President Obama has announced the official end of U.S. military actions in Iraq. 50,000 troops will remain behind because Iraq hasn’t yet formed a coalition government and the threat of violence from insurgents remains high. We’re leaving having spent blood and treasure to free a nation. Iraqis themselves must now spend their own blood and treasure to secure that freedom.

It’s not a time to announce “Peace!” Peace isn’t what we have in Iraq. What we do have is a shift of responsibility. And if history is any indication peace will elude them. Let us pray otherwise.

“God, bless Iraq with peace. Show them the path to your blessing. Apart from you we humans can do nothing. We can do nothing but so the seeds and reap the harvest of our own destruction. Knowing this, accepting this, we recognize that there is no hope for peace without you. We ask for a miracle… Bring peace to Iraq, in Jesus.”