Man Prayed for Bullets to Run Out in Tragic New Zealand Shooting
March 15, 2019

At least Forty-nine souls tragically lost their lives in a shooting in two Christchurch mosques in New Zealand. One gunman, identified as an 'extremist terrorist' in his late twenties, brazenly live-streamed the attack on his Facebook account. And throughout all the chaos, another man shared what he did--he prayed. Here are his story and three things you can pray for New Zealand.
Church-goers ran for their lives after hearing gunshots. But one man says he saw the killings and knew he had to pray. "What I did was basically waiting and praying, 'God, please, let this guy run out of bullets.'" he shared. He told reporters that his brother was with him that day and that he didn't know if he was safe or not.
RELATED: 20 Bible Verses to Find Hope in Dark Times
Another eyewitness, Carl Pomare, was driving past the mosque and saw people fleeing the church. He quickly jumped into action to help, using his car to help form a roadblock with another car at the scene as he started trying to help the injured who had escaped! "We were trying to keep these people alive until the ambulances could get through." Carl shared. The ambulances couldn't get to the site until police cleared it of the danger.
Carl and other passersby came together to help the survivors in their time of need. "People were begging for our help. We made a call to take a father and his daughter who was in a bad way into a car and we managed to get them both out quickly but we don't know if they survived."
RELATED: What Does Prayer Accomplish When Tragedy Strikes
At this time when such evil is present that it is hard to understand why something like this would happen, there are still these moments of faith, and of strangers showing God's love. Mister Rogers famously shared a story about his mom's advice about tragedies. She told him whenever something terrible was happening, to 'look for the helpers.' And stories of acts kindness from complete strangers are already emerging as the details become known.
Where is God in the Midst of Tragedy?
In Habakkuk, cries to God, asking "Why?" are throughout the book. "O LORD, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear! even cry out to you of violence, and you will not save!" Habakkuk 1:2
In these times, it is important to remember that God doesn't want evil to win. Luis Palau shared the following thoughts on the subject.
God has a purpose in what He allows, even if we don’t know what it is.
From where we sit, tragedies seem senseless, but only God can even bring good from a tragedy. "Does the Lord cause some to die so the lives of others could be spared and the souls of still others might be better? No. God is not a murderer. But He does know how to take tragedy and bring good out of it. When we get home to heaven, we will finally see His purposes even in the tragedies of life. Meanwhile, we must continue to believe that He does have a purpose in everything that happens even if right now we are unable to see a shadow of what that might be." Luis Palau shared.
God is in control, even when it doesn’t seem as if He is. Because of this, it is possible to embrace hope--even in the midst of tragedy.
Three Things You Can Pray for New Zealand
The following were shared by Brad Russell, a pastor at Old Powhatan Baptist Church. Think on these themes as you pray for New Zealand.
Pray for Justice. But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalms 9:7-9)
Pray for Mercy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44)
Pray for the Comfort and Peace of the Lord. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalms 34:18)
WATCH: News Report About New Zealand Attack
h/t: BBC, BBC News, Luis Palau
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Peaceful Family Vacations - Your Daily Prayer - July 15
Family gatherings aren’t always easy, but they’re full of opportunities. Here’s how God can use even stressful vacations to teach us about peace, perspective, and His faithful love.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Peaceful Family Vacations - Your Daily Prayer - July 15
Family gatherings aren’t always easy, but they’re full of opportunities. Here’s how God can use even stressful vacations to teach us about peace, perspective, and His faithful love.
Past Stories
- At 103, She’s Her Bowling Team’s Oldest and Most Cheerful Player
- Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Saves 165 People From Camp Mystic, 'I Was Just Doing My Job'
- He Lost His Whole Family to a Flood, Ten Years Later, He’s There for Others in Texas
- Two Texas Sisters Share About Surviving the Flood at Camp Mystic
- Brave 12-Year-Old Boy is Honored After Saving His Family From a House Fire
- A Daughter Finds Connection to the Father She Never Knew Who Died in Vietnam
- She’s Raising Two Sons with a Rare Condition—and Showing Others How They Thrive
- A Neighbor's Call Saves the Life of a Newborn Baby Whose Mom Had Passed Away
- After Months of Paralysis and a Ventilator, Mom Talks to Young Son and Tells Him 'I Love You'
- Shelter Dog Detects a Stranger's Medical Emergency and Becomes a Hero
- Grieving the Loss of Their Daughter, They Chose to Keep Fostering Hope
- Gloria and Bernice, Identical Twins Turn 100, Celebrate Decades of Memories
- Father of Three Dies After Being Struck By Lightning While On Golf Course
- Married 18 Years, Parents of 4 Are Both Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer
- He Lost His Wife. She Lost Her Husband. Together, They Found a New Beginning
- She Earned Her Degree, Then Gave Her Dad a Second Chance at Life
- They Were Told Their Pup Had Been Hit By a Car, 4 Years Later They Found Her Alive
- New York Soccer Coach Collapses On the Field, Parents Jump in to Save Him
- Community Gathers to Remember 12-Year-Old Girl Who Died in a Scooter Accident
- After Surviving Family Tragedies, Stroke, and Coma, Teen Walks in Her Graduation Ceremony
- Civilian Stops to Save Woman in a Burning Car, 'It Could Have Been My Mom'
- They Adopted a Baby Boy, Then Extended Extraordinary Grace to His Birth Mother
- Cancer Survivor Shocks Everyone With His 4th Lottery Win
- Brian Wilson, Co-Founder of the Beach Boys, Passes Away at 82
- Vietnam Vet Passes Away, His Mailman Rushes to Adopt His Dog
- 4-Year-Old Called a Hero After Teacher Collapses at Daycare, and She Knows Exactly What to Do
- After 100-Mile Journey, Including a Swim, Missing Golden Retriever Mix is Finally Back Home
- Life Delayed Her Dream, But Didn’t Deny it. At 88, She Became a Graduate, and Witness to God’s Timing
- Gary Sinise Opens Up About His Son’s Death and the Gift of Grandfatherhood
- Young Girl is Saved by Good Samaritan After Falling 15 Feet Into a Waterfall
- Retired Alaska State Trooper Helps Rescue Husband Pinned by 700-lb Boulder
- 9 Year Old Boy Saves Mom and Newborn Sister By Calling 911, 'My Mom Could Have Died'
- Police Escort Paralyzed Teen to Prom Years After Childhood Shooting
- Young Boy in Wheelchair Walks at His Kindergarten Graduation, Surprising His Family
- Woman Credits Her Faith After Tire Flies Through SUV Windshield in Near-Death Crash
- 98-Year-Old Twins Cherish Life, Love, and Faith While Living Next Door to One Another
- Airman Served in WW2, Now He is Finally Coming Home 81 Years After He Died
- Teens Are Heroes After Saving Family From Fire On Their Prom Night
- She Survived 3 Weeks Lost in the Wild, Fighting Off Animals and Snowstorms
- Triplets Graduate From Texas Tech Together, All Earning Degrees in Media and Communication
- She Lost Her Son's Baby Book, But It Was Returned to Her at the Right Moment
- Man and His Dog Reunited After Being Hit by Drunk Driver
- Nurse With Caring Spirit Says Yes to Dying Mother's Wish For Her Son, and It's Beautiful
- She Never Told Her Friends She Was the School Mascot, Then Shares Her Secret at Graduation
- Mom Donates Kidney to Daughter, Now They’re Graduating Nursing School Together
- Grieving Son Finds Kindness When Trying to Print a Photo of His Mother Who Just Passed Away
- Nebraska Mom Raised Concerns About Husband's Mental Health Before Tragic Murder-Suicide
- Brothers Discover 1976 Message in a Bottle, Then Find the Man Who Wrote It
- California High School Discovers They Have 14 Sets of Twins in Their Graduating Class
- Paralyzed Pup Tyrion Finds New Life With a Doggie Wheelchair
Top Artists
Top Music Videos

Bill and Gloria Gaither Guy Penrod's Stirring Live Performance of 'Then Came The Morning'

Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold

chris rupp Chris Rupp’s Soul-Stirring A Cappella Version of 'Beautiful Savior' Is a Must-Listen

Universal Music Group Dolly Parton, Blessing Offor Captivate In 'Somebody's Child' Official Video

toby mac TobyMac Releases Heartfelt Lyric Video for ‘Goodbye (For Gabe)’
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.