Pray with Colombia, November 16, 2025
Lectionary Selection: Luke 21: 5-19
Prayers for Colombia
God of Tenderness and Justice, we thank you for our country, Colombia, where your grace gives us the strength to sow life and social coexistence, and for being a source of hope that makes all things new. We are witnesses that your saving love guides us along the paths of peace in every culture, in every territory, beginning with the popular wisdom that dances and rejoices in the beauty of creation, which you, O God, have placed as our common home.
We pray to you, God, for the children and their families who are displaced today or affected by the violence of the armed conflict. Thousands of families feel anguish and still see no way out of the war. We ask you, O God of mercy, to fill these homes with comfort, and through your Holy Spirit, to strengthen them in the depths of their being, so that through faith, Christ may dwell in their hearts and they may be grounded in love (Eph 3:16-17).
Today, amidst the news and acts of violence, we cry out to you, O God of Life, for the spiritual courage to bring the Gospel of Peace to every rural and urban territory, where nonviolence, culture, eco-spirituality, and social dialogue may be the seeds of reconciliation.
Guide us, God, in every effort to protect human rights and implement peace agreements, because the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by peacemakers (James 3:18).
Mission Moment from Colombia
Peace work is a daily, everyday endeavor, a progressive effort that transforms lives and territories. It heals wounds, restores rights, and reestablishes the network of community relationships. Nora Hernández, a social and church leader and peacebuilder in the municipality of Tarazá in the Bajo Cauca region of Antioquia, has survived the violence of the armed conflict and the threats of armed groups. She has remained steadfast in her decision to support other women in demanding their rights, training them to engage in dialogue with state entities, and has managed to secure resources for them to become entrepreneurs (beekeeping) and achieve their cultural and economic autonomy.
Our sister Nora is one of the leaders of the Women, Peace, and Environmental Justice area of Justapaz and has managed to integrate other women’s networks and LGBTQ+ groups to advocate with state entities. She has publicly denounced the discrimination and violence suffered by women at the hands of armed groups and the patriarchal violence of public officials.
Thanks to the support of Global Ministries, Nora is one of the leaders promoting integration meetings for various women’s platforms for reconciliation. This space brings together church, grassroots, and diverse women from the regions of Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Southern Córdoba, and Mojana Sucreña.
With the spiritual and legal support of Justapaz, these women have been able to dialogue with state entities to demand access to land, financing for productive projects and plans to prevent gender violence.
Written by: Martin Nates Yepez, Director and Legal Representative of Justapaz, Mennonite Christian Association for Justice, Peace, and Nonviolent Action, Bogotá, Colombia
Mission Partners in Colombia