Father God, we are shocked and grieved beyond words.

We stand in solidarity with those who died in Orlando early Sunday morning, and with their friends and family members. We stand with those who were injured and those who were terrorized. We pray for healing and recovery for all who survive, and we call on you to bring supernatural healing and comfort to those grieving the loss of loved ones.

We pray You will send Your people, followers of your Son Jesus Christ — including possibly ourselves — to lend comfort and care in Your name. We know our efforts as such would be inadequate, but we offer ourselves as Your servants to go where You send us and show Your love in any way possible.

We pray for LGBT Americans who experience this as a especial attack on themselves. We acknowledge our differences with them on many matters, yet we stand by them as fellow humans living in trying times. We renounce, in the strongest possible terms, all violence against them as individuals and as a group. We renounce any such targeting. We stand against it in any form, including schoolyard bullying. We condemn the motivation that could lead a man to murder

You taught and showed us that love is Your way, and that we are called to love not just our families, not just our neighbors, but everyone. We pray that Your love would live inside us, and Your truth would be strong in us so we can be instruments of Your mercy, love, holiness and grace, showing forth Your goodness in this hurting world.

We pray for peace. We pray for peace in our land, and for an end to violence across the world. Confuse and confound the efforts of those who seek to cause harm. Strengthen the efforts of our police and others protecting our security at home. Protect, guide and strengthen our military overseas.

Give our leaders wisdom in responding to this and other threats. And now, during this election season, give our nation wisdom in selecting our leaders.

We pray for Muslims to call upon fellow Muslims to put an end to terrorism committed in the name of Islam.

We pray,

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.

In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,

Amen.