When tragedy strikes, when innocent lives are taken and families and communities are torn apart by senseless violence, when we don’t have words to say but need to express our feelings of shock, confusion, disbelief, anger, sorrow, rage, fear, anxiety and a myriad of other emotions – the word of God teaches us to pray!
These violent acts that invade our lives remind us that we live in a lost and broken world. As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that He comes to us in our broken state and pours out His love upon us. We need God’s wisdom as we respond in love, but with hope to those who are trying to make sense of this senseless act. While we might not always know what to say – we know to pray! In situations like this, we often don’t have words or know what to pray, but we press in because the Bible teaches us that we can trust His heart, character, and nature, and that “the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;”
Please join us as we pray together for the families of the victims, the survivors, and the community of Uvalde, Texas.
He is Our Peace
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4:13 that “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” Lord, we pray against confusion and fear and ask that You pour out Your peace over everyone touched personally by this tragedy. We pray Your peace, over the survivors, staff, students, and parents of Robb Elementary School. We pray Your peace over the leaders and community of Uvalde. We pray Your peace upon the State of Texas as they wrestle with the aftermath. Lord, Your Word says in Ephesians 2:14, “For He Himself is our peace”, so Lord, come and be our Peace in this time of great need and great grief. We need you, Lord Jesus.
He is Our Healer
Your Word in Psalm 147:3 tells us “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Lord, in this time of such pain, please heal and bind up every heavy, broken heart and bind up the wounds in these precious families both emotionally and physically. Just as you touched so many in the scriptures and they were healed - touch these precious families right now.
He is Our Help
The Scripture says in Psalm 46:1, that “God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.” Lord, be the very ready Refuge and Strength of all these beloved people who need You right now. Guard and protect them right now in this very raw, tender, and vulnerable place. Set the Angels of the Lord around them to deliver them from fears and troubles. Help them now in very real and tangible ways. Be there Help.
We are His Workmanship
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
The last thing we need to pray about and consider, is ‘what would Jesus have us do’? We need to pray, but we also need to be available to those who are struggling through this tragedy in our own families and communities. Tuesday night, I was in a theater waiting for my oldest son to join me, and the woman behind the counter came over and said, “I have a five year old and you can be sure that I’m not going to send him to a public school!’ It was an unsolicited comment offered out of heartfelt emotion – a mother’s protective heart revealed. I now know how to pray for her.
As we pray, let’s continue to ‘weep with those who weep’ and ‘mourn with those who mourn.’ Let’s continue to set our minds on the character, nature, and heart of our God. Let’s cry out on this community’s behalf, pray God’s word, and ask Him to open our eyes to see the real needs in people’s hearts ... and open our ears to hear between the words that people speak in our own communities. The Holy Spirit will guide us. Let’s all be messengers of the peace, love and hope of Jesus to those around us, ‘for such a time as this.’
Dedicated to Prayer (Romans 12:12),
Dion Elmore
Vice President
National Day of Prayer Task Force