When no words come, sometimes falling back on tried and tested ones help… So to each individual grieving; to Paris; to France; to our own troubled hearts and to a world struggling to make sense of it all we say the same thing – shared words that bridge language and race:
Que l’Eternel te bénisse, et qu’il te garde! Que l’Eternel fasse luire sa face sur toi, et qu’il t’accorde sa grâce! Que l’Eternel tourne sa face vers toi, et qu’il te donne la paix!
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.
Join us in praying that many French people will experience the living God’s comfort at this time and will know – despite the horror the last few days have brought – that the hope Christ offers is unshakeable.
Please pray especially too for the French church at this time – that God would lead and guide them in how to pray and reach out and help others receive the comfort and love that is on offer to them from Christ and his people.
And for peace and protection. Always peace and protection… as another nation enters the heartbreaking list we are carrying in our hearts.
You might – like us – also find that the song Come Prince of Peace is helpful in your prayers for France and other nations at this time. (Other peace resources are also available on our search by issue page.)
20.01.15 Further editor’s note – yesterday, we came across this brilliantly helpful article that Andy Freeman has written for 24-7 prayer which we also want to point people to for use as they pray for the global fall out from the events of the last two weeks.