A prayer against hate and for love

Oh, Lord,

You are a God of love.
I want to love you more every day.
I want to extend your love to others,
no matter who they are, what they’ve done, or how they feel about you and other people.

Help me to love people the way you do.

Keep me from
criticism,
judgment,
presuppositions,
assumptions,
stereotyping,
prejudice,
demonizing,
hating.

Oh, Lord, convict us of our hate.
Whether we think it,
speak it,
advocate it,
or act on it.

Lord, eradicate our hatred for one another,
on all sides,
for any reason.
Wreck us with compassion,
empathy,
understanding,
hope,
and love.

If we feel angry,
help us lean in and give.
If we feel confused,
hell us lean in and learn.
If we feel defeated,
help us lean in and persevere.
If we feel vengeful,
help us lean in and fight with righteousness.
If we feel grieved,
help us to lean in and find comfort.

You alone have the power to
change lives,
make lives matter,
give life,
renew life.

But please, Lord,
humble us so we can love others like you love us.
By this will people know that we love you,
if we love them. (John 13:35)

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.