From Mennonites to Catholics, people of faith all over the United States are gathering for prayer and calling on all to join in.

Not since the attack on Pearl Harbor has the United States taken such a horrific blow and many are seeking comfort in prayer.
In a statement on their Web site, the National Council of Churches calls “on people of faith to reach out to one another.”
“We especially urge churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship to join in prayer and practical help,” read the statement.
The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church is calling on its members to join together in a worldwide prayer vigil tonight. “It is a time of national grief and sorrow,” read their plea. “It is also a time for gathering, for strength and for prayer.”
Baptist Press also reported that Southern Baptists are being rallied to prayer and are also standing by to offer disaster relief and spiritual support for victims of the tragedy.
CatholiCity.com and the Mennonite Disaster Service Online are also calling on people to bow their heads and remember those who lost their lives and those who will struggle to keep their lives in the days to come.
The Christian Broadcasting Network, in addition to offering continued updates about the tragedy, hopes the nation will turn to God for answers and comfort.
Pat Robertson offered a prayer on CBN.com, saying, “We need revival, Lord. We need Your protection. Lord, as great as we are, this act of monstrous terror shows us how vulnerable we are, how weak we are in the midst of all of our strength. And Lord, only in Your power can we survive.”
The headline on Beliefnet.com simply reads: “Pray for the Victims.”
“I grieve for the families of the victims of this tragic and senseless loss, and I pray for the future that we may come to a resolution without further losses,” wrote one participant in a Beliefnet Prayer Circle. “A special prayer to the innocent American Muslims who most assuredly will face many prejudices and hardships in the near future.”
In a statement released by the Baptist Center for Ethics, executive director Robert Parham called on people of faith to recall the words of Jesus.
“In the Sermon on the Mount [Mat 5-7], we find seven clear touchstones for this painful, bewildering time,” Parham wrote. “We would do well to remember the words of Jesus and to recite them.”
· Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
· Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
· Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
· Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
· Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness. In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.
· Everyone … who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who builds his house on rock.
Jodi Mathews is BCE’s communications director.

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