Praying in Time of War

The Fifth Sunday After Easter in the historic liturgical calendar of the Western Church focuses on prayer. It is the Sunday before Ascension Day, which is observed on the 40th day after Easter (see Acts 1:3). The Latin name of this Sunday is Rogate, which in English means, "pray!" The traditional gospel reading is John 16:23-30, which focuses on answered prayer to the Father in Christ's name.

In 1537--after his return to Wittenberg from the meeting of Protestant princes at Smalcald where he had almost died--Luther preached a series of sermons on John 14-16. You can find them in volume 24 of the American Edition. I have translated excerpts of these sermons specifically on the topic of prayer. to shed some light on how Luther understood prayer and the critical role it plays in the Christian life of service in this world.

As discussed in a prior blogpost, prayer was central for Luther when it came to the Father's gift of good government. I've also discussed Luther's theology of war in another blogpost. In this post, I will tie these topics together by addressing the topic of praying in time of war.

Praying in Wartime, A.D. 2026

Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, 2026, three prayers or comments on prayer in time of war have gained some attention. All of these were made on and around Palm Sunday (March 29, 2026) when Christ entered Jerusalem as a humble king and model for Christian government leaders. These will offer a starting point to reflect on what it means to pray in time of war from Luther's perspective.

A few days before Palm Sunday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recited, and repurposed for the Iran war, the prayer of a U.S. chaplain for the task force conducting the January 2026 raid that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro:

Almighty God, who trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle [Ps. 144:1], you who stirred the nations from the north against Babylon of old [Jer. 50:9], making her land a desolation where none dwell [Jer. 51:43], behold now the wicked who rise against your justice and the peace of the righteous.

Snap the rod of the oppressor [Is. 9:4]. Frustrate the wicked plans and break the teeth of the ungodly [Ps. 3:7]. By the blast of your anger, let the evil perish [Job 4:8-9]. Let their bulls go down to slaughter; for their day has come, the time of their punishment [Jer. 50:27]. Pour out your wrath upon those who plot vain things [Ps. 2:1], and blow them away like chaff before the wind [Ps. 35:5].

Grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence. Surround them as a shield [Ps. 5:12]. Protect the innocent and blameless in their midst. Make their arrows like those of a skilled warrior who returned not empty-handed [Jer. 50:9]. Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve, and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse, that evil may be driven back, and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them. For the wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion [Prov. 28:1].

We ask these things with the bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ, King over all kings. And amen and amen.

In his homily on Palm Sunday 2026, Pope Leo XIV focused on Jesus on his way to the cross as humble King of Peace, whom Christians are called to follow. In relevant part, the pope stated in this homily:

As King of Peace, Jesus enters into Jerusalem not upon a horse, but upon a donkey, fulfilling the ancient prophecy that calls for rejoicing at the arrival of the Messiah: “Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations” (Zech 9:9–10).

As King of Peace, when one of his disciples drew his sword to defend him and struck the high priest’s servant, Jesus immediately stopped him, saying: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt 26:52).

As King of Peace, while he was burdened with our sufferings and pierced for our sins, Jesus “did not open his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent” (Is 53:7). He did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war. He revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence. Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history.

Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Is 1:15).

As we set our gaze upon him who was crucified for us, we can see a crucified humanity. In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today. In his last cry to the Father, we hear the weeping of those who are crushed, who have no hope, who are sick and who are alone. Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.

Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!

The third 2026 sample for prayer in times of war is a prayer Franklin Graham offered at a White House event on April 1, 2026:

Father, you tell us in the book of Esther that the Persians, the Iranians, were wanting to kill every Jew, woman, child, and do it all in one day [Esther 3:13]. But you raised up Esther to save the Jewish people [Esther 8].

Father, we thank you today. The Iranians, the wicked regime of this government wants to kill every Jew and destroy them with an atomic fire. But you have raised up President Trump. You've raised him up for such a time as this [Esther 4:14]. And Father, we pray that you'll give him victory. Father, we pray for our military that you'd watch over, protect them. Father, we pray for the people of Iran who want freedom to be set free from these Islamic lunatics.

Father, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to take our sins; that he died and shed his blood on the cross for our sins; that he was buried. He took our sins to the grave, but you raised him to life.

And Father, we thank you and we praise you and we give you the glory. Father, protect President Trump. We pray this in Jesus's name. Amen.

Before delving into Luther on prayer in time of war, let's compare and contrast the three prayers, or statements on prayer, in wartime. First, it's worth noting that the two "Protestant" prayers featured above--the one recited by Sec. Hegseth and the one shared by Rev. Graham--are steeped in Old Testament language and imagery. I've highlighted that above by referencing the OT passages behind individual phrases and ideas included in these prayers. Hegseth's prayer drew from the psalms and Jeremiah, while Graham's prayer opened by equating the ancient Persians with the modern Iranians or at least the Iranian government.

Second, the problem with Graham's equating the government of the modern nation of Iran with the actions of a high government official in ancient Persia, Haman, is that, in the biblical book of Esther, the highest echelons of the Persian government--i.e., King Ahasuerus and his Jewish queen Esther--protected the Jews by killing Haman and authorizing the Jews to defend themselves against Haman's conspiracy. Haman, moreover, was not a Persian. He was an Agagite (Esther 3:1), which mean he seems to be related to Agag, the king of the Amalekites from the time of King Saul (1 Sam. 15). That is the problem with these types of comparisons that, while deeply rooted in Christian Zionism, really have no biblical basis.

Third, the OT--interpreted as a book mandating violent action by Christians in the world--has always had an attraction for certain strands of Protestantism which Luther already had to contend with. Luther rejected this interpretation of the OT because it confuses the two kingdoms, the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of grace (note that the prayer Hegseth recited features a reference to Psalm 2, which is not "the battle hymn of the Christian republic" but is about Christ's kingdom of grace, as discussed in my book on God's masks). And because it is wrong, this appropriation of the OT leads to war and bloodshed. Luther witnessed this approach to the OT in action in Thomas Müntzer who saw himself as the new Gideon who would lead the rebellious peasants against the "corrupt" princes to eradicate all unrighteousness from the earth to prepare God's kingdom on earth.

Fourth, the pope's Palm Sunday homily--possibly reacting to all the religious saber-rattling in America during the Iran war--took a decidedly New Testament / Christian take on war and prayer in time of war, focusing on peace and Christ as the humble King of Peace who is about to be crucified in Jerusalem. The pope's homily also cites OT passages. Yet the passages the pope refers to are messianic prophecies from Zech. 9 and Isa. 53. And then there is Isa. 1: "Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood," which the pope cited to support the proposition that God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war."

Fifth, that is an overstatement when considering the context in Isa. 1 where the prophet rebukes Jerusalem that has become a harlot, where the government has become the corrupt opposite of "good government," because government has become utterly self-serving at the expense of the poor: "Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them" (Is. 1:23).

Isaiah therefore said: Because there is no fruit of faith--the fulfillment of the law in service of the neighbor, especially the poor and marginalized--performing the religious rituals required by God (such as sacrifices, observing feast days, and offering prayers) is not pleasing to God at all (Isa. 1:10-15). Repentance and forgiveness are therefore required to renew the people's relationship with God in faith and their neighbors--especially those on the margins of society--in love (Isa. 1:16-20).

Thus, God will not hear the prayers of those who shed blood unjustly, who exploit their neighbors instead of serving them in love, because they lack faith in the gospel. Without this faith, it is impossible to please God or to pray to him, regardless of the quality and quantity of sacrifices, regardless of the length and fervor of the prayers.

Sixth, the pope's overstatement that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war not only resonates with various contemporary pacifists and critics of the war in Iran. It also harkens back to the traditional Catholic teachings on "evangelical counsels" that Luther frequently criticized in his writings, including in his 1523 treatise on government. The "evangelical counsels"--advice of the gospel, if you will--are based chiefly on the Sermon on the Mount (Matth. 5-7) and counsel those who would be perfect Christians to abstain from shedding blood etc., by withdrawing from the world, including war, into the religious life (priests, monastics, etc.). At the same time, regular Christians are those who engage in the worldly callings--including farmers, soldiers, and government officials--yet who must therefore rely on the perfection of the other Christians to obtain heaven and offer worthy prayers to God.

The Current War Against Iran: Just or Unjust?

The pope's reference to Isa. 1:15 is an important reminder that, when it comes to prayer in wartime, it matters whether the war that's being waged is a just war. Not every war is unjust. But every imprudent war of choice--waging war without being attacked in a serious manner--is unjust, according to Luther.

To date, I've not heard a persuasive justification for the current war against Iran. Tellingly, Sec. Hegseth's prayer assumes the war is just, as if the U.S. were always on the side of righteousness and could never wage an unjust war. But it's safe to assume that this assumption is not correct, no matter the amount of biblical allusions in that prayer. The devil, as is known, may well appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and knows Scripture well (Matth. 4:1-11). His last temptation is ultimate political power over "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (Matth. 4:8), while the one true God offers only the cross to his followers in this world (Matth. 16:24-26).

Rev. Graham's prayer attempts to justify the war by alluding to the threats by the Iranian government against the state of Israel and, in fact, "all Jews." When it comes to this particular justification, however, it's important to note that there is a small minority of Iranian Jews that, while unequal in their political rights to Shia Iranians, are not subject to random acts violence and are able to exercise their religion, which includes pilgrimages to the tomb of Esther and Mordechai. Ironically, while Graham opens his prayer with--and justifies the war based on--Iranian threats against Jews, he fails to mention the actions of the Jewish State (our ally in the war against Iran) in Gaza, which Israeli and other experts have characterized as an ongoing genocide against the Palestinians. Finally, the Jews in the book of Esther are an exiled minority, while the modern state of Israel boasts one of the most powerful militaries in the world and has nuclear weapons at its disposal.

Regardless, the conflict between Iran and Israel began in 1979, after the Islamic Revolution deposed the Western-allied Shah of Persia. Since the 1980s, the conflict has been carried out by proxy forces in Iran (including Iraq and the U.S.) and in and around Israel (including Hezbollah and Hamas). This phase included intermittent cooperation between the U.S. and Iran. Recall, for instance, the Iran-Contra affair during Pres. Reagan's second term. Since 2024, Israel and the U.S. have undertaken several direct attacks on Iran which, according to President Trump, "obliterated" Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025.

Given this 47-year history of violence, why the latest iteration of direct attacks against Iran? Why now?

Various and changing rationales have been offered by the U.S. government. The Pentagon told Congress that there were no signs that Iran would attack the U.S. first. Similarly, a high-ranking counterterrorism official stated in his resignation letter that Iran did not pose an imminent threat that would have warranted the massive attacks beginning on February 28, including President Trump's threats of civilizational annihilation shortly after Easter (which prompted a sharp rebuke from Pope Leo). Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated that the U.S. had to attack Iran to preempt strikes by Iran against the U.S. that would have been triggered by Israel's strikes against Iran. This seems to confirm various reports that Israel talked the U.S. into attacking Iran, either to effectuate "regime change" or even to turn Iran into a "failed state" altogether. Add Pres. Trump's recent interview where he stated that the attacks were designed to help Israel and that removing enriched uranium from Iran is not strictly necessary except "for public relations."

None of this sounds to me like the traditional criteria for a just war have actually been met. None of this makes it at least doubtful whether this particular war is just.

No matter how flawed the evidence regarding "weapons of mass destruction" provided by the U.S. and its allies before the invasion of Iraq in 2003 eventually turned out to be, at least a concerted effort was made to make the case that the invasion of Iraq was just and in keeping with international law. That effort seems to be lacking when it comes to the Iran war at this time, making it all boil down to the impression: "We could do it because we have the most powerful military in the world. Our local ally told us the time was right. So we did it. What's the big deal?"

Praying in War with Luther

If a Christian knows that the government wages an unjust war of choice, the Christian must obey God more than men (Acts 5:29) and refuse to serve as a soldier, according to Luther, even if that entails punishment by the government. In an unjust war, the only prayer of Christians is that God would graciously bring this war to a speedy end and restore peace: "Give us this day our daily bread."

But what about praying in a just war, i.e., a war of necessity that is prudently waged for defensive purposes? Is the type of over-the-top rhetoric of violence and self-righteousness, as seen in Sec. Hegseth's prayer, appropriate then?

It is not.

As I discuss in my book on God's masks, being unjustly attacked by enemies is, for Luther, first and foremost not a strategic problem or economic challenge. Rather, it is a spiritual challenge because it is punishment from God. The enemies, in other words, are not just servants of the devil who, as the murderer from the beginning he is (John 8:44), always aims to destroy our daily bread. The enemies are also a rod in God's almighty hand.

Because a military attack is first and foremost a spiritual challenge, it requires first and foremost a spiritual response from the Christians living in the land that's been unjustly attacked. This response is repentance--acknowledging that our countless sins and great ingratitude have earned God's wrath and disfavor, as was the case with the Flood and Sodom and Gomorrah. This response also includes reforming our lives according to the Ten Commandments.

As Sec. Hegseth did in his prayer to make his points, Luther cites Jeremiah to make this point. Tellingly, Luther does not cite those passages that talk about God's judgment over others we get to execute since we're on "God's team," but the call to God's own people, to us, to turn away from our sins (Jer. 18:7-11).

And this makes Luther different, not just from Sec. Hegseth's prayer, but also from the self-righteous finger-pointing that followed the 9/11 attacks in 2001: Why did God allow these attacks, many wondered? The quick answer by some leading Christian figures (Rev. Jerry Falwell, Sr. and others) was: It was because of the sins of others--the gays, the lesbians, the abortionists, the secularists, etc. etc. Even more circumspect people like Rev. Mohler, who declined to identify specific sins, saw the fact that "America has accommodated itself to so many sins" behind the attacks.

While lesser known figures encouraged everyone to examine their lives in response to the 9/11 attacks, none of the leading lights of American Protestantism had the Christian heart to say: "My own sins, my own grievous sins have merited these attacks!" The military response to the 9/11 attacks--the generational war in Afghanistan--did not turn out well, despite quick and tremendous success in the beginning. As Luther noted, without genuine repentance among Christians, wars are fought in vain.

For Luther (as for Isaiah, see above), genuine, effective prayer to God follows repentance and amendment of life. As Luther did elsewhere when it came to prayer, so he exhorted regarding prayer during wartime: Christians ought to pray confidently, not trusting the righteousness of their own cause, but in obedience to God's commandment and trusting in his promise to hear their prayers for Christ's sake. Christians, moreover, ought to pray by putting their needs into a few words--for instance, "help us, dear Father"--not by giving long speeches to God (or to those around them), as if they were "heard for their many words" (Matth. 6:7). Or as if God didn't already know what they need before they ask. (Matth. 6:8).

Luther noted that the prayers of the Christians in wartime are like the prayers of Abraham for Sodom and Gomorrah in that they step into the breach to stave off God's wrath against sinners. This too is characteristic of Luther's definition of the relationship between Christians and the rest of society: While they are hated by non-Christians, they faithfully and selflessly serve their neighbors, Christians and non-Christians alike. They do not answer hatred by hatred; they overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21).

This service to their neighbors includes prayer, as Luther explains in his sermons on John 14 and 16 on prayer I referenced at the beginning of this post. By their prayers, Christians obtain from God all manner of blessings for the rest of their communities, including peace and a stable government, so that all can enjoy the good gifts of God for body and soul. By their prayers, the Christians--even when they have no material possessions to their name--become providers for the whole world! Accordingly, they do not pray for the destruction of their enemies but pray that God would have mercy on all, including their enemies (Matth. 5:44).

Praying to God for help after repentance and amendment of life signals the presence of faith in God. This faith in God is antithetical to reliance on the justness of one's cause, the chosenness of one's nation, or the capabilities of one's military. As noted, where faith and repentance are absent, no amount of military might can ultimately succeed.

As Luther explained, faith in God--accompanied by amendment of life and prayer--does not make military preparedness (including sound plans and strategies) superfluous. (It certainly cannot turn an unjust cause into one that is just.) Rather, faith puts this preparedness into its proper place: It removes it from the role of ultimate cause of victory to a mere instrument God in his mercy may (or may not) use to grant victory over aggressors and restore justice and peace to the victims of violence. Accordingly, in times of just war, the prayer for daily bread is a prayer for victory over the enemies who have unjustly attacked the people, as Luther explained in the Large Catechism.

What about soldiers who serve to defend their people in a just war--how should they pray? In his 1526 treatise on Christians as soldiers, Luther formulated a model prayer for soldiers to use before battle instead of relying on all manner of superstitions found then and now among soldiers. This prayer goes as follows:

Heavenly Father, I am here according to your divine will in this external work and service to my government. I owe it first to you and then to the government for your sake. I thank you for your grace and mercy that you have placed me in such work where I am certain that it is not sin, but right, and in pleasing obedience to your will.

Yet because I know and have learned from your grace-filled word that not one of our good works may help us, and no one can be saved as a soldier, but only as a Christian, I do not at all want to rely on my obedience and work. Rather, I want to work and obey freely to serve your will.

And I believe wholeheartedly that I am redeemed and saved only by the innocent blood of your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which he obediently shed for me according to your gracious will. On this I stand. On this I live and die. On this I fight and do everything.

Dear Father, keep and strengthen me in this faith by your Spirit. Amen.

This is the prayer of those who believe in the one true God and who know that their cause, although it is just, is ultimately in the hands of their merciful Father in heaven: No over-the-top rhetoric is needed to gain God's attention, as if he were asleep. No faux fervor. No self-righteousness. Only humble, grateful, and confident words flowing from, and centered in, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Following this prayer, Luther observed:

I think if nine or ten of such soldiers in a single unit could say this with a true heart, it would be better than all guns, knives, vehicles, and armor.

So bring on the enemy with all his might. Christian faith is no shameful or petty matter. As Christ says in the gospel, Mark 9:23, it can do all things.

Yet where are those who believe this way and are able to do this? Still, even if most do not do it, we must teach it and know it for the sake of those, however few they might be, who will do it.

In sum, Christian prayer is wartime considers carefully the circumstances of the war--whether it is just or unjust--and proceeds accordingly. Without this consideration, prayer turns into religious manipulation. It ceases to be Christian and turns into a spiritually harmful weapon in the arsenal of the powerful. It turns God into our servant, into a genie, who must do all we tell him to do, as long as we pray "in Christ's name."

Genuine Christian prayer in wartime is an integral part of the Christian life, whether that life is lived as a soldier or a civilian. It flows from faith in Christ, follows the example of Christ's humility, and serves the neighbor accordingly. Christian prayer for our daily bread is effective in that it obtains from God peace by praying for the defeat of the unjust attacker and by praying for the victory of the just victims.

By recognizing God as the one who gives victory and peace, Christian wartime prayer glorifies God, the merciful Giver of all that is good.