7 Prayers for Peace in Israel and Gaza

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1. A prayer for hostages, prisoners, and their loved ones.

The long detention of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners has been traumatic for everyone involved. Their families have suffered through constant pain as they worry about how their loved ones are doing. Living hostages and prisoners have now finally been released, but a dispute over the bodies of deceased hostages is still going on. Psalm 34:17 highlights how God hears our prayers and delivers people from the troubles in this fallen world: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

Pray: Dear God, please help every hostage and prisoner involved in this conflict, and all their family and friends too. Heal them from the trauma they’ve been through and give them a future where they’re safe and healthy. Meet them where they are and help them find the peace and hope they need through relationships with you. Guide them into the future so they can discover and fulfill all of your good purposes for their lives.

Please especially help them get rid of the bitterness that has built up in their souls during the conflict. Help them to forgive the people who have hurt them, with your help. Help them to repent of their sins and accept the forgiveness you offer them, because of your loving mercy. May they trust you to bring justice out of the unjust situations they’ve gone through. Show the people who are searching for the bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza where to find them, so they can be safely returned to their families. Bless every diplomatic effort going forward, so people on both sides of this conflict can live at peace with each other.

Thank you; Amen. 

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Alexi J. Rosenfeld / Stringer 

2. A prayer for families and friends grieving people who have passed away.

Countless Israeli and Palestinian families and friends of people who have passed away in the conflict are grieving their deaths. The trauma that their deceased loved ones went through before dying (such as brutal violence or starvation) can make the pain of grieving even worse.  Even in the middle of tremendous pain, however, God will help grieving people. Psalm 34:18 points out: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Jesus promises in Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Pray: Dear God, thank you for your compassionate care for every family member and friend who has lost a loved one in this terrible conflict, on both sides. Let them know that you join them in remembering their loved one’s souls. Please comfort them and encourage them to rely on you for the healing they need. For those who are grieving without their loved one’s bodies to bury, send them the peace they need to move forward. Give them the strength to face the future with hope because of your loving care for them.

Let them know they can start living fully again by trusting you to help them do so day by day. Amen.

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3. A prayer for civilians who are suffering.

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic, with many people coming back to homes and other important buildings (like hospitals, schools, and places of worship) that have been completely destroyed. Besides those huge physical challenges, the people of Gaza are dealing with emotional trauma. The people of Israel are dealing with the emotional trauma of being attacked, as well. We must pray for the innocent civilians – especially the children, the elderly, and the sick – who are enduring these difficult times. Psalm 46:1 promises that God will be with them, giving them the strength they need as they face all the challenges: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” We can call on this ever-present help for suffering civilians.

Pray: Dear God, my heart is burdened by the overwhelming suffering of the innocent civilians in this conflict. Please help those who are living in fear by giving them your comfort and peace. Make a way for everyone who lacks food, clean water, and medicine to get their needs met. Clear the way for humanitarian aid to flow freely to all who need it without being blocked or diverted.

Protect the children who have lost their homes and their sense of safety. Give resilience and hope to the parents. Reach out to everyone who has been part of the violence in this conflict and motivate them to stop being violent and pursue peaceful ways of solving problems instead. Open up opportunities for people’s lives, homes, and communities to be rebuilt. Inspire those who have the power to give humanitarian aid, counseling for trauma healing, and assistance with rebuilding to generously help vulnerable civilians.

Thank you for showing civilians your mercy at work, God. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Amir Levy / Stringer 

4. A prayer for humanitarian aid workers and medical workers.

The people who enter harm’s way to serve others – the aid workers who deliver humanitarian aid like food and medicine, and the medical workers like doctors and nurses – shine light in the darkness. They risk their own lives daily to provide compassionate care, often under dangerous conditions. They need us to pray for their strength and protection. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25:40 that people who help those in desperate need (like humanitarian and healthcare workers) are serving God while they serve people: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Pray: Dear God, please help the courageous workers who are delivering humanitarian aid and providing medical care for the people who are suffering because of the conflict between Israel and Gaza. They’re risking their own safety to serve the suffering. Send them your divine protection over their lives and their missions. Guard them from harm and give them the courage they need to persevere in dangerous situations. Please give them wisdom and discernment as they do their complex work. Renew their emotional and physical energy.

Let their acts of love show everyone who sees their work in action, recognize your love flowing through their lives, so their faith will grow stronger. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Mohammed Abed/AFP 

5. A prayer for an end to violence.

The violence must stop so peace can last. Every attack from either side deepens the trauma and drives the wedge of hatred further between people. As peacemakers, we should pray for an immediate, effective, and lasting end to all violence between the Israeli and Palestinian people. That can happen if the leaders on both sides follow the wisdom of Proverbs 20:22, which advises not taking revenge but instead trusting God to deal with injustice: “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.”

Pray: Dear God, only you can empower the people on both sides of this conflict to stop lashing out at each other with violence and start working out peaceful ways to solve their problems. Please speak to all the Israeli and Palestinian leaders who can work out diplomatic solutions, and urge them to meet regularly to discuss non-violent ways to move forward into a better future.

Help them lay down their weapons of war and start seeing each other with fresh perspectives. Let them see themselves as you see them: people who you made in your image, who are all worthy of respect and love. Show them that they will all be blessed by learning to listen well to each other and working in good faith to solve problems together, instead of fighting each other violently. Convince all the leaders that every life is sacred and precious to you. May the value of human life outweigh all of their strategic gains and political aims. 

Bring about lasting stability and security for everyone, please. Thank you; amen.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/David Silverman/Staff 

6. A prayer for peace between the people groups.

Lasting peace requires more than a ceasefire; it requires reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. It means overcoming generations of fear, mistrust, and anger, and committing to recognizing the dignity and rights of the other. We are called to be ministers of reconciliation, knowing that in Christ, the dividing walls are broken down, as declared in Ephesians 2:14: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”

Pray: God of all nations, I pray that You would break down the walls of hostility and suspicion that divide the Israeli and Palestinian people. Where there is deep-seated fear, plant seeds of courage. Where there are generations of mistrust, foster opportunities for honest dialogue and understanding. Give both people groups leaders and visionaries who are willing to reach across divides and acknowledge the humanity and right to security of the "other."

Inspire ordinary people to become bridge-builders, demonstrating sacrificial love and a commitment to justice, so that they may truly share the land You have given them in peace and mutual respect, Amen.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/PeopleImages 

7. A prayer for the global church.

God calls everyone in the global church to work together for justice and peace in this world. We need to model what unity looks like, to inspire the Israeli and Palestinian people to learn how to work together, as well. In John 17:22-23, Jesus prays that all believers will show a watching world what unity looks like: “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” We also need God’s wisdom to be effective peacemakers. As James 1:5 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Pray: Dear God, please forgive me for any apathy or prejudice in my own heart about this conflict. Help me become a true peacemaker, someone who pursues peace in this world through unity and your wisdom. Help your church around the world avoid taking sides based on politics or identity, but instead work together, as the brothers and sisters you have created us to be. Give the local churches in Israel and Palestine the courage to be agents of reconciliation in their communities. Unite your faithful people worldwide in prayer and advocacy, so that your love can flow freely through our lives and change the world for the better. Thank you, our wonderful Heavenly Father. Amen.

In conclusion, the crisis in Israel and Gaza is devastating, but it’s not beyond the reach of God’s power. By praying for both the Israeli and Palestinian people, we can do what Jesus – the Prince of Peace – calls us to do as part of loving other people as ourselves. Our prayers are powerful, even when we can’t see what God is doing behind the scenes. So, we shouldn’t give up! Our faith assures us that God is much stronger than even the most complex and heartbreaking conflict. Let’s stand together as a strong global church to pray for peace in Israel and Gaza.

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