Christians are continuing to pray after the capture of 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Three people were killed and over 170 injured in two bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Tsarnaev's older brother and fellow suspect, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed yesterday as he attempted to flee.

The city was shut down and residents were warned not to leave their home as Swat team officers searched for the suspects.

President Barack Obama said in a statement that Tsarnaev's capture had "closed an important chapter in this tragedy".

Amid the relief and celebrations, there were tweets of prayer and compassion.

During the manhunt, theologian John Piper ‏(@JohnPiper) tweeted he was praying for the suspect to be caught but also to be saved.

"My prayer for the running Boston bomber: Make his foot slip. Spare more victims. Save his soul."

Missiologist Ed Stetzer (@edstetzer) urged Christians to respond with love.

"Saddened by anti-Muslim hate spewed by some self-identified Xians online. Jesus told us NOT to respond like the world," he tweeted.

He later tweeted: "'But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' -Jesus"

Blogging and tweeting nun Sister Catherine Wybourne (@Digitalnun) said: "Not sure we should be calling the Boston bombers 'evil'. What they did was very bad, but we don't know enough yet."

The US Center for World Mission (@USCWM) tweeted this prayer: "Father, May the people of Chechnya be open to hearing the Savior, Jesus, as never before. Cause this to be turned from tragedy to grace."

The Episcopal News Service reports that Boston area churches have been praying since the tragedy on Monday.

The Reverend Samuel T Lloyd III, priest-in-charge of Trinity Church Copley Square, told his parish that "in moments like this it's crucial for us to remember who we are and whose we are".

"Amid the tension and anxiety of the moment, we remain a people held in God's love, certain of our ultimate safety in God's providential care, and called to be Christ to each other and our city in even the hardest of times," he said.