Lord, 500 days is a long time – for 500 days the violence has torn Sudan apart.

For 500 days women and children have sought safety while the fighting continues around them.

For 500 days children have been turned into child soldiers, taken against their will.

For 500 days, adults have put their desires before the needs of children.

How long, O Lord, how long?

O Lord, we confess that we have not paid attention to what is happening in Sudan.

For 500 days we have turned ignored the grief, the fear, the sorrow and the displacement.

We confess that we have not put pressure on leaders to pay attention to Sudan.

We are sorry, O Lord.

End the violence.

Bring the warring factions to their knees that they might learn that the greatest is the servant of all.

Surround the children in your arms of love and heal Sudan we pray.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(I have lived in both Lebanon and Iran)

God of mercy, we cry out to you, for that is all we can do.

We cry out to you for Lebanon, how much more suffering must the people of that country endure? How long will their suffering be? You see how small they are, trampled on by powers greater than themselves.

God of power, stop those who would commit violence – both those who would commit violence against those living in Lebanon and those who would use Lebanon as a base from which to commit violence against others.

Silence the guns, the missile launchers, the drone attacks.

Bring peace, we pray.

God whose ways are higher than our ways and whose thoughts and greater than our thoughts, move in the leaders of Iran that they would flow paths of restraint in the face of provocation, and paths of talk rather than military engagement.

Change hearts and minds in the leadership of Iran that religious freedom would come, and the followers of your Son Jesus Christ could worship without fear.

And teach those of us who do not live in the Middle East the patient faithfulness of persistent prayer, the greatest force the world has ever seen or known.

These things we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is both the Prince of Peace and the Lord of all the nations. Amen.