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September 4, 2025

Updated: Oct 23

Stemming the Violence

“The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of adversity.” Ezekiel 9:9

The out-of-control crime in many parts of our nation has become a great indicator of the spiritual decline in America. Some people seem to have become numb to just how bad it is, and others are simply in denial. The secular media actually called riots in Minnesota involving murder and burning buildings “mostly peaceful.” One hopes they have no “violent” riots. 

Our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., had not only become very dangerous, but it was also extremely embarrassing. From violent crime to homeless encampments, our capital was a disgrace. President Trump decided to change this.

His “historic effort to restore public safety in the nation’s capital has led to unprecedented drops in violent crime, including murders. Now, as President Trump rightly calls attention to the crime and disrepair gripping other major U.S. cities, [some politicians] seem far more upset about the offer of assistance than the crime epidemic in their own backyards.”(1) 

Leaders in the state of Illinois, especially in the great and beautiful city of Chicago, have been especially vocal in their resistance, calling Trump’s efforts “tyranny.” Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Johnson walk the safer streets in Chicago with their entourage of dozens of armed protectors, decrying Trump’s offer to help with the crime in their city. The hypocrisy is laughable. Just this past Labor Day weekend, seven people were killed and 49 were injured from gunfire in Chicago.(2)

“Here are some facts on Chicago’s crime problem:

  • For 13 consecutive years, Chicago has had the most murders of any U.S. city.

  • For seven consecutive years, Chicago has had the highest murder rate among U.S. cities with more than one million people.

  • In 2024, Chicago’s murder rate per capita was three times higher than Los Angeles and nearly five times higher than New York City’s. 

  • Out of Chicago’s 147,899 reported crimes since January 1, arrests have been made in just 16.2% of them.

  • More illegal guns are recovered in Chicago than in New York City and Los Angeles combined.

  • The number of reported motor vehicle thefts last year was more than double the number in 2021.

  • Chicago has also come under scrutiny over discrepancies in its homicide data reporting.”(3)

University of Chicago Crime Labs reports that:

  • “Black residents remain disproportionately impacted by gun violence, being 22 times more likely to be killed compared to white residents.

  • The disparity is even greater when considering geography: neighborhoods with the highest homicide rates experience approximately 68 times more homicides than those with the lowest rates.

“Since 2010:

  • Shooting lethality—the rate at which shooting victims die from being shot—increased by 44.9%.

  • The number of high-capacity magazines recovered at shootings by the Chicago Police Department increased by over 480%.

  • The average number of shell casings recovered per shooting victim has more than doubled.”(4)

Safe and Sound Security gives the following overview:

  • “Violent crimes in Chicago surged by 11.5%, signaling a growing public safety concern in major urban areas.

  • Despite a reduction in homicides, the rate remains 45% higher than a decade ago, underscoring persistent safety challenges.

  • The city reported a staggering 22,569 assault cases, highlighting the prevalence of violent crime in Chicago.

  • Chicago experienced a decade high in vehicle thefts, with 30,501 incidents reported, marking a significant rise in property crime.

  • The arrest rates for violent crimes have dropped to their lowest in a decade at just 10.8%, raising concerns about the effectiveness of local law enforcement.”(5)

One can only wonder why the leaders would reject help in stopping this years-long violent crime and murder epidemic in Chicago. The only plausible explanation is that if Trump truly makes a difference there, as he did in Washington, D.C., it will make them look bad. In other words, it might hurt them politically and contribute to a loss of power. That is a nice way of saying they would rather stay in power than save lives. Which, of course, is despicable.

Pray for the people of Chicago. So many who are negatively impacted by the violence and crime are innocent individuals. One 59-year-old lifelong resident said, “As a kid, she ‘would play outside ‘til the streetlights came on,’ but that’s impossible now. The body of her 15-year-old nephew was found burned in a dumpster in 2016, a year when homicides spiked to a decade-high.

“‘My grandkids can’t sit outside. They can’t sit in the living room or at the kitchen table, because a bullet may come through,’ she states.”(6)

May God show them mercy. Let’s join our Chicago friends by praying that help is on the way.

Pray with me:

Father, we ask You to intervene in the rampant crime traumatizing our inner cities. Our hearts break when we see the needless death and destruction. So many are trapped in horribly violent neighborhoods and see no way out of their situation. Our rebellion toward You here in America has decimated our land. We have sown the wind, and reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). Please cleanse and heal our land.

Send revivals to the inner cities of America. Raise up wise and righteous leaders who care more about the people than they do a position of power. Crush the political spirit that motivates this evil. Provide effective strategies to break the cycle of poverty and destruction that has bound so many. An outpouring of Holy Spirit in these communities would, without doubt, eradicate gangs, drug dealers, crime, and spiritual darkness. Send this revival, we pray, in Jesus’ name.

Our decree:

We decree that revival is coming to the inner cities of America.

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