Thoughts and Prayers
Dan Kunz
How many times have you uttered these words? “Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” or “You are in our thoughts and prayers.”
Unfortunately, the need for thoughts and prayers after a school shooting, appeared again this week. Two children were killed and seventeen more were wounded at a Minneapolis church and school. A variety of officials, news reporters, and politicians expressed those wishes again and again. Also unfortunately, a number of people on the news and on social media have expressed an often-heard sentiment. “Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough” or, worse, “Thoughts and prayers are a waste of time.” Although we may agree that just thinking and praying falls short of what we can do to prevent such tragedies, it also seems to imply that prayer is ineffective. I have no idea if these people have a relationship with God or not, but it certainly seems they don’t know much about God or about history, for that matter.
James 5:16 So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, in order that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is able to do much because it is effective. Prayer is effective. You can’t say it any plainer! Does that mean that prayer alone will solve any problem? Not likely. God has reasons for allowing situations to happen in this world which make no sense to our limited human understanding. He also tells us to pray and that he is listening. The Old Testament record of King Hezekiah plainly relates God’s intervention in the king’s life and the addition of years to his life because of his prayers to that end. God wants us to pray because it shows our trust in him. God promises to listen because he is our Father. God answers prayers, but not always in the time and the way which we may wish. That doesn’t mean prayer is a waste of time, as some may say.
“Mass shooters” almost always have mental health issues. Those can and should be addressed. Many times these troubled young people express their anger or frustration on social media and in other ways. Such behavior should be a “red flag” for those who are closest to them. Somebody needs to speak up in those cases. Obviously, weapons, no matter the type, should be difficult for troubled people to get their hands on. Schools and so-called “soft targets” should be properly protected by locked doors, security guards, or other means. All of these are reasonable responses to the dangers in today’s society. None of those preclude prayers to our Heavenly Father, who holds the world and the future in his hands.
As Christians, we not only pray for victims of violence and their families, we also pray for God’s intervention in our world and in our lives. Prayer, the ability to express our innermost thoughts and emotions to our Creator, is a wonderful blessing. It is a gift from God. If someone gives you a gift which will make your life better, it would be foolish not to use it. Let the ungodly denigrate the power of prayer and its value in our lives, you and I know better. Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”