Prayers and Faith in the Midst of Tragedy

 Lately it seems there is so much tragedy in the world, making it understandably hard for many to maintain their faith in God. The most recent highly publicized example is, of course, the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida. But there are so many other shootings and bombings not only here in America, but also in Israel, the Middle East, and throughout the world. As unfortunate tragedies continue to escalate across the world, oftentimes it can be difficult to know exactly how to react and pray in the midst of the despair.

Here are a few tips that can help you to pray and reflect after such a tragedy occurs, while keeping your faith as strong as ever:

• Do not focus on blame: One way people often struggle in their faith after such an unthinkable tragedy occurs is to place blame on God for allowing the tragedy to happen. It is only natural to be angry in the wake of a tragedy, but allowing yourself to focus more on passing blame, than on the people whose lives and families have been torn apart, only serves to harm your own faith.
• Pray for healing: Not only physical healing, but spiritual healing. For those of us who hear about these tragedies and ache after them from hundreds or thousands of miles away, it is nearly impossible to imagine what it can be like for those who have been directly affected by them. Those who survive have a long road to physical recovery, but those touched by the tragedy can be deeply spiritually and emotionally wounded as well. Pray that God is able to work in their hearts just as He does in their physical bodies.
• Reflect on scripture: In times where such unthinkable hatred and violence occurs, it can be comforting to return to something that is as pure and unchanging as the Word of God. There is a lot of value in scripture to provide comfort in many different situations. When your own words fail you in prayer, let God’s do the job instead.
• Pray for compassion: Violence is a direct result of hate, which is a result of misunderstanding and lack of empathy. Pray for greater compassion in the world to help prevent these types of tragedies from occurring again.

If you would like us to pray for you or your family in your time of tragedy, contact us today at Curt Landry Ministries with a prayer request.