Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was assassinated in public while delivering a speech yesterday. The shock and grief of such violence drives us first and foremost to pour out our hearts to our heavenly Father, and to plead for the people of Japan. Please pray with us. Here are some places to start:
1) Pray for Abe’s family to be comforted after their loss and that their hearts would be healed after this tragedy. Ask the Lord to send someone to share the gospel with them and to open their hearts to receive salvation and peace through Jesus.
2) Pray for the people of Japan. After terrible and shocking events, the Japanese community tends to express shock for a while, but a strong desire to return to normal often overpowers the actual process of grieving. Pray that people in Japan would be able to grieve appropriately, and in doing so would encounter Christians to help them know Jesus who offers comfort in their mourning. Suicide is an unfortunately common response in Japan to suffering, tragedy, and regret. Please pray that no one would fall to the temptation to take his or her own life as a result of this tragedy.
3) Pray for the attacker to be appropriately convicted, not simply by the authorities and legal system, but within his own heart, that murder is a sin against the God who created and gave each person life in His image. Ask God to provide a Christian within the prison system to share the forgiveness available to him through Jesus’ death on his behalf, and ask that Christians would be able to share the peace and love of Christ with the attacker’s family members as well.
4) Pray for the Christians in Japan, especially Japanese Christians, to be united in showing compassion and respect for their leaders, and pray that the Holy Spirit would unite their hearts in prayer for their country. Pray for Japanese Christians to be courageous in sharing their faith in Jesus with those around them who are hurting so that Christ’s love, forgiveness, and mercy can be offered to many people at this time.
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