For one thing, it is more than a prayer for peace in an abstract sense.

It is, taken as a whole, a prayer for peace everywhere. Arranged in alphabetical order are prayers for each and every country in the world and they take the cultures of these countries into consideration. For Iran in which sharing a cup of coffee is a great act of hospitality:

"If one shared cup of coffee
can warm body and soul,
imagine how many hearts
will be awakened by
the shared prayers of millions!

We are asking,
May
Sharing
flourish on Earth."

For the high reaches of Tibet:

"Leaving mountaintop graces
to descend into worldly roads,
we can be awakeners of peace
and ambassadors of love,
integrity, and forgiveness.

We are asking,
May
Forgiveness
flourish on Earth."

This book enables you to pray for countries you know next to nothing about as well as those about which you know only what you've picked up on the evening news. Peace. Forgiveness. Wisdom. Love. Cooperation. Understanding. Things that we could wish for everyone. Things that we long for ourselves.

The alphabetical index makes it easy to find prayers for individual countries. It also makes it a little tricky to pray an agenda – such as praying for the peace in one region that I have decided is particularly messed up. I find this a comforting limit on my ability to be high-and-mighty about who needs my prayers for peace most and who needs them least. Maybe the message here is that Peace is something we all need a bit more of in our daily lives?

Barely larger than a pack of cards, this book is easy to carry and the spiral binding makes it easy to flip through, praying prayer after prayer, as you finger your prayer beads or prepare for meditation.

Author of several books on prayer, Nan Merrill chose to self publish this particular book, donating profits to organizations working toward world peace. This book is well worth the effort to acquire it and a great way to strengthen your prayer life by reaching out with other Faithful to pray for Peace.

 

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