It seems the older I get, the less I know. I just don’t seem to have the answers to so many of life’s difficult questions.
I know who God is. And I know that He is good. Loving, kind, compassionate. I know that He is intimate and alive, and cares about every little thing we care about.
But in times like these…when children and adults alike are senselessly murdered I don’t know much more.
When there are no answers…..
All I know to do is pray….
Will you join me?
Lord Jesus,
Today as we look around we saw a beautiful blue sky and all seems well – from the way the landscape appears. But it isn’t. You know that full well. You know why the flags are flying at half-staff throughout our country and why mothers, fathers, siblings, friends and even strangers are weeping. You must be equally sad. Even moreso. Beyond what we can imagine…. A loving God watching as we destroy ourselves. As good, innocent, children and adults needlessly have their lives cut short because of the evil in one man’s heart.
Lord, in this time of grief there is so much pain. Emotions are high and we pray that you would help those that are grieving. The parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, neighbors, community, country….
Lord, would you show yourself to those that are hurting, struggling, aching… would you show them a tangible sense of your love for them and what they are going through? Would you help them walk through this? Would you please be there for them as they try to figure out how to live another day with the depth of pain they feel in their hearts?
Would you please send angels, friends, relatives and even loving strangers that will minister to them and bring them some sense of relief or comfort? As they cry out to you in their pain, we pray that they may find you very real and tangible.
Lord Jesus, we pray for the siblings and friends of the young children…we pray that fear would not grip them or have a hold on them in the future. Lord would you restore to them their childlike innocence and trust? Please give their parents, counselors, neighbors, and others – wisdom, your wisdom, to minister to the children and the adults involved. Help them to see and feel your love and tender loving care for each one of them as they walk out this horrible journey. Help them to know they can lean on you and lay all their cares upon you and experience your deep love for each of them.
Lord, we pray for the first responders, and second and third responders. Those that had to see the horror. And be personally involved. Those that saw what the rest of us don’t even dare to imagine. You met them there and gave them the strength to do what no man would ever be able to do in their own strength. These men and women may be the ones overlooked as the community moves forward. Please minister to them in a personal way. When they lay their heads on their pillows at night, trying not to remember… please Lord, become very real to them. May they have a sense of pride for the heroism they displayed. May their families and friends not forget to be sensitive to them as they will be unlikely to talk about their experiences….wanting to forget them as soon as humanly possible. May those loved ones respond in the future with more grace, more understanding, more love… knowing that pain can come out “sideways.” Their pain is one most of us will never see or hear about…or understand… may we be sensitive and kind.
Help us, by the power of your Spirit, to not lash out at each other in our emotion. We search desperately for answers and spew out our theories. We can not reason this out. In our attempt to try, in our attempt to make things better, we offend, we hurt.. May we overlook the offensive things done and said by others… knowing their emotions are also high. Please forgive us for our humanity and bring us together rather than allowing this to seperate us. We need each other. More importantly, Lord, we need you.
May those affected draw near to you and see you as a solace. A God who intimately cares. A God who would never want these things to happen and is loving and full of goodness. A God who says to us, “This is the way, walk in it.”…. but doesn’t force us. That is love. A God who weeps with us.
Teach us whatever we need to learn from this pain. Through this pain. Open our eyes to see, our ears to hear – your guidance. So that we can walk in the very best way for each of our lives and this may never, ever happen again.
Lord, words fall so short to offer in prayer. Words limit. But you know the hearts of the nation as we see our brothers and sisters suffer. Bring them comfort, compassion and love. May they find a strength to walk this out – Your grace – Your strength in their time of need and sorrow.
Lord we look to you to heal our pain in Sandy Hook and heal our nation.
May they see you, feel you, know you,
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Let’s remember that there is power in prayer. God hears our prayers. Let’s also remember these victims as the months, weeks, years and graduations pass….
They need us…