Dear God, Please send to me the spirit of Your peace. Then send

“Dear God, Please send to me the spirit of Your peace. Then send, dear Lord, the spirit of peace from me to all the world. Amen.” Thus prayed Marianne Williamson, and in her prayer is contained a profound and eternal wisdom. It is the recognition that peace begins not on the battlefield, nor in treaties signed by kings, but within the depths of the individual heart. First we must receive it, then we must embody it, and finally we must carry it forth into the world.

When Williamson asks for the spirit of Your peace, she acknowledges that true peace is not the fragile silence made by human hands, but a divine gift. It is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of harmony, of wholeness, of rest that flows from the Eternal Source. She does not demand peace as a right, but humbly receives it as a blessing. This is the first step for all who seek to heal the world: to be filled inwardly before they can pour outwardly, to let the heart be a vessel of the divine calm.

Yet her prayer does not end with herself. She immediately asks that this peace flow from me to all the world. Here lies the essence of her wisdom: peace is not to be hoarded, but shared. The heart at peace becomes like a lamp lit in darkness, spreading its light not by effort but by its very being. Williamson’s words remind us that transformation is not the work of nations alone, but of souls. If each person became a bearer of peace, then the world itself would be healed, not by decree, but by the living spirit carried in countless lives.

History bears witness to this truth. Consider Saint Francis of Assisi, who in the midst of crusades and turmoil, prayed, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” He sought not wealth or power, but to carry gentleness, forgiveness, and love wherever he went. Even today, centuries later, his prayer continues to inspire millions, for it reveals the same pattern Williamson echoes: receive peace from God, then become the channel through which it flows to others. Or recall Mahatma Gandhi, who declared, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” He too understood that if peace was to come, it must be lived first in the heart and actions of each person.

Her words are also a rebuke to those who cry for peace while sowing discord. Too often men seek peace only in the world outside, blaming rulers and nations, while their own hearts burn with anger, envy, and resentment. But as Williamson reminds us, no man can give what he does not possess. If bitterness rules within, bitterness will spread without. But if peace rules within, it will overflow and touch all who come near. Thus the prayer is not only for blessing but for responsibility: to bear peace as a sacred duty.

The lesson for us is plain: if you would see peace in the world, begin first with yourself. Pray for calm when storms rage in your soul. Seek forgiveness where resentment lingers. Make space for silence, for reflection, for love to take root within you. Then, having been filled, let your actions, words, and presence be the vessels of that peace to others. Speak gently, reconcile when you can, offer kindness to the weary, and resist the urge to retaliate in anger. In this way, you become part of the great river of peace that flows from God into the world.

Practical wisdom flows from this prayer. Begin each day with a moment of stillness, asking for the spirit of peace to dwell in you. Guard your tongue, for words can wound or heal. Look for opportunities, even in small ways, to be a bearer of calm in a restless world: a smile to a stranger, patience in conflict, forgiveness offered freely. These small acts, multiplied across countless souls, are the very fabric of world peace.

Thus let Marianne Williamson’s prayer be remembered: “Send to me the spirit of Your peace. Then send… the spirit of peace from me to all the world.” It is not only a plea—it is a command for how to live. Receive peace, live peace, give peace. And when enough hearts obey this call, then the angels’ song of Bethlehem—“Peace on earth, goodwill toward men”—will no longer be a dream, but a living reality among us.