Be merciful even as
Your heavenly Father is merciful.

Moses prayed for peace.
David prayed for peace.
Solomon asked for wisdom.
Daniel interceded for his people.

They turned to You
in times of uncertainty and unrest.
But the people in power —
the Herods of every age,
the ones who constantly make headline news —
do not seem to think much about mercy.

But they give us something urgent to do this Lent:

Pray for peace.