America and many around the world are still in a state of shock over what happened on Saturday, July 13, when an attempt was made to kill former President Donald Trump as he spoke at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed his ear, another rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically wounded, while law enforcement killed the gunman stationed on a rooftop outside the rally.

It was remarkable to then see President Trump rise, pump his fist and shout to rallygoers to keep fighting, which seems already to have become an iconic moment in history. But the bullet had come very close to taking his life. If it was slightly closer, if he had turned his head a bit, things would have gone differently for him and everyone. He acknowledged on his social media platform TruthSocial that it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”

We live in harrowing times, and some things bring that to the fore like no other. Of course, this could have been much worse, and we are grateful it wasn’t. Obviously, a lot more will be coming out about what just happened over the next several days and weeks. There is still much to sort out.

We are of course, deeply appalled and saddened to see this happen—for those immediately impacted by this heinous action and for the broader nation and world. We should all take time to pray for the country and its leaders. Just like the biblical prophet Daniel, we too should pray to God for our nation to repent of its sins. May God have mercy upon those who have rebelled against Him. And at the forefront of our prayers should be a longing for the day when such violence is a thing of the past, beseeching the Father in the words Jesus taught us: “Thy kingdom come.”