Day 19: Be Still: Peace for a World at War
Bible passage: Psalm 46
A Song for Troubled Times
Today is Wednesday 19th of January 2022. Welcome to Day 19 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Only three days remain. Today we pray with one of the best loved psalms in the Bible.
Psalm 46 was written for days when everything feels unstable. It begins by declaring that God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if the earth gives way and the mountains crumble into the sea (Psalm 46:1–2).
The God Who Ends Wars
Come and See
Then the psalm invites us to come and look at what the Lord does. He brings wars to an end across the whole earth. He breaks the bow, snaps the spear and burns the shields (Psalm 46:8–9).
In the psalmist’s day those were the most advanced weapons anyone had. Put today’s weapons in their place and the promise is the same. The God who gives life will one day destroy every instrument of death.
Be Still
Into the noise of battle God speaks: “Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
We often read that as a gentle invitation to a quiet time. It is that, but it is also a command. To the nations it means, “Stop fighting.” To us it means, “Stop striving. Let go. I am God, and you are not.”
The psalm ends where it began: the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us, and He is our fortress (Psalm 46:11).
Praying for Peace
In Our Own Hearts
Some of the fiercest battles are not on any map. They are in our minds and in our homes. Stillness is how we hand those battles back to God.
In Our World
Be still. Set aside five minutes today with no phone and no noise. Simply acknowledge that He is God.
Pray for nations at war. Name the places you see in the news. Ask God to stop the violence, to protect the vulnerable and to raise up peacemakers.
Pray for our streets. Ask the Lord to bring peace to Wythenshawe and to Manchester, to end violence in our communities and to keep our young people safe.
Lift up the name of Jesus. God has given Him the name above every name, and one day every knee will bow to Him (Philippians 2:9–10).
Prayer for Today:
Lord of Heaven’s Armies, You are my refuge and my strength. I choose to be still before You and to let go of what I cannot control. Bring peace to the battles in my own heart. I pray for every nation at war today: make the fighting cease and comfort those who mourn. Bring peace to our city and our streets. Be exalted in all the earth. Amen.
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