How to pray for those who have suffered a tragedy!

All of us are still grappling with the story we have all been following of the horrific tragedy that has played out in Aurora, Colorado resulting in so many innocent people being shot in a cinema.  We have all been encouraged by our political leaders to pray for those who have been wounded as well as their families and loved ones.  But how exactly do you pray for someone who has fell victim to such hurt?  Let me offer three ways to pray for them, or anyone for that matter who is facing a hurt in their life.

First, ask God to help them find COMFORT!  Comfort can come in many ways but the greatest comfort of all can only come from God.  In the book of Second Corinthians we discover that God the Father is called “The God of all comfort who can comfort us in all of our trials.”  Did you get that?  God is the God of ALL comfort who can comfort us in ALL of our trials.  There is no hurt that we face in which God cannot bring us true comfort.  This is also true of those who are reeling right now from the recent events in Colorado.  Ask God to help them find the comfort that only He can bring to them.

Second, ask God to help them find COURAGE!  Here is what I mean.  I believe that every hurt that comes into our lives, no matter how small or how large, will have one of two results in our lives.  It can either ultimately make us BITTER or it can make us BETTER.  And for the most part, that choice is really up to us.  Depending on how we respond to our hurt, we will either become very bitter or we will allow our pain to make us better.  The Bible says that for the one who loves God and is called according to His purpose, that all things (even the hurts and pains in our lives) work together for good.  Tragedy does not have to make you bitter.  It can make you a better person.  Ask God to help them find the courage to become a better person, not a bitter person.

Third, ask God to help them find CHRIST!  Loneliness, hurt and pain can become your best friend if it draws you closer to God.  The greatest gift that any person can find is the free gift of eternal salvation that only comes with a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  That is my greatest prayer for anyone who is going through any hurt.  That is my greatest prayer for those whose lives have been savagely ravaged in Colorado.  That is my prayer for you who might be reading this and are going through a hurt of your own right now.  Ask God to lead them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.