{A Heavy Heart and a Call to Prayer}

What a heavy week. It feels wrong to post anything lighthearted or trivial today. My heart has been so burdened, and honestly, I have been weeping for this world. Everywhere I look, there are reminders that this world is so broken… and that we need Jesus more than anything.

The headlines alone feel defeating and heartbreaking. Iryna Zarutska. The school shootings. Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle. Charlie Kirk. And I know there are countless more stories of pain and tragedy that I haven’t even read about. Each one represents real lives, real families, real heartbreak. Sometimes it feels like too much to bear.

Friends, will you join me in prayer? Prayer for these precious people and their families. Prayer for this hurting world. Prayer for the lost, the lonely, and the brokenhearted. Scripture reminds us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). That is where our hope rests. Not in this world… but in Jesus, who promises to be near.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the darkness around us. But we cannot forget that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). We cling to that promise. Jesus is still the answer. He is still hope. He is still peace.

And as we pray for the tragedies of this week, let us also pause to remember the events of this day in 2001. September 11th. A day forever etched into our hearts and our history. So many lives lost… so many families forever changed. Yet even in that unspeakable grief, we saw moments of unity, of selfless love, of people turning toward God. Let us never forget.

So today, I am choosing to press into prayer. To lift up those names and faces before the Lord. To intercede for our country, our world, and our communities. To remember that we serve a God who hears… a God who heals… and a God who saves.

If your heart feels heavy too, take it to Him. Sit with Him in the quiet. Let the tears fall. And trust that He collects every single one (Psalm 56:8). Our prayers matter.

May we be a people who don’t just shake our heads at the news, but who fall on our knees before the throne of grace. Because this world desperately needs Jesus… and we desperately need Him too.

Lord Jesus,

Our hearts are heavy today. We see the pain, the violence, and the loss all around us, and we confess how much this world needs You. Come, Lord Jesus… bring peace where there is chaos, comfort where there is grief, and hope where there is despair.

We lift up the families who are mourning, the communities shaken by tragedy, and the people who feel forgotten and lost. Remind them that You are near to the brokenhearted and that Your love never fails.

We also remember those lost on September 11, 2001, and the ripple effects of that day that still linger. May their families find peace in You, and may we never forget the lessons of unity, courage, and compassion.

Jesus, we ask You to stir our hearts to be light in this dark world… to pray without ceasing, to love without condition, and to point others back to You.

Come, Jesus, come. We need You more than ever.

Amen.