Prayer For Aleppo
God of angel armies, hear our prayer
for your beloved city of Aleppo.
Cast out the demon of bomb dropping.
Cast out the demon of rocket hurling.
Cast out the demon of bullet shooting.
Cast out the demon of hostage holding.
Cast out the demon of civilian persecuting.
Cast out the demon of ceasefire breaking.
Cast out the demon of perpetual despairing,
that would tell us there is no way to peace.
God, you are an impossibility specialist.
Send down angels to melt frozen hearts.
Send down angels to protect civilians.
Send down angels to destroy weapons.
Send down angels to negotiate treaties that last.
Send down angels to gather a scattered people.
Send down angels to heal a broken nation.
Send down angels with good news of great joy
which shall be for all people,
even the people of the city of Aleppo.
O GOD, HEAR THE PRAYER OF CHILDREN FOR PEACE
We thank you, loving God, for the beauty you gave:
The beauty of music, of silence, of a stream running,
Of a bird nesting, of children laughing.
And we ask why do adults take such beauty away?
Why replace such wonder with fear and bombs and bullets.
We so much need you, O God, to inspire Peace again.
We join with the children of Syria to pray for peace.
Across many faiths we pray for peace:
For the children of Syria and with the children of Syria.
We pray for Peace.
Hear the plea of children of Syria and of the world praying together,
For beauty and peace and laughter once more.
Help our adults to work for Peace.
O God, hear the prayer of children for peace.
Amen.
In the faces of the children of Aleppo we see your image, God, and it is bloodied. In our helplessness and anger at this evil, help us to not grow cynical but to trust that this bloodshed broke your heart long before we even started to pay attention. Come and rescue these little ones and all the Syrian people from the futility of war. May violence no longer be heard in Syrian land, nor devastation within her borders. In this nation where we were first called Christians, send legions of angels to lend aid and protection; shield those who bring relief amid great danger; bring your justice for those who are dead, and heal those traumatized by this horrific conflict; may those who bring this terror be visited by angels and converted to the cause of human flourishing.
How long, O Lord, how long?
There is no peace in Aleppo. There is no peace in Syria. Every night the people flood their beds with tears and drench their couches with weeping. Their eyes waste away with grief. Their spirits shake with terror. You are the one who took them out of the womb. They have been entrusted to you ever since they were born.
How long, O Lord, how long?
We turn to you, O Lord. To whom else can we go? Lord, hear our prayer for the people of Aleppo and let our cry come to you.
"Omran, Angels Are Here!" Copyright 2016 by Judith Mehr, used by permission.
Omran, Angels Are Here! Copyright 2016 by Judith Mehr, used by permission.
O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon Aleppo.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon Aleppo.
O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon Aleppo.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon Aleppo.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for them.
St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, St. Uriel,
Defend and protect them in the day of battle.
All you holy Archangels, Angels and, bodiless powers of heaven,
Be at their side to guide and guard them on their way.
All you holy Saints of God,
Intercede for them.
All you faithful Martyrs,
Stand beside them.
For the displaced, homeless, and refugees of Syria,
Loving God, accompany them as you accompanied your refugee Son on his flight to Egypt.
For all refugees who have left their land and know not where they will go,
Loving God, guide them to the green pastures and lead them beside still waters.
For all refugees walking though the valley of the shadow of death,
Loving God, be their Good Shepherd, let them fear no evil, and comfort them with your rod and your staff.
For all refugees who hunger and thirst,
Loving God, prepare a table before them and let their cups run over.
For all refugees looking to the past and what has been lost and left behind,
Loving God, let your goodness and mercy follow them all the days of their lives.
For all refugees who long to go home,
Loving God, give them hope, restore their souls, and let them dwell in your house forever.
From death, injury, and illness,
Defend and protect them, Sovereign Lord.
From all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation,
Defend and protect them, Sovereign Lord.
From fear, despair, and suffering,
Defend and protect them, Sovereign Lord.
With fervent prayer,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With steadfast faith,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With unwavering hope,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With enduring love,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With courageous hearts,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With persevering wills,
?Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With food, water, and safe shelter,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With open borders and welcoming hearts,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
With new friends and neighbors,
Sustain and strengthen them, O Christ.
To all who have died in the Syrian crisis and all who are dying in Aleppo,
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord; let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls, through your mercy, rest in peace.
For all who grieve the death of family or friends,
Remember them in your mercy, nourish them with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace.
To those bringing humanitarian aid and providing medical assistance,
Give your strength and protection.
To the leaders of the nations and the President and Congress of the United States:
Give humility and guide them in the ways of peace and justice.
To all who work for unity, peace, concord, and the freedom of all people:
Give wisdom, creativity, and perseverance.
To all who look on from afar in the security of distance,
Give tears of compassion, fervent prayer, and generosity of giving.
To all who live in safety, comfort, and privilege,
Let them show forth your praise not only with their lips but in their lives.
Give us your grace and the will to overcome fear, violence, prejudice, and hatred,
That we may love one another as ourselves.
Open the borders of our hearts and minds,
That we may receive each refugee as the Christ.
For our actions, failures, or indifferences that have contributed to the suffering in Syria,
Lord have mercy and forgive us.
For our times of silence that became complicity,
Lord have mercy and forgive us.
For political or economic interests and agendas that blinded us to human suffering and need,
Lord have mercy and forgive us.
Let there be no peace in the hearts of those who pray for Syria,
Until there is peace in the heart of Syria.
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women everywhere, revealing your image and likeness,
We thank you, Good Lord.
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Lord, hear our prayer,
Let our cry come to you.
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ? our Lord. Amen.
Lord, thank You for the ways You are already moving among Syrian refugees, drawing many from death to life in Jesus Christ. I pray that You would continue to equip and sustain Leading The Way's on-the-ground teams to respond to the vast needs of those who have lost so much and are in need of Your love. Give the Leading The Way team wisdom and resources as they determine who to help and how to help. Use this ministry to awaken many to the hope of Christ and to bring spiritual revival in the Middle East. Thank You for each person You have called to serve in this region. May the lost come running to You because of the light they see in these people. Thank You, Lord, for Your passionate pursuit of the lost and broken. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your love in bringing salvation and redemption out of situations where Satan intends evil. In the midst of this crisis, draw the Syrian people to the Truth of salvation in Jesus Christ. I pray that the weary would draw near to You, O Lord, in the midst of this darkness. I thank You that You are already seeking and saving the lost in the midst of this tragedy, and that many Christian organizations are working on Your behalf there. May the refugee find refuge in You, O Lord, and pass from death to life in Christ. May the weary know the hope of eternity only found through Christ's sacrifice. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, in the midst of such staggering tragedy I don't always know what to pray. The darkness seems overwhelming, but I know that You are sovereign, and I thank You that You hear my prayers. Your Word says that You rule over all the nations, you bring princes to naught, and You are the one who deposes and raises up leaders. Lord, I pray that You alone would bring peace to Syria. In Your mercy, may this civil war end so that further bloodshed can be stopped. Raise up new leaders for Syria who are dedicated to serving and protecting the people. Bring the peace that only You can bring. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Father, our hearts ache for Syria and its people as the country remains locked in a brutal civil war. We especially lift up Aleppo. Its status as a city divided between government and rebel-controlled areas represents the conflict at large and what is at stake each day it continues. Please guide the leaders of the rebel groups controlling Eastern Aleppo, the Syrian government, the United Nations, and the leaders of the other countries, such as Russia, involved in brokering a ceasefire that will hold. Grant them wisdom and empathy for the plight of the civilians, young and old, caught in the midst of this conflict.
We thank you for the local doctors and nurses that have been on the ground in Aleppo and their perseverance beyond measure that sustains them in their work. They have survived multiple direct hospital bombings, lost colleagues, worked under extreme conditions with scarce supplies, and treated horrific injuries. Please grant them sustained strength and a renewed hope in the difference their work is making in the life of every individual they treat. They sacrifice their safety every day in their choice to remain in Aleppo, and their work is extremely dangerous, exhausting, and challenging in every aspect. Please protect them.
Thank you for the teachers and caretakers who have persevered to continue the education and futures of Aleppo's children. From an underground orphanage to an underground library, they are striving to maintain a sense of normalcy and stability in the lives of children and adults, and their work is critical to the future of Aleppo. Thank you for their creativity under extreme conditions and the degree to which they are dedicated to preserving the dignity and future of the city's children through education. Please protect them.
Thank you for the international aid organizations and their workers that remain committed to delivering aid, despite numerous setbacks in obtaining access to the frontlines, attacks on humanitarian aid convoys, and political obstacles. Please grant them perseverance and a safe means of delivering critical aid to the cities that remain under siege and in critical need of food, medicine, and children's clothes. Please protect them.
Thank you for the everyday residents of Aleppo, such as the volunteer-led rescue group the White Helmets, whom have taken on extraordinary responsibilities and risk their lives to save their neighbors from the rubble of bombings. When people are running from destruction for safety, they are running towards it; determined to save every life they can life from the ruins. Their courage and endurance is humbling and needed every hour in Aleppo. Please sustain and protect them.
Thank you for the people within Syria and throughout the world - journalists, photographers, and other civilians - who have helped raise awareness of the plight of Aleppo. They have brought the story of its civilians into the hearts of people such as six year-old Alex from New York, who wrote to Obama with an offer to adopt young Omran: Dear President Obama, wrote Alex. Remember the boy who was picked up by the ambulance in Syria? Can you please go get himwe'll be waiting with flags and flowers and balloons. We will give him a family and he will be our brother.
Efforts such as these remind us that war does not distinguish between religion, ethnicity, color, age, or gender; that each of these civilians struggling to survive were made in the image of their Creator and deserve the same opportunities to express and receive love, pursue their ambitions, express their faith, seek an education, and have everyday safety and stability in their lives. Alex's heart for a boy his age in need and his firm belief that his efforts to help Omran will have an impact is what we each need when we hear of injustice. Instead of complacency, please give us each faith to act the way Alex's desire to help someone in need compelled him to action. Please inspire each of us to be open to our hearts breaking for the people of Aleppo and to act upon it in our own ways. We thank you, Father, for the life of every person within Aleppo today. May we recognize their inherent value as a fellow human being upon this earth and their dignity and right to life. Help us to hold them in our hearts every day during this Advent season and persistently lift them up in prayer for protection today and a hopeful future for tomorrow.
Amen.