Prayer Against War

Use this prayer against war in groups or as your own personal prayer when war breaks out or continues anywhere in the world.

Dear God,

We offer this prayer against war.

We specifically pray for ____________________________ (name of country, ethnic group or region)

We pray your strength, guidance and intervention to end war

Expose all evil intents and strategies

Protect all in harm’s way

Raise up heroes, champions of rights and peacemakers

Protect all soldiers from physical, mental and emotional harm

Strengthen resolve to respect the value and dignity of human life

Defeat all selfish ambition, thirst for domination and greed for the resources of others.

Protect us from feuds, political fights, lies, revenge and rage

Grow respect for all people and help us see them as your precious children

Give us courage when we must resist and fight

And success when we take a stand

May we aid those engaged in strife

And provide nurture and care for refugees of war

Rebuild that which is destroyed

And bring new life to the trampled fields

We pray for the coming time when you promise that war will cease and swords will be beaten into plowshares.

Arm us with prayer and love

Until the peace of God reigns forever on earth.

Amen.

Scriptures to pray and claim in your Prayer against war

The Bible has much to say about war because it has been a blight on the earth since the beginning of time. In every instance, the remedy to war is always about good triumphing over evil. The end to war is achieved by God’s just and loving rule over the hearts of individuals and nations. Use the following Bible truths as you continue to pray against war.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Isaiah 2:4

The Lord makes wars cease

He (the Lord) makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he beaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:9-14

Protection from those who stir up war against me

Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. O Lord, I say to you, “You are my God.” Hear, O Lord, my cry for mercy. O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle – do not grant the wicked their desires, O Lord; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud. Psalm 140:1,2,4,6-8

Jesus is the Prince of Peace

For unto 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. Isaiah 9:6

Blessed are the peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9

Love your enemies and pray for them

You have heard it said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matt 5:43- 45

Those who draw the sword die by the sword

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Matthew 26:52 (This was spoken by Jesus when Peter struck man with his sword during the nighttime arrest of Jesus.

God will judge and settle disputes of nations

He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Every man will sit under his own vine and his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. Micah 4: 3,4

Trust in the Lord instead of weapons

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

No king is saved by the size of his army, no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33: 16-20

About this prayer against war

Even if we are never soldiers or never live in a war zone, throughout our lifetimes we all are called to pray for God’s peace for our world. My father served in World War II and my son served in the Iraq War. Although the weaponry, time and place changes, somewhere across the globe there is always a war.

War is inevitable in our fallen world. Despite all of the wars since the beginning of time, the Bible promises us peace. This peace isn’t simply the absence of war, but goes much deeper. Isaiah tells us that one of the titles that Jesus holds is “Prince of Peace.” During his lifetime people assumed that Jesus would bring political peace to Israel, freeing them from the occupation of Rome.

Instead, before Jesus was crucified by the Roman authorities, He spent his last hours with his disciples telling them, “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) Jesus provides inner peace that transcends our outer circumstances through the power he demonstrated in his resurrection from the dead. Here’s a link to follow if you would like to know more about how to know Jesus personally and have unshakable peace.

Prayer Against War