A peacemaker

I have been familiar with Ken Sande's book The Peacemaker for a few years. It was very helpful when my husband and I were having a difficult time with one of our extended family members.

Then last year I was invited to go through the The Peacemaking Church Women's Study: Living the Gospel in Relationships by Tara Barthel with a lovely group of ladies.
It was such a sweet time of learning, fellowship and relationship. How I wish all women could do this study!

Throughout the study I began to feel a burden to practice what I was learning and a desire was born in my heart to be a peacemaker. I realize that I am a long way from where I want to be (and always will be--for such is the nature of man), so when I stumbled upon this prayer by Ken Sande (in this article ) I made it my prayer:

Help Me to Judge Rightly

Lord, help me to judge others
as I want them to judge me:
Charitably, not critically,
Privately, not publicly,
Gently, not harshly,
In humility, not pride.
Help me to believe the best about others,
until facts prove otherwise—
To assume nothing,
to seek all sides of the story,
And to judge no one until I’ve removed
the log from my own eye.

May I never bring only the Law,
to find fault and condemn.
Help me always to bring the Gospel,
to give hope and deliverance,
As you, my Judge and Friend,
have so graciously done for me.