Pulse

Father, we are broken and brokenhearted.

For the people who were shot and survived, give them extraordinary strength and courage to continue. Wash over them with your spirit that they might be encouraged and renewed. Lead them to forgiveness so no attacker will have power over them. Help them to heal quickly and well physically and to heal as thoroughly as possible emotionally. Let the scars on their bodies remind them of your grace toward them as long as they live. Let the recollection of that evil night swell up into worship in their hearts to you, for you have saved them and given them the grace of life. Embolden them with your spirit, that they would not be afraid. Give them spiritual and mental determination so they would keep being who you made them to be. Bless them each with words of wisdom that they can share with people who can't understand and who are angry. Extinguish their burning anger and fury at the situation and the gunman and turn it into a desire to show love in every circumstance. May there be an outpouring of grace, love, and friendship in the coming time and may there be reconciliation among the LGBT community and the rest of the world. Let there be peace and love, great Father.

For the families and friends of victims both dead and alive, pour out your peace on their hearts. Let them not stumble in trying to find meaning or understanding. Give them renewed and impassioned fervor for making the world better with kindness. Teach them to forgive, especially when their transgressors don't ask for or deserve forgiveness. Show them how liberating and restorative forgiveness is, specifically when it is not warranted. Give them words of comfort to share with each other. Bless them with good people who show their concern, love, and solidarity with gestures of selflessness. May they each be outstandingly encouraged by the aftermath of this tragedy and be strengthened to share the burdens of their loved ones.

For the people of Pulse night club, both staff and customers, bless their hearts. Motivate them to remain strong and courageous without hiding or running. Give them an extra measure of determination, that they would not be overcome by hate. May the bonds among them be strengthened and the chains of fear be broken. May an air of peace settle onto that place, causing all to feel safe and loved.

For the family of the gunman, grant them sanity. Wash them of feeling guilty. Don't let them bear the weight of the sin of their kin. Lift the pain from them steadily, slowly, until they are able to come out from under it. Give them good, forgiving, edifying people to surround them and lift them up. Encourage their hearts to speak freely, to get out all their feelings of shame and horror. Break the chains that bind them to that man. Give them freedom by your spirit.

For the LGBT community at large, may they feel more loved now than ever. May they realize how many people are on their side, praying for them, lifting them up, equally outraged at the atrocities committed against them. Bless them as they continue living in this country that regularly shows them hatred. May they become examples of love, forgiveness, kind words, and tolerance in the same way they wish the world would do for them. Be heavy on them as they hurt and heal now, Lord. Give them the comfort of the holy spirit as they carry on and try to live in impossible circumstances. May they come to know the restoration found in Christ and come to know his compassion for each of them.

For those who are outraged, let there be a calm that falls on the people of the United States. Let there be a sobriety of mind that permeates the people. May the country come to make rational decisions about laws, safety, hate crimes, and religious freedoms. Cause us to consider everything with discernment and show us when it's time to let go of old ways. Help us to forget tradition when it interferes with safety the state of the nation. Teach us to cling to you instead of to our ideals. Break each of us of our prejudices as soon as we ask, Lord. Please, remind us all that we are all hypocrites and haters at some point, but by your grace, we are set free from those ways. Keep us ever mindful of the grace you have shown us so that we would be bold enough to show that grace to others. Let us be strict at the right times and lenient a the right times. Give us wisdom to discern those times.

For those who are indifference, break their hearts. Open their eyes to the hateful world they inhabit and remind them that if they don't have love, they have nothing. Show them their own sin, that they would not judge others so harshly. Convict their hearts about their indifference and reveal to them their true nature. Cause a wave of compassion to wash over this group of people, compassion for the hurting, the broken, and the lost. Set them into action to change things for the better, to make the country better, to seek out unity and reconciliation. Break their hearts for the oppressed.