The Church of England has called on Christians to pray for London, Birmingham, Manchester and other cities affected by the rioting.
The Church has issued a special prayer for church and personal use that has already been widely distributed via Twitter and Facebook.
The Prayer for Peace in Our Communities reads:
Gracious God, We pray for peace in our communities this day. We commit to you all who work for peace and an end to tensions, And those who work to uphold law and justice. We pray for an end to fear, For comfort and support to those who suffer. For calm in our streets and cities, That people may go about their lives in safety and peace. In your mercy, hear our prayers, now and always. Amen
The Church of England said many of their churches have thrown open their doors to communities in need, while bishops and priests have been visiting and listening to affected people, offering prayer and support.
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Manchester has called for justice to be done after thugs tore through the city centre, vandalising and looting shops.
The Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch condemned the “sheer vandalism, thuggery [and] theft” in the city.
“There is absolutely no excuse for that,” he said.
“Justice now needs to be done, and seen to be done.”
In Birmingham, police have launched a murder investigation after three men were killed allegedly while protecting their community.
In Southall, hundreds of Sikh men rallied to protect their temple. In Stoke Newington, crowds of Turks successfully saw off rioters and gathered again on the streets last night armed with baseball bats and fire extinguishers to deter any would-be looters.
The Diocese of London appealed to Christians to pray “for the restoration of order and for peace”, and for “safety and understanding”.
The Bishop of Southwark and for Urban Life and Faith, the Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, said the images of violence and destruction on the television screens “do not represent the strong, hopeful and vibrant communities I know so well”.
“I want to appeal to those responsible for the disturbances to stop,” he said.
“Today, as many in our Diocese count the cost of the disturbances, I am deeply saddened to see the images of destruction in familiar places.
“I will in the days ahead visit those communities that have been at the centre of trouble and I continue to promise my support for, and solidarity with, all who seek to build positive and constructive engagement."
(Image depicts rioters in Birmingham)