A Prayer for Virginia Tech

Our Heavenly Father, we bow before your throne in humility and with much heaviness in our hearts. We confess our inability to understand such tragic events. But we trust in you oh Lord. We trust in your unfailing love and your providential care for us, your creatures.

We ask that you hear our cries this day as we mourn and ask "why?". God, it is because we trust that we cry out to you and to none other. Nonetheless, we still cry. Our pain is too great for us to bear on our own. We need you to heal our pain. We seek the comfort that only you can provide.

Father we thank you for experiencing our pain in the life and death of Jesus Christ. We trust that you know exactly how we feel this day. Thank you for being near to us. Though at times we wonder where you are, we acknowledge your presence even in the darkest of hours such as this.

Father we praise your holy name this day. We praise you for your power, especially the power that you have over death - demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus. God we are so thankful for the victory we have in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful that you have triumphed over situations like today. No matter what Satan may throw at us we know that you have defeated it. Although at the present time we do not completely taste the sweet taste of victory, we long for that day. We long for the day when our victory will be finalized. We long for the banquet that we will enjoy with you.

God we pray for all our enemies. We pray that they will come to know you. We pray that they will repent of their deeds and turn to you. But if they have hardened their hearts, if they have resolved to oppose you and your people, we pray for your judgment. God we know that they will be placed under your feet. Though today we may not understand that they have lost we are confident in your ultimate victory.

Again, we praise you for this victory in Jesus. We ask now that you help us focus our attention on the future. Father we know this world is not our home. We know that it has undergone a radical change from the day it was created. We look forward to the day when it will be purified and purged from evil and sin. We eagerly await the peace and harmony of a life lived in your glorious presence.

Father we confess our own sins to you this day. We are thankful that you have forgiven us. Thank you for the power of the cross. We ask that you continue to make us holy. We ask that you continue to transform us into the image of Christ. Thank you for your Spirit. Thank you for the holiness and peace that he brings to our lives. Father our words have come to an end and we trust that the Spirit now groans for us. Father our words have ended and we now yield to silence so that we can hear your voice. And we wait. But we are confident that we do not wait in vain. Father we know that you are worth waiting for.

We acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ as we offer this prayer. Let the children of God say “Amen.”