#prayeralert: 12 Murdered in ParisLaura Gish - 9 Jan 2015

This terrible incident in Paris has sparked response from across the globe. 

Police officers. Hardworking civilians. Innocent people. These are among the 12 who lost their lives yesterday in Paris, France. Four were cartoonists from the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hedbo. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Stephane Charbonnier, also lost his life. He had received death threats in the past and was under police protection.

Witnesses report that masked gunmen carrying automatic assault rifles fired shots into the offices of Charlie Hedbo and exchanged fire with policemen outside in the streets. One witness said that a gunmen approached an injured police officer and took their life. Seven other people were wounded from the shooting and remain in critical condition. 

Police are searching for the individuals responsible for the tragedy and there are reports currently coming out of France that the police have them surrounded in a building in a public area near Paris. Reportedly the men have a hostage and shots have been exchanged

This tragedy needs your prayers now 

• Pray for God's will and peace in the situation that is currently unfolding    
• Pray for the families who lost loved ones. Ask God to draw them to Himself during this time of grief. May they know that God is the only one who brings true comfort and joy. 
• Ask God to reveal His glory, power, and love through this tragedy.
• Pray that the Word of God would be spread in France, replacing darkness with light; that in place of fear surrounding race and religion, we would see unity
• Cover the government in your prayers. Pray for protection and wisdom as they address this difficult circumstance. 
   

All images are used by permission in accordance with commons copyright license terms: Feature image is a derivative of the images 'Road Trip Planner' by Toby Bradbury  and 'Champs Elysees - Paris, France' by Cruz Roja Española