I read a tweet shortly after the reports of the mass shooting in a church near San Antonio, that said, “thoughts and prayers failed again.” My heart is broken.
Did our thoughts and prayers fail?
I’ve spent evenings this weekend watching episodes of horrific real life stories on ID TV, which left me thinking about all of the evil that exists in the world. Episode after episode, incredible stories of wives who murdered their husbands, boyfriends who murdered girlfriends, friends who murdered friends. While I find the stories fascinating, I must admit that the sheer volume of stories of such violence is alarming. These are only the ones they’ve publicized. Our morning news is polluted with acts of violence. I can understand why someone could draw the conclusion that our prayers failed.
Just weeks after the Mandolay Bay shooting, once again the nation mourns a tragic mass shooting, this time in San Antonio. We post photos on our Facebook profiles that say, “pray for San Antonio”.
The tweeter’s words are haunting. Really haunting. His words make it sound like God has failed us, that our prayers are futile. Have we become so calloused from continued exposure to such evil in our world that our words sound shallow?
Did our thoughts and prayers fail?
Is God turning a deaf ear to our prayers? The Bible tells of growing evil in the last days. Though we don’t know when it will be, the book of Revelation is clear that there will come a time that God will say enough is enough. God is a just God. However, God wishes that all would come to know Him.
Our message in church today was centered on 1 Corinthians 16:9 “because a great door had been opened and there will be many who oppose”. As we do more of God’s will, we often face more adversity. Conversely, in the face of adversity, there are often doors of opportunity to share our faith with others.
At the risk of sounding trite by saying “pray for San Antonio”, I know that the community is grieving this evening, just as the communities of Las Vegas, New York, Columbine, Paducah, South Carolina, Florida, and countless other communities who struggle to understand the evil that lurks among them. Hard to understand, for sure. We may never understand in this side of heaven the extent of hatred of the Evil One that permeates our world, but know this: your prayers are not futile, and they haven’t failed.
I will continue praying for the people who have endured evil in this world, that they may know the peace that passes understanding that comes only through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
I leave you with this challenge today:
As you listen to discussions around the water cooler this week, keep you eyes opened for the doors of opportunity to open to share a time when God heard your prayers; not only heard them, but answered them; not only small ones, but big ones, too; perhaps even during a time of adversity when it seemed He wasn’t listening.
See, we are His witnesses. A witness is someone who testified what they have seen. As believers in Him, we have seen him answer prayers. It is our duty not only to continue praying for a lost world, but to share with that world what He has done for us individually.
No, our thought and prayers have not failed. Let’s bless others this week with stories of how He has answered our prayers.
Blessings,
SB
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