After hearing about the mass shooting at the concert in Las Vegas on Sunday night, like so many Americans I was scared, heartbroken and praying for the victims. The chaos and utter terror they must have felt is incomprehensible. Many people are asking why this happened and as of right now we don’t know what the motive was behind it.

Instead of passing judgement, I want instead to offer up a prayer for our nation and for the people involved. I know some people will judge me, but we should pray for the shooters family members as well instead of casting judgement on them as well. We cant even imagine what they are going through after hearing this news either. Wouldn’t all of us want prayers lifted up for us if we’d found out this news about one of our family members?

Lord, we pray for the victims of this senseless act of violence. Be with them and bring them healing and peace. Please help many lives to be spared. We pray for the victim’s family members. Let them be comforted by your unfailing love and your presence in their lives. Let them be able to see their loved ones.

We pray for the first responders who tended to the victims. Lord, be with them as they continue to save as many people as they can. We pray for the doctors who tend to the victims. Let your work flow through them and touch their hands as they work to help everyone in need. Be with the people who have lost any family members through this tragedy. Comfort them with your promise of eternal life and let them know that they will eventually see their loved ones again.

Lord, we pray for this nation. Please help this tragedy turn us back to you. Please help us to bring you back into our lives more than ever before. Help us to start focusing on you and your will for our lives. Instead of spreading hate, let us spread peace and above all, let us spread love to one another. Please restore the peace and unity in this country, that we so desperately need.

Thank you for the courage and selflessness that everyone showed in the face of utter panic and terror. Thank you that people were selfless and trying to help save as many people as they could. Thank you that there were people willingly risking their own lives without a second thought for their own safety. Because of those people’s actions and reactions to the violence, some people get a second chance at life. Thank you that the people there banded together as one to help their fellow man.  Allow us to be there for anyone who may need our help. Allow us to want to be there for our fellow man in any way possible.

Lord, we thank you that there as so many people giving blood in order to help the victims. Thank you for their selfless acts of love and kindness. Let the blood that is collected save many lives.

Be with everyone who has lost loved ones through this time. Be with them as they try to cope and adjust to the new normal. Bring them the comfort and peace that only you can provide.

Lord, we pray for the shooter’s family. To find out that their son, and brother committed suicide after committing the shooting, cannot be easy to digest in any way, shape or form. Lord be with them, as they adjust to the news and bring them the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

Lord, be with the performers that were there entertaining the crowd. Please heal their hearts souls and their minds. Especially be with Jason Aldean and his family, as he was on stage when the shooting started. Heal his heartache. Heal all the performers hearts and bring them peace. Thank you that none of the performers were hurt during this incident.

Lord, help the police and detectives and the FBI to eventually figure out why this terrible event occurred. Not just so the rest of the world can know the truth, but more importantly so the victims and the victim’s family members can have some sort of closure that is and will be desperately needed.

Please turn this tragedy into a wakeup call for all of us. Press it into our hearts to live for you and to live with the love that you put into our hearts. Please help us to love selflessly and to hold our families and friends closer than ever before. Help this nation, especially the people of Las Vegas recover from this event. Keep our nation safe. Be with all of us in every aspect of our lives Lord. Restore us to the nation that we are made to be. Take us back to the nation you want us to be. Fill us with your love. Help us spread your words and your love through our actions.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To everyone affected by this tragedy, know that we are all with you. God will never leave you nor forsake you. Most importantly, we will rise from this tragedy stronger than ever. Use this opportunity to witness to those who are hurting and as an opportunity to turn this nation back to God. With God at our side, there is nothing we can’t get through .