No, Jen Psaki, Prayer Is The Answer

In response to the tragic school shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on August 27, 2025, wherein two children were killed and 17 were injured, public officials like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and ex-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki have tongues wagging with their remarks trivializing the power of prayer.

 

Psaki, in particular, stated that: “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does not end school shootings. Prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers”.

 

Jumping on the anti-prayer bandwagon was Mayor Frey who also said, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying”.

 

Meanwhile, standing in stark contrast, was President Trump’s statement on the matter where he called on Americans to “please join me in praying for everyone involved!”

 

Whilst some openly vocalize their rejection of prayer as a viable answer to crisis, choosing rather to push for more regulation through legislative agendas, as believers, these are opportunities for us to look deeper into what our own biblical mandate is at times like these. And in doing so, most especially with regards to this situation, we will find that a significant part of our nation’s historical heritage has been based on humble dependence upon God in prayer.

 

The Biblical Call to Prayer during Adversity

 

The Bible consistently calls believers to pray unto God in humility in seasons of adversity.

 

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” This verse teaches that prayer is not a passive activity but an active one with great power that invokes God’s intervention, healing, and guidance.

 

The Bible also teaches that prayer is a means of aligning our hearts with God’s will, praying for His wisdom, and trusting in His sovereignty even when human solutions fail.

 

The Apostle James confirms the power of prayer: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). In times of grief, as in the grief experienced in Minneapolis, prayer is not a gesture of sympathy but an act of faith that bonds us to the Comforter of the bereaved (Psalm 34:18) and to Him who guarantees to be near those who call upon Him (Psalm 145:18).

 

Dismissing prayer as “not enough” overlooks its redemptive strength to introduce peace, clarity, and divine action into circumstances otherwise deemed hopeless.

 

The Legacy of Prayer in America’s Creation

 

The history of America is one that is so well interwoven with a reliance on prayer, particularly in times of need.

 

George Washington, America’s first president, was no exception. In the harsh winter at Valley Forge during 1777–1778 when the Continental Army teetered on the edge of starvation and despair, Washington was reported to have been observed praying alone in the woods. Quaker Isaac Potts told of meeting Washington on his knees in prayer, which deeply affected him and further convinced him of Washington’s loyalty and God’s guidance for the nation. This experience, also referred to as “The Prayer at Valley Forge,” is symbolic of the humility and trust that sustained America’s fight for freedom.

 

Washington’s commitment to prayer extended beyond personal devotion to public leadership. In his 1789 Inaugural Address, he warned that “the propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and the right which heaven itself has ordained”. Following this address, Washington led the government, House, and Senate to St. Paul’s Chapel in New York, where they prayed and consecrated the nation to God. A plaque above Washington’s pew in the chapel reads, “Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that you will keep the United States in Holy protection”.

 

These collective prayers helped in the creation of America’s spiritual foundation, asserting that the nation’s prosperity and life are based on God’s guidance.

 

Washington’s written prayers also reveal his heart. In them, he prayed, “Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another.” Such was the prayer of a leader who came to recognize that true national strength and unity have their roots in a common turning to God.

 

Several other Founding Fathers shared this conviction too. During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin urged the delegates to pray, saying, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men.” And if a sparrow cannot hit the ground without His knowledge, is it possible an empire can arise without His help?”

 

His daily call to prayer led to morning prayers every day of the convention, which worked to bind the delegates together and create the Constitution.

 

Prayer as the Foundation, Not the Alternative

 

Critics like Psaki and Frey say prayer isn’t sufficient, but such a perspective establishes an artificial paradox.

 

From a biblical perspective, prayer does not exclude action but energizes it. When threatened, in Nehemiah 4:9, Nehemiah and the people “prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” Practical actions and prayer served together, fueled by divine wisdom.

 

Similarly, America’s forefathers blended prayer and action, praying to have God guide their efforts toward building a nation founded upon justice and liberty. The removal of prayer by public officials risks undermining the spiritual foundation that for so long has sustained America through troubled times.

 

Karen Hamilton, a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, countered Psaki’s remarks by saying, “I don’t anticipate a spiritually blind person to understand prayer, but it exists. I attended a funeral for a baby today, and sometimes when parents are filled with grief, Jesus is their best solace.”

 

Her words recall the biblical wisdom that prayer leads us to the God who gives us hope and strength independent of human solutions.

 

A Call to Humility and Repentance

 

The Minneapolis tragedy is a sober reminder of the fallenness of this world, a consequence of sin which Scripture promises will persist until Christ’s return (Romans 8:22–23). Yet God invites us to respond, not in cynicism or despair, but in humility and faith. The prophet Daniel is a good example of this response, praying fervently on behalf of his nation in repentance and confession (Daniel 9:4–19).

 

Likewise, America’s leaders and its citizens are called to pray to God for mercy, wisdom, and healing amidst such atrocities.

 

Brushing aside prayer, as Psaki and Frey have, suggests a broader cultural turn away from the humility that once defined America’s leaders, and yet, President Trump’s call to prayer shines brightly through the chaos.

 

The prayers of George Washington were actual requests for God’s protection and guidance, not empty platitudes. Now, with gun violence and division infecting the nation, the biblical solution isn’t to aside prayer but to turn back to it with greater passion, with an insistence upon seeking God’s will in meeting challenges of society.

 

Prayer as America’s Bedrock

 

The words of Mayor Frey and Jen Psaki, though bred out of frustration with repeated violence, ignore the deep role that prayer has had in America’s past and her future. From the prayers at Valley Forge of George Washington to the country’s consecration at St. Paul’s Chapel, America was established on the belief that God’s wisdom is required for national prosperity.

 

Prayer isn’t a replacement for action but the soil that makes it possible, setting our hearts in conformity with God’s agendas.

 

As we mourn those lost in Minneapolis, let us heed the voice of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s face. If we seek God in faithfulness, as did our founders, we can find the wisdom, unity, and power required to heal our land.

 

America’s hope is not in throwing away prayer but in embracing it as the basis of a God-fearing nation.

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