Every time America or the world suffers from any natural disaster, terrorist attack or tragedy, we hear the phrase ‘’my thoughts and prayers.” This morning when I awoke to the news of the devastating earthquake that swept parts of Japan, Twitter was flooded with people saying ‘’my thoughts and prayers” go out to the people of Japan. From Hollywood to Washington D.C, ‘’thoughts and prayers’’ came from pop star “I kissed a girl and I liked it” singer Katy Perry to Nancy Pelosi. It made me think, I wonder how many people use what unfortunately I believe has become a generic term as opposed to actually meaning it. It reminds of those “proprietary eponyms” many of us have heard about. You know, where someone uses the actual name of something generically like: Kleenex, Xerox, band-aid etc. Has saying ‘’my thoughts and prayers” become a generic cliché in America? I think so. How many people actually stop and pray?

God’s name has dissipated more and more in America. No prayer at schools, no prayer in the public square, no prayer before a football game, no prayer at work, no prayer even at the National Day of Prayer! Until…tragedy strikes!

After September 11th, we saw Americans and citizens of other nations gather around in prayer. After the first WTC attack, the USS Cole bombing, Katrina and other tragedies people gather in prayer. They lean on God. Unfortunately, that prayer isn’t allowed outside of tragedy. In tragedy, that is when many people draw close to our Creator. That is when many realize that there is something bigger than us. There is something more powerful and there is someone with His hand on all that happens. Tragedies allow us to see the bigger picture. This is why in tragedy we look to comfort, we look to the Comforter; God Almighty. Unfortunately for many, that pursuit of God often goes away just as fast as the tragedy itself came about.

Maybe when tragedy strikes, instead of simply saying my thoughts and prayers, it will make those in America who strive to take God out of our country to think twice. Maybe it will make our nation who has sadly drifted so far from God, turn back to God. Especially in the times America is facing right now and the world. Maybe in times like this when people say my thoughts and prayers they will stop to think about why all this turmoil in the world is going on in the first place.

I pray for the day when the words Jesus Christ can flow from the lips of any American in prayer. I pray it will be something Americans can do any place, any time, in bad times AND good times. Not just when tragedy strikes.  

Moments like this should be a time to refocus and get our priorities straight. Moments like this shouldn’t just be a ‘’thoughts and prayers’’ moment, okay now let’s get on with life and forget the praying stuff! No. We should be praying every single day for our nation. We should be looking at what is happening in the world on a much larger scale because there is a much larger reason behind it all. Let tragedies ultimately remind us that He is in control and that someday there will be an end. Until that day arrives, let’s pray without ceasing.