Kyle Rittenhouse declared not guilty: here’s how to pray for him

Kyle Rittenhouse was a 17-year-old teenager when he shot and killed two men and wounded another in Wisconsin in 2020. He now stands acquitted of the five charges, included first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree intentional homicide, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Rittenhouse is now 18-years old and was facing the rest of his life behind bars when a jury declared him not guilty, agreeing with his stance that he was acting in self-defense.

We can all have our opinion as to if we believe Rittenhouse is guilty or innocent, but there is one truth that will never change. Kyle Rittenhouse’s life has value, dignity, and worth. He is created in the image of God, as Genesis tells us, and so were his victims. Jesus Christ died for him just as he did for all of us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

As protestors gathered outside the courthouse, supporting both sides of the case, it reflects the reality that we have lost sight of the value of each life. Every life, no matter the sins committed, matters to God and has worth. The worth of Kyle Rittenhouse’s life is the same value God places on your life and mine. Blood. The blood that flowed from Calvary was for Kyle Rittenhouse just as much as it was for you and me.

We should all be faithfully praying for Kyle Rittenhouse to draw near to Christ. I do not know if Rittenhouse has any type of faith, but we should pray that he turns to God and repent of the sins he has committed (not just the ones that made the headlines). We should pray that he receives forgiveness from Christ and serves the Lord for the rest of his life, even if it is in prison. As Christians, our desires should be the desires of Christ. We know Christ desires for every man to come to Him in repentance and receive eternal life. Therefore, we should all pray the same for Kyle Rittenhouse.

We should also pray for his protection and safety. We should never want violence to befall on any individual because an attack on any person is an attack on the dignity of the individual.

We should also pray for the repose of the soul of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum. These two men were shot and killed by Rittenhouse. It does not matter if you believe they contributed to the events leading to their death or not, they need our prayers for the repose of their souls, and we should pray for their families. We must remember that when acts of violence occur, such as that which happened last year in Kenosha, there are victims on both sides. These individuals had loved ones that were left behind and their lives will never be the same.

We should also pray for Gaige Grosskreutz who was shot and injured by Rittenhouse. Pray for his full healing emotionally, physically, and mentally from the events in Kenosha.

One of the most important groups of people we should be praying for during this time are the members of the jury, judge, and attorneys involved in the case. Pray for protection of them and their families. Pray God places his angels around them and keeps them safe.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of people to pray for who are involved in this case. The important thing we must learn through all of this is that we, as Christians, are to set aside our emotions and feelings regarding others and be willing to pray for them as God expects us to pray. We are called to love others, pray for others, and to treat others with dignity and respect. We are called to be salt of the earth and light in the darkness. We are called and expected by our Lord to be different.

The truth is Kyle Rittenhouse’s life matters and so did the lives of those he shot and killed.