VE Day prayer

The Grand Chaplains have produced a VE Day Prayer.

We encourage all members of the Orange Family to incorporate it into their devotions over this weekend and share it with their friends and family.

O Lord of the nations. It is by your almighty hand that nations are set up and brought down. You rule the hearts of kings and presidents and you do so with perfect wisdom, perfect justice and perfect mercy. Today we give thanks for all those who have served the cause of freedom, and especially those who paid the supreme sacrifice in two world wars and many other conflicts throughout the world, including our own beloved country. We mourn the loss of our fallen heroes. We recall the courage and vision of all who served.

We praise you for giving us the victory over those who have sought to take our lives and to deprive us of the freedoms we now enjoy, especially the freedom to worship you according to your word.

Heavenly father, we confess that, we who have benefited so much from your mercy and from their sacrifice, have learned little from the lessons of the past. Those who laid down their lives for us have given us a great heritage to be valued and handed on to the generations yet to come. Forgive us for having been too much absorbed in our own comforts to see the erosion of freedom in many places, and too intent in achieving our own selfish ambitions to alleviate the suffering of others.

We commend to your comfort all who have been bereaved. We pray your sustaining grace and guidance for all who continue to suffer in body and in mind as the result of conflict, and all who minister to them.

God save the queen. Bless and guide her and all members of the royal household. Guide, we pray, the governments of this world to act justly and in accordance with your holy word. Be with, we pray all members of the royal navy, the army, the royal air force and all who serve in the auxiliary services. We especially remember at this time all who minister to the sick and injured.

Restrain, we pray, the motives and actions of evil governments and men, defeat their counsels, abate their pride, assuage their malice and confound their devices.

Jesus said ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.’ Help us all, O God, to labour tirelessly for peace throughout the world, to commit our lives to Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Saviour. Hasten the day, we pray, when your gospel of love and peace will spread throughout the world that men may beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation , neither shall they learn war any more.

We pray in Jesus name.

Amen