Around 11:30 am on Sunday morning, November 5th, the unimaginable happened in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Evil entered a church and began indiscriminately shooting people. All seemed normal. All were safe. Those who were in the church that morning woke up like we did, got dressed like we did, ate breakfast like we did, got in the car like we did, made their way to church like we did, and assumed it was going to be like most other Sunday mornings. It might have been a normal Sunday for us, but there will never be a normal Sunday morning again for those who survived and are left with the heartbreaking memory of such an experience. How should we respond? What should we do? We should pray…
Passionately pray for God to provide incomprehensible peace
God provides incomprehensible peace for those who pursue it by passionately praying for it. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us that we have a responsibility to pray and allow God to remove any anxiety we have. He replaces our anxiety with peace. It is a promise God gives us. I can’t explain it, but it works. Passionately pray…
Passionately pray for God to provide healing for families affected by the unbearable pain and loss
Loss is part of life, but unexpected loss tremendously affects families. There is no doubt that the pain and loss of what happened in Sutherland, Texas have crushed the spirit of so many. I was thinking last night about the pastor of that church and how he has to plan and participate in so many funerals of those he considered family. Even in our own hearts, we might need healing from this unexplainable act of evil. There are times in our lives when we find it difficult to pray. [Tweet “When life crashes in we struggle to seek the only real help that can change us. Passionately pray…”]
Passionately pray for others to place their faith in Jesus
It seems that Christianity has a “go to” response for most events in life. Just share the gospel! While this is certainly an amazingly great eternal alternative, many will not get past the emotional strain of the devastating circumstances and pray specifically for their friends and others to place their trust in Jesus. Prayer opens opportunities for us to talk about Jesus with our friends. Prayer opens We all have friends who need Jesus. If God places them on your heart, pray passionately…
Passionately share the hope that is within you
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 to share our hope in Christ with gentleness and respect. When something as wonderful as salvation happens in your life, you cannot help but passionately share the hope that is within you. It is the most important decision you will ever make. Trust me. We will make many decisions in our lives. Where to live, what to drive, what color paint should go in the kitchen, and who to marry. But, the most significant decision we ever make is whether to trust Jesus for what He did for us on the cross. When we passionately share that hope with others, we give them a fighting chance to comprehend the gospel and to trust Jesus for their own salvation. When you think about how important Jesus is to you and how important He should be to others…..Passionately share…