One week after a shooter opened fire inside Houston’s Lakewood Church, Pastor Joel Osteen declared “fear is not going to win.”
The suspect, who officials said had a history of mental health issues, died when two off-duty officers returned fire, preventing a potential massacre at the church site.
The shooter’s 7-year-old son, who came with her into the church, was shot and is in critical condition.
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On Sunday, in the first services since those horrific events, Osteen prayed for the child and his mother’s family.
“Aren’t you glad that we’re all here today? The goodness of God, the faithfulness of God and, you know, we’re just going to take this whole service just to thank God for what he’s done,” Pastor Osteen told the church.
“We lift up that little 7-year-old boy Samuel that was injured here, Lord, at no fault of his own. Lord, we know You can do what looks impossible even though medical reports don’t look good. Lord, I know he’s in Your hands,” he prayed.
“And Lord, I pray for all the family of the deceased and the troubled woman. Lord, we just pray… Lord, I pray for her family. Lord, I know she was troubled in her mind and I know her family’s hurting. Lord, we know You’re in control, so I just pray for comfort for that family and just comfort for all those that are here.”
Osteen described the confusing moments when he learned the shooting was unfolding as he was already back in his office area with other church leaders, not knowing what was going on.
From the stage of Lakewood a week later, he praised God for protecting the church from what could have been an even worse attack. “Look at the goodness of our God, He brought us through,” he said. “You can see the hand of God.”
This article originally appeared on CBN News.
Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2024 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
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