Words are the seeds for feelings!

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,” (Acts 17:30)

How is the tragedy at Virginia Tech going to impact your prayer life?

Yesterday morning (Monday), Virginia Tech University suffered what authorities are calling the deadliest campus shooting in US history. At least 33 people were killed, and dozens more wounded, after a gunman went on a shooting rampage. All classes were cancelled, and entrances to the campus were sealed.

It’s ironic that at 11 AM yesterday, Virginia Morton and I met with Nancy Palmer to watch the Harvest Evangelism DVD about transformation of schools in Hawaii. We were sowing seeds to positively impact schools across Virginia this year through prayer evangelism.

I first learned about the shooting around 12:20 PM yesterday during our weekly Pray Culpeper meeting. Before our meeting I decided to prepare a short list of specific people to pray for. When I asked for someone to pray for Hagazi Kebede, Ed Lyons began praying. He prayed for God to provide comfort to students and their families following the shooting earlier in the day at Virginia Tech. No one else in our group knew about the shooting yet. But since Ed works with Hagazi and Hagazi’s oldest daughter attends Virginia Tech, Ed knew about the shooting incident.

At 12:30 PM, one of the library staff members poked her head in the door with a message from Nancy asking us to pray for Virginia Tech. As I walked out of our prayer meeting at 1:30 PM, I immediately saw Bob Orr. He told me at least 21 people had been killed.

Needless to say, my planned agenda for the rest of the day was altered. I watched the news with my wife when I got home because we have many friends with children who attend Virginia Tech. Several times during the day, I started to cry. My heart was broken for the families of those who lost loved ones.

I told my wife this is a wake up call. No one has the promise of tomorrow. People are spiritually drowning all around us and we need to be concerned about them. Any day can be our last. Prayer and prayer evangelism is our answer. It’s important for people to know that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

It’s ironic that this spiritual attack of the enemy took place less than two weeks before the rededication of America to God at Virginia Beach. It’s ironic that this attack of the enemy took place the day after the Culpeper News had a full page article on the front page of the newspaper titled “The Miracle of the Battle Cry Tickets”. [http://www.starexponent.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CSE%2FMGArticle%2FCSE_MGArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350749300&path=!features!] It’s ironic that this attack took place before tonight’s Christian youth unity rally at Culpeper Middle School.

Prayer Power
Father, the lives of many families changed forever following yesterday’s tragedy at Virginia Tech. We ask You to comfort those families and bring emotional healing. We ask You to physically heal those who were wounded in the shooting incident. We ask You to bring emotional and spiritual healing to the students, teachers, and administrators at Virginia Tech. We ask You to use this tragedy to have America unite in prayer. We ask You to bring something great out of what seems so terrible, as only You can do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Link of the Day
Witness survives by pretending to be dead [http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vtech.shooting/]

Blessings to see America unite in prayer!