himself. Just like love, grace, and mercy are characteristics of God, so is peace; wholeness, well-being, and completion are part of God’s nature.
God is the creator of peace. And as one commentator says, “peace is the ideal of creation.”
God says this of himself in Isaiah 45:7: “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” The word for “well-being” in this verse is shalom.
God’s government and authority is one of peace. Job 25:2 says “Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high heaven.”
When we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven,” we are praying for God’s peace that rules in heaven to come to earth. God’s kingdom is one of wholeness, soundness, health, security, well-being, rest and salvation.
The Creator God of peace, whose reign in his kingdom is harmonious and complete, also blesses His people with peace.
Psalm 29:10-11 says: “...The Lord reigns as king forever. The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.”
And Psalm 85:8 says: “...he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants.”
We get a sense from these Psalms that God’s blessing and promise of peace — soundness, wholeness, rest even — is for His people, corporately. And because of that, we are to pray corporately for God’s peace.
We pray for the plan of the Creator to fill the earth, as the heavens, with His peace. We pray for God to restore our world to His intended plan for creation.
We should pray within our churches and with other believers for the blessing of God’s peace to come to earth from heaven. Just as the Lord’s prayer begins: Our Father… we ask for His blessing of peace on us, all as his people.
God’s Kingdom of peace is the needed difference to our world.
Let’s use this prayer together.
Our Father in heaven, may your Kingdom of peace, salvation, wholeness, and completion rule on earth as it does in heaven. We ask you to pour out your gift and blessing of peace on us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Peace Is a Gift That Individuals Have with God through Jesus
The New Testament word for peace is irene. This word means rest, but it also incorporates all the meanings of shalom mentioned above, too.
With the announcement of the birth of Jesus, the angels praised God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). The peace of heaven came to earth through the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
The prophet Isaiah spoke of one who would come, one who was hoped for. We know this as Jesus. Just as we repeat the words of the angels during our Christmas celebrations, so we repeat the words of Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
As the Psalms above indicate, God’s people prayed for God’s peace to come to earth. This Prince of Peace was longed for by God’s people for hundreds of years.
We know that Jesus didn’t bring peace to the land, even if his disciples hoped that Jesus’s rule would be a physical kingdom (Matthew 20:21). Instead, Jesus gave individuals peace—rest, well-being, salvation—in their relationship with God. This peace came through faith in Jesus:
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50).
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:34).
Jesus understood that his mission was one of peace, too: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
And Paul developed on Jesus’ mission by explaining that peace came through Jesus’ death for us as sinners. Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
Those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus know the peace it has brought to our hearts as we understand, or perhaps realize is beyond our understanding, a sense of well-being, wholeness, rest, and security that we are right before God.
The most important peace we can pray for is for individuals to be reconciled with God through Jesus. And prayer is the way in which we invite others to place their faith in God, through Jesus, and receive salvation. Prayer brings individual peace with God.
Use this prayer for the people in your life to find peace with God.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus, the bringer of peace. I bring before you those I know and love who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. May they turn to you in faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Peace Is a Gift of the Holy Spirit for Our Relationships with Other People
Galatians 5:22 lists “peace” as a gift of the Holy Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
God’s peace, part of His nature, is bestowed on us through the Holy Spirit. As God’s people we receive his blessing of peace, and we are reconciled to God in peace through his Son Jesus. Then we also have God’s peace dwelling within us through his Holy Spirit. We are surrounded, inside and out, by peace.
There are two things we should know, though, about peace that comes through the gift of the Holy Spirit. First, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is not for ourselves, it is for the benefit of other people. Second, peace is not automatic, we must work at it.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19).
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace” (Colossians 3:15).
Paul, in his letters, valued the quality of peace to such a high degree that he coupled it with God’s grace. In his letters, he greeted the churches with the words “grace and peace to you.” See 1 Corinthians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, and Colossians 1:2 as examples.
The writer of Hebrews also knew of the importance of setting peace as a goal: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy” (Hebrews 12:14).
Peace makes the body of Christ work as it should. It brings “full restoration,” God’s wholeness and completeness. It brings a “harvest of righteousness,” through knowing Christ, and it leads to holiness.
Living in peace means that God is with us, other people will notice, and God will be glorified. Let’s pray to work at finding peace with each other.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit and the gift of peace that he brings. Give us the strength and wisdom to strive and work for peace with other people, especially other believers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Photo credit: Unsplash/nega
