[Classic Prayer] Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace

Hey, my friend. Welcome to our third bonus episode, where we engage with some different spiritual practices together. This is a chance for us to explore some practices we may not be familiar with, and ultimately, it’s for the purpose of staying close to God so that we can share His love, care, and encouragement with those around us who are hurting.

Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite classic prayers. Sometimes we aren’t comfortable with written prayers, because the words seem archaic or it doesn’t always feel sincere. Your church may go through the Book of Common Prayer or it may not. Or maybe you even go through a similar book on your own.

Sometimes the structure of having a prayer already written, and to know that you are joining others throughout the ages in praying the same things, can be really powerful.

And really, the book of Psalms is a book of songs or prayers. And we read those together, don’t we? I don’t always feel the emotions that are written about in the psalm, but there’s always a truth that I can hold onto.

This prayer was written by Saint Francis and it’s known as the Peace Prayer or the Prayer of Saint Francis. And I find it especially poignant for our world today.

While I love this prayer, I understand that there are many situations where peace may not be an option. Maybe others don’t accept the choices you’ve made or boundaries you have set in place. Maybe they don’t like that you follow Jesus. Paul tells us in Romans 12:18, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” And what you do may not be enough. That’s why it’s so important to pray through it and ask God what He wants you to do. Because, while we want to seek peace, we also know that it’s not always possible in this lifetime.

You might want to think about a part of your life that needs peace right now, an area ripe with conflict or stress. And lift that up before God.

I’m actually going to read through the Prayer of Saint Francis a couple of times. I’ll read through it all at once the first time, and then the second time, I’ll slow it down so we can really think about what we’re asking God to do.

I invite you to pause whatever you’re doing and set aside these next five minutes or so for God. May He speak to you even as you speak to Him.

[Pause]

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

[Pause]

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

[Pause]

If there is a line from that prayer that really resonates with you, I encourage you to write it down and come back to it. For example, the line that stands out most to me today is “where there is darkness, light.” And so maybe I rewrite that into a prayer: “God, let me sow light where there is darkness.” And I keep bringing that before God throughout the weeks ahead. “God, let me sow light where there is darkness.”

And I love the gardening imagery that Saint Francis uses here. Because we are planting seeds of hope, of light, of joy. It will take time for them to grow. But be faithful, my friends. Be faithful.

The prayer is included in the show notes below. I’m going to leave the music playing for a few more minutes. I invite you to read through the prayer on your own with God. God bless you, my friends.