Let Us Pray for Boston

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before you in the sovereign, mighty, redemptive name of Jesus. We pray for the wounded in Boston. Bring healing through doctors' and nurses' hands. We pray for the families who have lost loved ones – especially the parents, family, and friends who knew and loved this precious eight year old child. Bring comfort – as only You can. May your Church in Boston arise and show this famous city – and the world – what it means to say with the mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in the heart that You raised Your Son from the dead. Give our nation's leaders and law enforcement swift wisdom and knowledge to find those responsible for this evil and bring them to justice. We also pray for these individuals responsible for this act of terror. Thwart their escape. Expose their hidings. May the earthly justice they (prayerfully) experience cause them to ponder the terrible judgment of eternity apart from Your Son and that, as a result, Your Holy Spirit would bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Sober our nation. Help us, once again, to be reminded of the frailty of life and the finitude of existence. May this terrorist act provoke thoughts of eternal verities in the hearts of Americans. May this tragic event – so soon after the Newtown tragedy – result in New England hearts that are fertile fields for the seed of the gospel to be planted. Finally, may Your triune love and saving grace bring beauty from ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. In Jesus' name we ask and pray these things. Amen.