Prayer for Veterans Day

Adapted from http://www.educationforjustice.org
Veterans Day is celebrated in the United States. Concurrently with other countries, it is called Remembrance Day in Canada, Australia and U.K., and Armistice Day in New Zealand and France. (from Wikipedia.Org)

Lord Jesus,
Today, we are sorrowful before you. The tally of U.S. military personnel who have died in Iraq has recently exceeded 2,800 men and women. Our hearts weep for the horror and destruction of war and the loss of life caused by it. We ask your forgiveness for not maintaining the peaceful world you desire, and we pray for all the victims of war:

We pray for U.S. soldiers who are returning home. We are grateful for their service and commitment.
Be with them, Lord.

We pray for mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, daughters, and sons who mourn the death of a U.S. soldier they love.
Be with them, Lord.

We pray for parents, children, brothers, and sisters in Iraq who mourn the deaths of loved ones.
Be with them, Lord.

We pray for the soldiers who are still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Protect them and keep them safe.
Be with them, Lord.

We pray for Iraqi civilians who deal with the daily terror of living amidst flying bullets, suicide bombings, and destruction.
Be with them, Lord.

We pray for our policymakers and leaders who hold the futures of hundreds of thousands of American and Iraqi lives in their hands. Give them wisdom, integrity, and strength as they make important decisions.
Be with them, Lord.

Lord God, keep in our minds our sisters and brothers across the world, both soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those who are returning to the U.S. Help us to be committed to prayer, solidarity, and action to ensure that returning soldiers are well-cared for and to seek an effective end to the war that has brought destruction to so many
lives.

Amen.