When Prayer is Not Enough
- Larry Kutzler
- Sep 3, 2025
- 3 min read
Recently, there was another mass shooting in Minneapolis where 19 people were shot, 14 of them were children. It happened at a Church, where two of those children died. There was a lot of reaction to this event, so I wrote a Facebook post.
The Minneapolis tragedy at the Catholic school has had a lot of response from various viewpoints. The reactions varied from, “it’s time to stop praying and create an action plan to protect children, to let’s get these guns banned.” Evil will never be tamed by mere words, or laws. We have laws against murder, but murder still happens. Guns will always be available to evil, so stop the rhetoric, evil is designed to inflict pain, gun laws will not stop it. The Bible says Satan has come to earth with a vengeance because his time is short. So, how do you deal with Him? Jesus told us to pray, “deliver us from evil.” Prayer will not eradiate evil, but it does ask God to get involved. That’s worth the time to do it.
Now, in a short post like Facebook, it is hard to cover all the theological bases, but I think the point is clear … prayer is always worth the effort. I had one response where someone said it is also important to protect our children from harm. I agree. In Israel, the IDF accompanies school-aged children on field trips, and they protect the school. Here in America, for some reason, parents and teachers are opposed to that kind of armed presence. However, our kids seem to be stuck in a war zone. Every time some deranged, evil person wants to take their own life, they first start by shooting people in schools, in Churches, in synagogues, malls, and other vulnerable places. Evil will always find the least path of resistance to murder people, and our children are the most vulnerable in our society.
Are All Shootings Evil?
Yes, people who shoot other people are driven by some evil intent. Mass murderers, like Ted Bundy, are evil. Yet, some people like to think they are simply mentally deranged. However, mental illness doesn’t usually shoot children … there must be more driving a person than a mental breakdown. For example, if you look at demon possession, you usually will find the following:
Seizures
impossible strength
changes in voice and appearance
extreme personality shifts such as intense anger or fear
a deep aversion to religious figures
behavioral changes like self-harm or extreme violence
Some have said that Jesus cast out demons at least 12 times, while others have it much higher closer to 55 times, but regardless of the number, He was active in dealing with evil spirits. Modern life in America does not acknowledge demonic activity as much as they do in other countries, especially the third world. Demons are often ignored, even in some Churches, because it’s too frightening to raise the issue.
Evil is Present in This World
Jesus taught us to pray and part of that prayer said, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Evil must be acknowledged if we are to be delivered from it. Words or laws or psychological treatment will not overcome evil in a person’s heart. Only God can eradicate the presence of evil. Here is one of the little-known verses about Satan:
Revelation 12:12 But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.
As the days get closer to the coming of the Lord, evil will increase. As the Apostle Luke writes, the powers of heaven and earth will be shaken, and people will be frightened by the horrors coming upon the earth. Those horrors happened in Minneapolis just recently. Just as evil is among us, so is our answer to evil … Jesus Christ. Don’t fear evil, resist it, and it will flee.
Our prayer is for the safety of our children, and we must resist evil by establishing protection in every school in America.
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler