Life lost before its time, not lived out to its full God-ordained potential, is always grievous. Where violence is involved, it’s outrageous. At the close of 2015, an Ohio grand jury chose not to indict a Cleveland police officer who had fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in November 2014. My social media feeds rapidly filled with outrage, as they had with other deaths at the hands of police, like Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray and Laquan McDonald.

Before getting sucked into the barrage of venting and protesting, though, let’s ask ourselves: Is this how God would want me to approach this heartbreak? Are we bringing glory to our Father in Heaven in the way we are responding to the deaths of people like Tamir Rice?

Confusion, grief and outrage linger into 2016. Now and throughout this still-new year, the body of Christ should ponder how we address black lives, police conduct and the justice system.

First, we must mourn with those who mourn (Rom. 12:15b). Tamir Rice’s parents, siblings, friends and relatives will not have the joy of this boy growing up into his God-given potential and purpose. His mother won’t see his smile, hear his laugh or comfort his cries ever again. Tamir’s family has now pressed through two Christmases without him. Though the season is meant to be joyous, there is a wound in his family’s heart, a loss that cannot be replaced. As a mom of a little boy, my heart breaks as I imagine the agony and pain Tamir’s mother has been enduring.

No matter how we view this case’s legal outcome, as Christians who have the love of God within us we ought to be moved with compassion. We ought to mourn the loss of Tamir’s life.

Second, we must know who the real enemy is. Jesus told his disciples the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10b). Tamir’s life was stolen. Believers in Jesus need to look beyond flesh and blood, because “we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

Peter states, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). The devil has launched weapons at the United States: weapons of strife, division, racism, hatred, bitterness and wrath. The devil does not care about color, ethnicity or race; he only wants to see destruction.

The body of Christ is the army sent to overcome the darkness and wickedness. The primary way we do that is through words of truth, deeds of love, and especially prayer.

Third, we must seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). In Tamir Rice’s case and others, it may appear easy to name both a victim and a villain. Keep in mind, though, we just identified the devil as the true villain. Before running to a rally or a protest, or posting social media updates, Jesus’ followers should pause and reflect on God and His kingdom.

Fourth, in any given clash that ends tragically, we must avoid a rush to judgment. Maybe the police officer did act stupidly, or even wickedly. Or perhaps something else was going on in the incident that we don’t know about yet. It can be frustrating when people in certain quarters rush to assume that the black person who was killed was wholly at fault, but the answer isn’t to rush to judgment in the other direction. God calls us to the virtues of patience and discernment even when anger and frustration is demanding only instantaneous action and judgment.

Fifth, we must pray constantly (1 Thes. 5:17). Prayer is a mighty weapon against evil. We’re called to be people of prayer first, commentators and activists second. Think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion. Think of the apostles in the upper room after Jesus’s ascension and before the Holy Spirit came on them with power early in the book of Acts. In both cases, it was all about prayer.

Remember the first of Jesus’ prayer principles in Matthew 6:10: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Seeking God first, we are better able to pray for God’s kingdom to come, His will to be done on earth.

Only God Can Heal

Our anger and ranting will not bring about the radical change our society desperately needs. If we are fed up with police killings and racism, then we ought to handle it in prayer firstly and constantly.

God made the promise that “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Let’s believe our heavenly Father. In the midst of difficult and painful times, let’s turn our attention heavenward and plead with God for revival.