Weapon of Prayer

On a more serious note today... 


"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding".
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Yesterday was a sad day for Chardon High School. For those of you who haven't heard (which I'm sure you all have), student T.J. Lane walked into school that day with no intention of learning. 


Students claimed they saw Lane walk into the cafeteria that day holding a gun, and from then on all hell broke lose. 


As of this morning, 3 students are dead. 


When we hear news like this, we think "oh my gosh how sad. I will say a prayer and then write a Facebook status for others to say a prayer as well" and then continue on with our daily lives. I think it's great that people are sending their prayers for those students and families, but the prayers shouldn't end at midnight on the day of the tragedy. The power of prayer is real, and most wont truly understand that until they are placed into a situation where all you can do is pray. Believe me when I say though, your continuous prayer does not go unheard and truly does help heal the hearts of friends and families in these devastating situations.


Violence like this can happen anywhere. It can happen at your high school, in your college classroom, in your work environment, at the mall, on a bus, in your own home, literally anywhere. 


Fighting back is never the answer unless our weapon of choice to fight back is prayer. The praying should continue all day, every day; even if the violence ends, there should always be prayer for never-ending peace.


You never know, or understand, the back story of someone's life back at home. Be kind to everyone, because someone's struggle is always worse than yours. 


Matthew 5: 43-48 ..."Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you"...

If praying more was on your list for this Lenten season, keep on praying on.