The Very Specific Prayer I'm Praying For Erika Kirk

Like most of you, I watched through tears last week as Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, addressed the world in the wake of her husband's assassination. Erika began the speech calling on the name of Jesus and even took the time to explicitly share the gospel as a part of her address. Every major news site, as well as even some government sites, shared this address online, leading to millions of people being exposed to the good news of Jesus' redemption through the cross.

Think about that for a moment. The gospel wasn't platformed after 9/11, or the assassination of President JFK, or in the wake of any other event in modern history on such a large scale. Churches all across the nation saw a surge in attendance the following Sunday, and despite the sharp division happening in comment sections, it seems as if something is spiritually shifting in the nation.

I told Jill several days ago that I couldn't shake a very specific prayer that I felt the Lord telling me to pray over Erika and the Kirk family. I rarely feel spiritually connected to national tragedies. As much as I love the prophetic, I'm skeptical of the many national prophetic words that often get released during times such as this. I believe the mantle for such things is weighty and far fewer than is often practiced. So, I encourage you not to take what I write here as an attempt to assert myself into the cultural moment.

Here's the prayer I haven't been able to shake:"Lord, give Erika the supernatural strength to look her husband's murderer in the eyes and forgive him for the world to see."

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The Word

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." – Matthew 6:12

Our nation is currently in a very unique situation. Faith, politics, crime, and punishment have all become meshed in one major event, of which there has been no shortage of opinions and controversy. Assassinations, murder, and extreme violence, unfortunately, are not uncommon in our society. They weren't in the Bible either. But rarely do we see the killer still alive on the other side of a crime of such magnitude.

The perpetrator responsible for the school shooting in Colorado on the same day as Kirk's murder took his own life. No one is left to answer for the aftermath of his heinous actions. This is more often the case than not. Yet, at this very moment, Charlie's killer is sitting in a jail cell, awaiting his fate.

This past Tuesday, the court issued an order that bans Robinson from establishing any contact with Erika and the Kirk family in any way. That's more than fair and a common mode of action in cases like this. But that doesn't mean she is banned from contacting or addressing him if she so desires.

Her Forgiveness Is Her Freedom

Here's what we know to be true: forgiveness = freedom. Our forgiveness in Christ results in our ability to forgive others. As a strong believer in Jesus, Erika will walk the long, dark road of grief, mourning, healing, and yes, even forgiveness. Whether it's before or after Robinson's likely execution, she must eventually decide to forgive in order to find peace.

To a world that's looking on, that seems impossible. Following Jesus does not make forgiveness in situations like this easy, but it does make it both possible and normative. In being able to forgive her husband's killer, we know that Erika will find the freedom she needs to heal from such a tragedy.

The Greek word for offense is skandalon. It literally means "a baited trap." Offense is the enemy's way of trapping us and holding us captive. In withholding forgiveness from someone, we most often feel as though we are keeping them bound. In reality, we're only keeping ourselves bound. You've probably heard it said like this: "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies."

Jesus instructs us to pray a very provocative prayer in Matthew 6 in relation to our sins: "Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors." In other words, only forgive us to the degree in which we are willing to forgive others.

I'm praying that Erika finds the strength to forgive not just because the world needs to witness it and because Tyler needs to hear it, but also because she needs to experience the freedom it will bring.

Her Forgiveness Is His Freedom

Likewise, Tyler Robinson stands in need of the grace of God. I know nothing about him beyond what tidbits the news of the hour shares, but I know his story because it's the same as all of ours. He may have been radicalized and captive to secular leftist ideology, but the reality is we all like sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6), and we all have committed egregious sin before God.

The Bible is not only full of murderers, it was written by several of them too. Need I remind you, innocent blood was shed at the hands of Moses, David, and Paul—all whom God used to collectively write approximately 19 out of the 66 books in the Bible. That doesn't mean their sins were excused. In many cases, they all suffered great consequences as a result of their choices. Nonetheless, they were redeemed by God and used for His great purposes.

Tyler is not beyond the reach of God's grace. More than Erika's forgiveness, he stands in need of the forgiveness of God. But it's certainly possible that her forgiveness can be a revelation of the Lord's. Robinson is likely to be executed as a result of this crime. While capital punishment is a hotly debated topic, I take no issue sharing that I personally believe the Bible to support it.

God gave the Israelites several cases in which someone should be put to death for breaking the law (found in Exodus 21 and 22, as well as in Leviticus 20). Though the death penalty was not instituted in every case where there was the shedding of innocent blood, it was the default for such a crime.

But what about the command to not murder? Well, I think it's important to keep in mind that murder is not the same as killing. Hold tight, don't click away, let me explain. Killing someone in self-defense is not murder. Killing another soldier who signed up to defend their nation as a soldier who signed up to defend yours is not murder either. We see examples of these things all throughout the Bible. Murder is the unsanctioned or unlawful taking of life. Murder is when we take the judgment of God into our own hands.

God has placed authorities and governing parties in place over the earth as He sees fit (Romans 13:1–7). That doesn't mean they are free of corruption or that they're God-honoring, but it does mean He has put systems in place to see to it that criminal acts are punished and society is run on order through due process.

Therefore, it's highly likely that given such a public and gruesome act, Charlie Kirk's killer will be sentenced to death as a clear statement that such a crime will not be tolerated. And that's not murder, that's justice, determined in a court of law, by way of due process. While I don't believe we should ever wish wish death upon someone, I do think we can see biblical precedent for why capital punishment has a role in society. Once again, just my personal opinion, and not a firm one.

But here's what we know to be true: if Tyler Robinson calls on the name of Jesus and repents of his sin, he can stand before God in Heaven and be welcomed with open arms, even by Charlie himself. That's how the gospel works. If the thief on the cross can be redeemed in his final hours, so can Robinson, and we should be praying specifically for that to happen.

Our Forgiveness Is Our Freedom

There's another party here that is deeply in need of the message of forgiveness right now, and it's the American people. There is no shortage of outrage coming from all sides.

I want to be clear, I think political extremism is a cancer in our society. I'm absolutely disgusted by the celebrations in the wake of an innocent life being taken. The progressive ideology of the left has become more and more extreme over the past couple of decades. However, I don't think the answer is to be Republican. I think the answer is to be repentant. I don't think the answer is the right, I think the answer is righteousness.

I make no qualms about having conservative values, but know that my conservatism is a result of my Christian faith, not the other way around. I'm well aware of the radical ideologies that persist on the far right as well. Demonic doctrine needs to be called out regardless of what side of the political aisle it comes from.

We will only be as strong as our devotion to the Word and will of God, and it's the will of God that all should be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Romans 2 says it's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. There is a time and a place for bold rebuke and firm conviction. I'm not against doing so (just ask my church). But there is also a necessity for the body of Christ to display a radical obedience to Christ's command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. To extend kindness to those who would call us horrible names, and forgiveness to those who wish us evil.

We will never win the world by playing the world's games, namely accusation, shame, and vengeance.

We will never win souls by expecting them to operate in the fruit of a Holy Spirit they're not currently connected to.

Church, wake up! Of course, the world will revel in the death of innocent life. They reveled in the death of Jesus and in the deaths of all of the apostles who stood for righteousness. Charlie Kirk was not absent of flaws, I'm sure, but he was bold to stand for the truth of God's Word, and that's what ultimately led to his life being taken from him.

As God's people, we should all be asking ourselves if we're willing to do the same. Are you willing to lay your life down for the sake of the cause of Christ? Psalm 116 says the death of the Lord's saints is precious in His sight. Revelation 6 gives us a picture of the blood of martyrs crying out to Heaven for justice, and it is very clear God listens and responds.

Hear me, we are just as responsible to forgive as we are to call out sin, dispel lies, and mourn tragedy. Let it be so of the Church in Jesus' name.

What Forgiveness Is Not

Now, for those who may be struggling to wrap your head around the idea of forgiveness in the wake of such a horrendous act, allow me to quickly clarify what forgiveness is not. I'm not suggesting Erika give Robinson a hug and move on, nor am I suggesting Robinson be let off scot-free if he confesses and says he's sorry. That's neither how justice nor forgiveness works.

Several months ago, I heard a Dallas-area pastor by the name of Josh Howerton teach through what forgiveness isn't, and I thought it was vitally important for us all to keep in mind.

Forgiveness Is Not:

1. Forgetting – God "remembering our sin no more" does not mean He stopped being omniscient. It means He chooses not to relate to us on the basis of our sin once it's forgiven. You can choose not to stew over it, not to harbor anger or malice, and not to relate to someone on the basis of what they did to you, but you cannot choose to forget it ever happened.

2. Waiting for an Apology – "I'll forgive when they apologize" is a condition. The supernatural grace of God is rooted in the supernatural love of God, which is unconditional. What makes Jesus' grace supernatural is that He loved us while we were yet sinners. Forgiveness often means giving grace before they ask for it or recognize their need for it.

3. Ceasing to Feel Pain – "If it still hurts you haven't forgiven." That's not true. In Revelation 21, Jesus will wipe away every tear at the end of all things. Tears will come in the wake of tragedy. Forgiveness doesn't change that.

4. A One-Time Event – Grief comes in waves, and often so does forgiveness. The reason I feel so compelled to intercede for Erika's ability to forgive is because of the absolute hardship it will be to do so. In order to find healing for your deep wounds, you may find yourself having to forgive hourly before you can daily, before you can monthly, etc. And even then, as the waves get smaller with time, every once in a while a rogue wave may appear out of nowhere.

5. Trusting – Just because you forgive doesn't mean you have to trust the person you forgave. Forgiveness and trust are not the same thing. It's been said that trust is gained in drops and lost in buckets. After Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock out of anger, did he go to Heaven? Yes. But could he go to the Promised Land? No. Forgiveness doesn't always cancel out the consequences of our sin.

6. Reconciliation – It takes one person to forgive and it takes one person to repent, but it takes two people to reconcile. You have to forgive, but they have to participate in reconciliation. "As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). Reconciliation to the Father is guaranteed because He is a more than willing party.

Conclusion

I'm beyond concern as to what people think of my opinions, comments, or thoughts when it comes to whatever the current cultural crisis is. After this one, another one will arise in the next few weeks. I'm responsible to please God and lead people. I care way more about teaching the Bible than I do about convincing people to like me or agree with everything I think or say.

While I would like to say this is a time for unity, I simply don't find it to be true. It's always the time for unity. But not unity with one another or even as a nation (as much as I want that, and pray for it). Rather, it's always the time to be united with Christ. And like it or not, unity with Christ many times equates to division with the world. That's just the reality.

My prayer for you is the same as my prayer for Erika, Tyler, and everyone else who has endured great heartbreak in the wake of such tragedy over the past few weeks. I'm praying for unity with Jesus. That His grace would become their grace. That they would take the forgiveness found in the cross and extend it to the furthest reaches of darkness. I'm praying for revival and awakening to continue to ripple throughout our nation and throughout the Church.

Lord, reveal Yourself to us all in the midst of this turmoil. Amen.