Prayer for Orlando

By Andy McQuitty

O Lord, 

My heart breaks for the dead and wounded and their families for the terror they experienced. What grief the victims’ loved ones now suffer, and what trauma the survivors and their loved ones now bear! I lament for them. I grieve for them. I pray for them. 

Please, Gracious Father, ease their pain, and underneath may there be your everlasting arms comforting and sustaining and healing and helping them in ways you alone can do. 

Also Lord, please bring comfort and courage and peace to the LGBT community (which includes my daughter and her spouse) not only in Florida but throughout the whole country as they feel targeted and terrorized. May they know your love and grace as never before, and may your Church lead the way in expressing that love and grace. 

Give your wisdom, Holy Spirit, to our government leaders whose first and most basic responsibility it is to protect American communities and families and individuals from such harmful aggressors. May justice be served as they define our enemy accurately, pursue him globally, resist him righteously, and defeat him decisively. 

And finally Lord Jesus, I ask that you help me obey your command to love my enemies, even these of the murderous variety. Help me to pray for them Stephen’s prayer (and your prayer too), “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And help me to pray for their blessing even according the Eastern Orthodox prayer of intercession, “Lord, we pray for those who hate us and those who love us.” 

So shape me and my Christian brothers and sisters so that we become a healing presence in our hateful and divided world.

For your greater honor and glory’s sake, 

Amen.

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