Prayers for Peace

Prayers for Peace. From the writings of Jeremiah comes the call to prayer: "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell great and hidden things."

3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

4 “For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city [Jerusalem] and the houses of the kings of Judah, which have been pulled down to fortify against the siege mounds and the sword: . . .

6 Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. 7 And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first.

9 Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.’

Jeremiah 33:3-4, 6-7, & 9, NKJV

Prayers for Peace. From the writings of Jeremiah comes the call to prayer: "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell great and hidden things."

Prayers for Peace - COVID-19 & Racial Riots

I am writing this devotional in June of 2020. In the United States it is a time of great turmoil. Right in the middle of COVID-19, came the unlawful killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer. This has spurred a great flux of racial riots.

I was a teenager during the riots of 1965. Now it is 55 years later, and racial riots of mammoth proportions are again appearing in our country.

Does the Bible have anything to say for us? Yes! In a Bible passage from the book of Jeremiah we are told to pray for peace. In Jeremiah's time they were praying for peace in Jerusalem (sound familiar). Today we are still praying for peace in Jerusalem, but now we are praying for peace in the United States as well.

Prayers for Peace - Call unto Me!

God, speaking to the prophet Jeremiah, said, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3, KJV)

God calls us to prayer. Whether we are dealing with disturbances in our personal lives or whether our nation is fighting a pandemic or experiencing racial riots, we, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, must pray! Though we are not often sure how God is working through the situation, we know that He promises to answer those prayers. He promises us in Jeremiah 33:3 that He not only will answer, but He will show us great and mighty things.

Is it wrong for us to take a verse about the city of Jerusalem thousands of years ago and apply it to today? No! Has God changed? Is His arm shortened so that He cannot work on our behalf?

7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:7-8, NKJV

The Lord Jesus Christ has not changed. As God worked on behalf of the children of God thousands of years ago, so does He work on behalf of the children of God today!

Prayers for Peace - Abundance of Peace

Jeremiah continues in chapter 33 with these words:

How do we get peace? God told Jeremiah, "I will reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth." Peace comes from God! Just because God dealt with the Israelites in that way thousands of years ago, is this still true in our modern culture? Yes. The timing of that answer is unknown to us. As we pray for peace, God will answer, but we may not even see it in our lifetime. That does not mean that God does not answer prayer.

For example, look at verse 7. Thousands of years ago God told Jeremiah that the captives of Judah and Israel (the Jewish people) would again return to their land. Has that happened? Yes, in 1948, the Jewish people established the country of Israel. Since that time, there has been a gradual flow of the children of Judah and Israel returning to their land.

Prayers for Peace - Joy, Praise, and Honor

Jeremiah goes on to tell us in verse 9:

God tells Jeremiah that the return of His people will be to Him a name of joy, praise, and honor before all the nations of the earth. As we have a window into the troubles in the Mid-East, has this promise been answered? Only partially. Yes, the Jewish people who are returning are joyous but all nations of the earth do not yet fear and tremble for all the goodness and prosperity that God is providing for them and for the city of Jerusalem.

What an awesome God we serve! His plans are sure. When we pray for peace, we have confidence that God hears our prayers. We as believers may not be of Jewish descent, but we are God's children. He does hear and answer our prayers.

As the Creator of this world, is it too difficult for God to be involved in the affairs of the nations? No!

Not only will God eventually bring peace to the entire world, right now believers can have personal peace in their hearts and lives. Even in the middle of COVID-19 and racial riots, when we go to bed at night, we can say with the Psalmist, " I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8, KJV

Please then, join me in prayers for peace!

God Bless You,

Linda