It has been quite a week. My heart has been heavy with sadness, shock, grief, anger, confusion—and also with a resolve. Once again, tragedy has shaken our nation and reminded us of the brokenness in our culture. As Psalm 120 says, “In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me… I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.”

In moments like this, the temptation is to turn inward—to blame, to divide, to harden our hearts. But as followers of Jesus, our first response is to turn upward. This is a moment for prayer. It’s a time to seek God’s presence, to humble ourselves, and to remember that our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1–2).

So how do we respond? We pray. We care for those around us. We stay tethered to a Kingdom that is above politics, culture, and rhetoric—a Kingdom that carries peace in the storm and hope for the future. We choose humility and boldness, and we let joy be our strength.

Prayer Focus This Week:

• Pray for our nation and for God to pour out His Spirit.
• Pray for eyes, ears, and hearts to awaken to truth.
• Pray for comfort for those who mourn and grieve.
• Pray that despair will lift and hope will fill hearts.
• Pray for an awakening in the Church, full of the Spirit and boldness.
• Pray for God-given creativity and solutions to bring healing.
• Pray for this to be a true turning to God moment across our land.

Let’s be a people who grieve without it turning into bitterness and hate, who hold hope and who believe that unity grows where pride and fear die.

-Eric J.

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Have a great week!