Finding Faith means knowing what to pray after a school shooting, seeking the Lord’s presence when life feels broken beyond repair. Today we travel to John 14:27.
On August 27, 2025, Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis was shaken by tragedy. During a back-to-school Mass, gunfire erupted, taking the lives of two children and injuring many others before the gunman ended his own life. Families are grieving, the community is aching, and the weight of sorrow is real. It is in moments like these that we must pray after a school shooting, leaning hard into the peace only Christ can give. I’m not saying that’s all we do, but for the Believer that’s what we do first. Of course, we want common sense actions to occur to try to prevent future school shootings. However, we pray first for our communities, for revelation, and for discernment.
Why We Pray After a School Shooting
When we face news this heavy, our hearts instinctively cry out for answers. And often, answers don’t come quickly. Even so, prayer does something different. It anchors us to the One who has promised never to leave us. In addition, when we pray after a school shooting, we are not simply saying words into the air. Instead, we are calling upon the God of all comfort to enter into the darkest of nights. Moreover, we are reminding our souls that Jesus Himself said, “My peace I give you.” As a result, prayer changes us, steadies us, and helps us carry each other through unimaginable pain.
Bible Reading to Consider
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
10 Prayers to Pray After a School Shooting
1. Prayer for Healing – Lord, bring healing to wounded bodies and broken spirits. Surround each family with Your love.
2. Prayer for Comfort – God of mercy, hold grieving parents and friends close to Your heart.
3. Prayer for Courage – Grant courage to teachers, children, and first responders who carry memories of fear.
4. Prayer for Justice – Lord, may truth be revealed and justice be pursued with wisdom and compassion.
Community
5. Prayer for Unity – Unite the community, Lord, and keep bitterness from dividing hearts.
6. Prayer for Prevention – Guide leaders, parents, and citizens to protect children and nurture peace.
7. Prayer for Children – Shepherd of our souls, comfort the little ones who are frightened and confused.
8. Prayer for Educators – Strengthen teachers as they seek to rebuild trust and create safe spaces.
9. Prayer for Faith Leaders – Bless pastors and priests with words that soothe and hearts that serve.
10. Prayer for Endurance – God of hope, grant endurance to families when grief feels like it will never end.
Finding Faith in Liturgy: A Moment of Prayer
Gather with your friends and family, maybe even your school community, and recite this:
- Call: Lord, in our grief, we turn to You.
- Response: Fill us with Your peace that surpasses all understanding.
- Call: When fear shakes our world, where else can we turn?
- Response: We turn to You, our refuge and strength.
- Call: Heal our children, comfort our families, restore our hope.
- Response: Lord, hear our prayer.
A Prayer for Times of Violence
Father in heaven, our hearts are heavy with grief. Two young lives have been taken, and many others are wounded in body and spirit. Lord, we confess we do not understand, but we cling to You as our only source of comfort. Draw near to the parents who are aching with unspeakable loss. Lay Your hand upon the children who are afraid, and give strength to teachers and leaders as they guide hurting hearts. May the peace of Christ guard this community, and may hope be born again in the ashes of sorrow. We ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Each day, Get Prayer Today offers a prayer to center our hearts and lift up the needs of the world around us. Finding Faith gives these simple offerings to support your rhythm of reflection, healing, and community care.
Pastor Rick Penn is an ordained pastor, writer, and the founder of Get-Prayer.com, a resource built to help believers develop a consistent, grounded prayer life.
With more than 20 years of preaching the Gospel, Pastor Rick brings deep theological training and lived pastoral experience to everything he writes. He holds a Master of Divinity from Virginia University of Lynchburg, an M.A. with a concentration in New Testament Studies from Baptist Bible Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Averett University.
His writing reflects a personal commitment to making prayer accessible to everyday Christians. Whether he is writing a prayer for someone in a hospital waiting room, walking through fear about the future, or sitting down with a blank prayer journal for the first time, Pastor Rick writes from a place of both theological grounding and pastoral care.
Pastor Rick hosts In The Moment, a Christian television program airing on Roku through AIM Christian Television. Viewers can watch the show at aimchristian.com/yourmoment and listen as a podcast on Spotify.
Before founding Get-Prayer.com, he served in the U.S. Navy, where he built his communication skills as a writer, editor, and public affairs professional. He now applies those disciplines directly to ministry and teaching.
Every article on this site reflects his core conviction: Prayer is not a performance of faith. It is the daily practice that holds everything else together.
Pastor Rick Penn is the author of all content on Get-Prayer.com.
Rick currently resides in Pennsylvania, where he continues to teach, write, and encourage believers to deepen their walk with God through prayer and the study of Scripture.
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