Hello everybody, I'm Charlene Aaron with CNB News.

Today on a special Prayer Link, praying for Las Vegas.

People are responding to the deadly shooting

in Las Vegas with prayer.

The hashtag #prayforvegas is trending on social media.

At least 58 people were killed in Las Vegas when

a gunman opened fire at a country music festival

outside the Mandalay Bay Casino.

More than 400 people were injured.

Country music artist, Jason Aldean

was on stage when shots rang out.

He posted an emotional post on Instagram,

asking people to pray for the victims.

He said, my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.

It hurts my heart that this would

happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what

should have been a fun night.

Well, churches and Christian leaders

are offering prayer and comfort after this tragedy,

Central Church in Las Vegas has a prayer line

open to anyone to talk about the shooting.

And several churches are holding prayer vigils.

Popular author and speaker Beth Moore tweeted, oh Las Vegas,

we are sorrowing and praying for you.

Psalm 7, verse 9, echoes from my morning reading,

oh let the evil of the wicked come to an end.

And CBN's Pat Robertson also responded to this tragedy.

I had in my devotions today, I was reading in Samuel.

It said, Lord, confuse the wicked,

confound their words, for I see violence and strife

in this city.

Day and night they prowl about on its walls;

malice and abuse are within it.

Destructive forces are at work in the city;

threats and lies never leave its streets.

Amen.

And joining me now is Jay Comiskey.

He is a vice president here CBN and a prayer leader.

Jay, thanks for joining us today to talk about,

you know, the importance of all of these prayer efforts.

It really is important.

And as we've talked about before, especially when there's

a tragedy.

CHARLENE AARON: Absolutely.

A lot of times when there's a tragedy,

there's a tendency to pull back and just be horrified.

Then watch the news for 10 hours and be more horrified.

When I think Prayer Link and what we here

have been discussing, the key thing

is, let's step into the middle of those tragedies

with prayer and intercession and ask for the help of heaven

where people need it most.

Perfect opportunities to pray, unfortunately through tragedy.

But we are so needing prayers right now.

Well, the shooting in Vegas is being called the worst

mass shooting in US history.

I mean, that's amazing.

You know, how should the church be responding?

You know, with prayer, of course.

But what else?

Well, first off, I loved what Beth Moore was saying too.

You know, we are standing with you, we're empathizing,

our hearts are broken too.

So I think, first off, is to always let people know,

we are so sorry, we're standing with you, how do we help.

But really, I think the first response, the most important

response, should be prayer.

Because prayer is how God has designed the universe,

that his people will access and call down

the resources of heaven to help, no matter

what the situation is.

And when do people need help the most?

In tragedy, in heartbreak.

And that's where Jesus is the one who

wants to come into the situation and help

in 1,000 different ways that we might not know directly.

But when we pray, we're inviting Jesus

into the middle of the tragedy to help broken hearts,

to heal broken hearts.

To help even the police and responders get there on time.

There's 1,000 different ways God wants to respond,

but we need to pray first, foremost, always, in a tragedy.

Absolutely.

Well, Jay, we've seen mass shootings in the past.

You know, and we've also recently

been seeing deadly storms--

JAY COMISKEY: Yeah.

--racial division in our nation, you know, so much more.

But what do you believe God is speaking to us

in the midst of all of this?

Well, I think for one thing, he's

training his beloved church to be

the first responders in prayer and intercession,

no matter what happens.

The tragedies are a call to prayer.

Tragedies are call to prayer, and it's important

that all of us realize the Holy Spirit is training all of us.

And that's what I love about Prayer Link.

That's what I love about CBN News,

because implicit in all the news we're showing,

we're inviting people to pray into the news.

CHARLENE AARON: Absolutely.

But the Lord's training us.

And he wants us all to know, we're in the Lord's boot camp.

And part of that training is, I want

you to learn to pray in season, out of season,

in the middle of no matter what the tragedy.

Don't you be the ones that fear pulling back,

you be the ones of faith going in with prayer first,

asking for the resources of heaven

to come and help everybody involved in any situation.

And God wants to be invited, he wants to help people.

He wants to help people.

Absolutely.

There is one interesting scripture that I read today.

Luke 13.

It's very interesting.

Jesus talks about two tragedies that

happened in the Galilee area, horrible situations

where people got killed.

And Jesus said, do you think these people

were worse sinners?

He says, no, I tell you not.

He says, unless you repent--

he was pointing out that in the midst of tragedy,

which can happen to anybody.

We have to understand this.

Tragedy can happen in life, but he says--

Jesus was going to the heart of any tragedy--

and he was saying, everybody needs to repent.

So one of the things I would say, not out loud.

I think we need to show a lot of discretion what we do publicly.

But in our prayer closets, we ought

to be praying, Lord, in the midst of this heartbreak,

in the midst of people who have family members who

die, we're praying Lord, that many would come to a saving

knowledge of Christ.

CHARLENE AARON: Absolutely.

What is one of the things that really gets

people thinking about eternity?

Death.

CHARLENE AARON: That's right.

When you go to a funeral, don't you often think of,

wow, life is short.

Well, in this horrible tragedy in Las Vegas,

we want to help the families.

But we want to realize, people have

been confronted with eternity like never before.

And we want to pray, Lord, would you use the tragedy

and pour out even greater grace.

That many people, who maybe weren't thinking about Jesus,

might come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

That's an excellent point, Jay.

And a lot of people who aren't Christians,

they are asking these difficult questions.

You know, why would God, a loving God,

allow this to happen?

You know, how should we be preparing

to answer such tough questions?

Well, first off, I think we need to make it clear,

God is both sovereign, but God didn't cause these things

to happen whatsoever.

But he's allowed men and women of free will, which

is quite a risk God has taken.

But he's a sovereign God and he is orchestrating all things

for good.

Well, you have to remember, there's

a real devil and real demons.

In a situation like this, this man sounds like a demon,

possessed man, that just did crazy things.

We need to realize, God's not the author of this.

In fact, God's saying, I want you

to be the author of solutions.

That's where prayer comes in again.

We need to realize there is a good God, who

wants to be in a special--

he wants to help, he wants to comfort.

He wants to see other people come to know him

through the tragedy.

And again, I think we just need to keep saying it.

In the midst of tragedy, doesn't that trigger people's thinking?

CHARLENE AARON: Yes.

It makes them realize, this life is so fleeting.

All my material things could be gone in a moment, if it's--

if it's a hurricane.

But God wants us to use these situations, invite

my Holy Spirit to work especially,

in the hearts of everyone involved.

And it's a perfect opportunity--

JAY COMISKEY: It is.

--for Christians to share the love of Christ,--

JAY COMISKEY: It is.

--to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who

don't know.

We don't want to be ashamed of the gospel,

we just want to be very wise in how we do it.

But first off, let's pray it, that these hearts--

you know, the Lord said-- here's his plan in the last days.

He said, I'm going to pour out my spirit on everybody.

The Holy Spirit's already working in the lives

of all these people.

CHARLENE AARON: Yes.

He wants to take advantage of situations like this,

especially to help people realize, I'm right there,

call upon me.

Amen.

That's right, Jay.

Yeah.

Praise God.

Well would you lead?

We're talking about prayer.

Yes

Would you please lead in prayer,--

Yes.

--for the victims' families,--

Absolutely.

--some whom don't know where their loved ones are,--

Absolutely.

--those who have been injured, the first responders.

All of this--

Yes.

--needs prayer.

Would you--

Yes.

And I want to invite the audience.

Join with us right now.

Yes.

We want to have a prayer meeting right now

in the midst of this tragedy.

Yes.

Call upon his name.

Father, in Jesus' name right now.

Lord, our hearts are broken by what has happened in Las Vegas.

And Lord, we mourn and we weep with those

who are mourning and weeping right now.

Lord, we pray especially for family members

who have lost members of their family

in this horrible tragedy.

We pray the comfort of Jesus Christ over every family

member.

And Lord, we are asking you to help all the first responders,

all the people involved, the bringing healing, the doctors

and nurses.

Lord, we thank you for all these individuals

who are helping so much in this situation.

But Lord, we want to pray most of all,

in the midst of this horrible situation--

Jesus, we ask that your Holy Spirit

would move on the lives of individuals

who have been shocked beyond belief by what has happened.

And Lord, would you bring your great salvation.

CHARLENE AARON: Yes, Lord.

May people be aware of the fact

that eternity is just right around the corner for all

of us.

And we pray for the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ

to come first and foremost to the front of everyone's mind.

And that even, Father, during the sadness of many funerals

that are yet to come, that many, many people

will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Lord, you said we could call upon you in a time of trouble.

We're calling upon you right now to help all the people of Las

Vegas, to help all of us who are watching this on the news.

And we're asking you, Lord, to intervene and help

in the midst of this horrible situation.

And we want to thank you, Lord, because we

know you're doing it right now.

In Jesus' name, amen.

And Father, we also pray for the churches--

Yes.

--in Las Vegas, Father God.

We thank you for each church that is open in your name.

JAY COMISKEY: Thank you, Father.

We pray, Lord, that you would just equip them with everything

they need, Lord, to be.

Like a city of hope, Lord God.

Let them be a beacon of light and hope and healing

and strength--

JAY COMISKEY: Yes.

--and encouragement, Father,--

JAY COMISKEY: Thank you, Lord.

--and the wisdom.

We thank you for the prayer vigils that are taking place.

We thank you for the prayer line at that church, Lord.

And we just thank you for positioning

the church in Las Vegas, Lord God,

at such a time as is this, to respond,

Lord God, in love and with compassion, Father God,

for those who are hurting so greatly, Lord.

We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are in the midst of this.

And we pray,--

JAY COMISKEY: Yes.

--Father, that you would cause what the enemy has meant

for evil, somehow, someway, cause good to come out of it

Lord.

JAY COMISKEY: We ask, Lord.

To your glory, Father.

We ask this in Jesus name,--

JAY COMISKEY: Jesus' name.

--amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Jay Comiskey, thank you so much for being with us today.

Thank you, Charlene.

God bless you.

And that is going to do it for this special edition of Prayer

Link.

May God bless you.

And remember, please pray for Vegas.

God bless you.

Buh-bye.