In many of our personal prayers and the prayers of our congregations is a prayer for peace in the world. Right now, the focus has been on Ukraine-Russia, and Israel-Palestinians. But there are others: civil war in Sudan, civil war in Myanmar, civil war or conflict between the government and Islamist groups in most of sub-Saharan Africa. The list goes on. Peace is a rare quality.
It is not only active war that is frightening. There are the simmering possible wars that could get to be large scale: Korea, China-Taiwan. There are also wounds that we thought were settled but still simmer, like Northern Ireland.
To understand what we are praying for exactly, we have to understand what causes war in the first place. People usually don’t wake up and decide to go to war. Circumstances like injustice or prejudice, rhetoric, propaganda and the manipulation of thoughts, greed, lust for power or a place in history all contribute to volatile stew that is humanity. Our sinful nature makes us vulnerable to war. Do we need anything more to explain it?
I think there is more. Satan loves to stimulate the evil of war. I am not sure if Satan or anything demonic is actually incarnate among the leadership of people. It would not surprise me. In history, I am almost sure of it. Leaders and cultures make themselves vulnerable to the seduction of Satan’s kingdom. This radicalization takes time and Satan devotes resources to it. Similarly, it takes time to undo. God could just exert divine authority and stop war, but it seems that would require suspending the will of many humans at once, which is something God doesn’t even do to spread the Gospel. We can ask God to interfere creatively with the ongoing work of Satan. That is our main request. In general, we are asking God to do anything and everything that is within the limits of His will.
The Book of Revelation gives an interesting and disturbing look at the impact of the spiritual upon the human phenomena of war.
3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
The passage speaks of God “taking peace” from the world as a punishment for sin. It is as if war would be our natural state if not restrained by God. However that restraint is carried out or reinstated is what we ask for in a prayer for peace.
Will God grant it? We should not doubt that He can. Realize that this is by nature a prayer request that takes time. We need to be persistent. It helps to know what we are specifically requesting God to do.
Giving Christ 