President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Charissa Suli has offered a prayer for the Middle East. Rev Suli has called upon the Church to respond with fervent prayer for peace, with presence and with prophetic love.
A Prayer for the Middle East:
God of all peoples and places,
You are our shelter when the world trembles,
our peace when fear overwhelms,
our strength when justice feels far away.
Today we lift to you the people of Syria and
Iran, of Lebanon, of Gaza, of Palestine –
all those whose lives are shaken by bomb
grief, and fear.
We remember the lives lost near St Elie Church in Damascus,
the wounded, the broken-hearted,
and those who now cry out from under rubble and despair.
Pour out your Spirit of peace,
the same Spirit that fell on Pentecost and gave voice to hope.
Steady the hearts of leaders, soften the grip of power,
and awaken in us a hunger for justice that protects life.
We pray for our sisters and brothers in the Middle East –
Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant – and all people of faith.
May they know your comfort, your nearness, your light.
Help us as your Church, O God,
to pray without ceasing,
to speak truth with grace,
and to weave peace wherever we are planted.
In Jesus’ name, the Prince of Peace, we pray.
Amen.
After the Bombings, A Call to Peace and Prayer
The Uniting Church in Australia has always held a clear commitment to peace, nonviolence, and nuclear disarmament. We believe in the sanctity of every human life, and in the call of Christ – the Prince of Peace – to love our enemies, pray for those who suffer and resist the powers of violence with compassion and justice. Rev Charissa Suli
Read: After the Bombings, A Call to Peace and Prayer | Uniting Church in Australia Assembly | 24 June 2025