A Prayer of Lament

Arise, O Lord. Lift up your hand.
Please do not forget the helpless —

The moms, dads, and grandparents whose children are dead
The children who witnessed this tragedy and lived
The educators who have given their very lives to protect their charges
The town that weeps for the slain —

God, we know you see this horrific event
Your heart is broken –
We remember your grief at the evil in the hearts of men
Your outstretched arm is mighty – we lean heavily on You today
The victims and their families commit themselves to You
You, alone, are our Helper, our refuge in times of trouble

You, O Lord, hear our cry today
You do not push us away, but draw us near –
You invite us to come boldly to your throne
We ask You for justice, for peace, for Your righteousness to reign

Even in our grief, with tears streaming down our faces,
Our hearts cling to You
Come quickly to help us, Lord.
We have no one but You to defend us from evil, no one to protect us.

In You, we put our hope
We wait for You through the blackness of despair
Be our Light in the darkness —
May we ever find our strength, our hope in You.