How Minister to People Following Acts of Evil, 2

Taken from John Piper, 21 Ways to Comfort Those Who Are Suffering

2. Feel and express empathy with those most hurt by this great evil and loss; weep with those who weep.

Ecclesiastes 3:1. "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven . . . A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. . . . A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing."

Romans 12:15. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

How Minister to People Following Acts of Evil, 1

Taken from John Piper, 21 Ways to Comfort Those Who Are Suffering

1. Pray. Ask God for his help for you and for those you want to minister to. Ask him for wisdom and compassion and strength and a word fitly chosen. Ask that those who are suffering would look to God as their help and hope and healing and strength. Ask that he would make your mouth a fountain of life.

James 1:5. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Deuteronomy 32:2. "May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distil as the dew, as the gentle rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb."

Proverbs 13:14. "The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death."

Prayer of Thanksgiving: 12/2/2012 Prayer Gathering

We thank you Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the faith of our brothers and sisters in the Christ and for the love that you have for all your saints (Col.1:3-4), and for your Son in whom we have breath and life and salvation (Ac.17:25). We thank you Lord for the hope we have in the life and work of Jesus our Savior, and for His death on our behalf, and for His resurrection guaranteeing us new life wherein we now walk by the power of your Holy Spirit (Heb.6:19). You have blessed us with so many things that we take for granted: the air we breathe, the fresh scent of flowers, the taste of foods that we enjoy, and the splash of colors that entertain our eyes—so many simple things that enrich our lives. And you have not simply left us entertained but you have blessed our lives in much greater ways. 

Thank you Lord for the freedoms we enjoy in this nation in which you have placed us. For the families you have blessed us with, and the ability to care for them. For a land in which we may travel and interact freely and where we may worship you without compulsion nor persecution. We thank you for the salvation of our dear friends and loved ones, and for wonderful relationships you have blessed us with here in this brief life.

Thank you Father for the great men who have trod the path of faith before us, making the way smoother for us and for leaving us signposts that make the way less perilous. Thank you for men you called to your service that love you and your Word, and for education that is available for those whom you have called to Shepherd your flock and for the time and effort they invest in the study of your Word. 

We thank you for your Word which you have given to us in our own language, that we might know you and grow in our knowledge of you all our days. Many are the blessings that stem from your glorious and unchangeable attributes in which we can trust and find refuge. We thank you that we may find solace in you amidst turmoil and uncertainty, amidst loss of job, or health, or loved ones. We thank you for the certainty that your omnipotent hand holds our future secure and that when our days are through, we will be gathered to your glory. We come now to this time of thanksgiving to praise your name collectively. In Christ, Amen.

A Humble Attempt to Unite in Prayer