Remembering & Praying...

Were you alive on September 11, 2001? I was. I was 33 years old, owned my own fairly successful small business (a bakery). It was about 8:30 a.m. and I was just waiting for some bread to get done and take it out of the oven and getting ready to go onto the next thing needing doing. Just a normal Tuesday baking day. Then, a good friend came into the bakery, we exchanged greetings, and he said, "I've got bad news. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Towers in New York City. The towers have collapsed; people were seen jumping out of the windows. There was a plane flown into the Pentagon; another crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. All flights into or out of the U.S. have been grounded." Even now, 23 years later, I remember exactly how I felt. Shock. Horror. Clutching my stomach in nausea. Tears welling up. Oh, God. No. Why? Why?!

We always say, "Never Forget." But we so often do. Unless you yourself were physically impacted -- lost a close loved one, actually knew a person killed, personally knew someone who gave their life -- we forget. The loss is so overwhelming, so immense, so long-ago and. . .we forget. This is why we have memorials, physical mementos, solemn gatherings and tributes; it helps us to mourn and to remember and to, hopefully, come together and give peace and comfort to one another. Remember that our Father God has given us the avenue of prayer to talk to Him, to give us comfort and a release for anguish.

​On this day of remembrance remember to pray.

A Prayer for Hope 
From: 5 Prayers for America on 9/11 - 9/11 Anniversary (crosswalk.com)
A fifth prayer for America on 9/11 is a prayer for hope. Hope is something that we all need. Especially for major tragic events, such as the terrorist attacks on 9/11, we need a reason to have hope. We can always trust in Jesus because He is our hope.
There are terrible things that happen in the world, but they are not God’s fault. Terrible things happen in the world because of sin being in the world. Despite these bad things happening, God can work out bad things for His good (Romans 8:28).
Dear God, please give us hope during these times. There have been many devastating events to happen, and the anniversary of 9/11 reminds us of the terrible things that can happen. Please fill our hearts with hope and be our sturdy foundation. Our hope is found in You alone, Lord, and we know we can always trust You. Please give all people hope and give America the hope we need to continue on. We thank you always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.