So the armed conflict in Iraq is under way. We've seen the first television pictures of missiles lighting up the night sky. And this morning we've heard of casualties, the British and American troops killed when their helicopter crashed returning from a mission. At such times, it's almost a natural instinct not just to watch and listen but to want to pray: for those serving in the armed forces and their families; and also for the people of Iraq that they may find the freedom and security to build a better future. I pray for all the peoples of the region that this moment be a prelude to a new era of peace and not the first thunder in an ever widening storm. I pray for us in Britain in the coming days and weeks that the real friendship that exists between our different faiths is not strained but strengthened. Above all I pray for the children of the world, that this time proves a turning point in the history of conflict, as we come face to face with the knowledge of the sheer power we now hold in our hands. Dear G-d, teach us to use it to dignify life, not destroy it on an unprecedented scale.

But does prayer make a difference? I think it does. It may seem an absurdly fragile thing when set against daisy-cutter bombs, laser guided missiles and the whole complex technology of modern warfare. And yet I wonder whether it isn't sometimes the strongest thing there is. Power grows from the barrel of a gun but peace is born in the human heart; and it makes all the difference whether we believe the universe is blind, a place where power rules and only the strongest survive, or whether when we open our hearts, we hear the voice of the creator, saying, You are all My children, and even your enemies carry the trace of my presence, the mark of my image?

All the weaponry in the world doesn't add up to the ability to choose between alternative futures. That rests with us, and our faith - expressed in prayer - that the universe is not deaf to our cry, that someone is with us in our fumbling efforts to make the world a little less brutal, a little more humane. Which is why, in the days ahead, our prayers will make a difference, giving courage to some, comfort to others, above all giving those who live in fear the sustaining power of hope. The world we build tomorrow is born in the prayers we say today.

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