Here’s a prayer of confession and commitment. It comes from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website.
Prayer of Confession
O God of peace,
you know us from before we were formed in our
mother’s womb.
Forgive us when we only have good intentions
and do not commit ourselves to concrete action for
peace and justice.
Grant
that our actions and our words may always promote peace.
O God of justice,
you judge our human race with mercy.
Forgive us when we allow your image in us to be
marred
as we remain passive in face of so much violence and
exclusion.
Grant
that our actions and our words may always promote peace.
O God of love,
you have created humankind to be one great family.
Forgive our inability to be reconciled with others,
both our dear ones and our enemies.
Grant
that our actions and our words may always promote peace.
O God of grace,
you have given us the gift of speech to be an
instrument for change.
Forgive us for the times when we have spoken too
hastily
without thinking of the consequences,
or have remained silent out of fear or indifference.
Grant
that our actions and our words may always promote peace.
O God of life,
you have placed us on this earth to tend and watch
over it.
Forgive us when we have failed to care for your
world,
the home of our ancestors and of our descendants.
Help us to promote life and seek peace.
Grant
that our actions and our words may always promote peace.
God, who is rich in mercy,
loved us even when we were dead in sin,
and made us alive together with Christ.
By grace we have been saved and our sins forgiven.
Almighty God strengthen us with power through the
Holy Spirit,
that Christ may live in our hearts through faith.
Amen.
~ from Prayer
for Peace, adapted from materials from the World Council of Churches International
Day of Peace. Produced by the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Copyright © 2009 World Council of Churches. Posted on the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America website. www.elca.org/
