Week: Justice
Each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.
We start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Mighty God, open our eyes, stir our hearts and teach us how, ‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly’ with You today. (Micah 6:8)
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Ruby
Matthew 5:7
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:7 (NLT)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
We’re REFLECTING on a couple of verses from Psalm 7, where David talks about God being angry.
Read by Ruby
Psalm 7:6,9-11a
Lord, rise up in your anger;
stand up against my enemies’ anger.
Get up and demand fairness.
God, you do what is right.
You know our thoughts and feelings.
Stop those wicked actions done by evil people,
and help those who do what is right.
God protects me like a shield;
he saves those whose hearts are right.
God judges by what is right
Psalm 7:6,9-11a (NCV)
Most of the Old Testament, which is where the book of Psalms is found, was written in a language called Hebrew. The Hebrew word for ‘anger’ in this particular Psalm is ‘aph’, which actually means ‘nose’ or ‘nostrils’. It’s like David is saying that when God is angry, His nostrils flare, a bit like an angry bull!
David understood that God feels angry when things aren’t right and when people are treated unfairly. Feeling angry about these things is OK – it shows that we care, and that we want things to change.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What things can we imagine God feeling angry about?
And now let’s ASK God to help us and others…
God of Justice, God of Compassion and Love, we ASK You to help us learn to love the things that You love, and to feel anger about the things that You feel angry about – even to get ‘flared nostrils like an angry bull’ sometimes.
In today’s Psalm, David prays for God to ‘stop those wicked actions done by evil people’.
Lord God, we echo David’s prayer. We ASK You to stop the people who do wicked, evil things. Change their hearts and minds. Change their lives. Have mercy on them.
As we read the Bible again, let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us from today’s verses.
Psalm 7:6,9-11a
Lord, rise up in your anger;
stand up against my enemies’ anger.
Get up and demand fairness.
God, you do what is right.
You know our thoughts and feelings.
Stop those wicked actions done by evil people,
and help those who do what is right.
God protects me like a shield;
he saves those whose hearts are right.
God judges by what is right
Psalm 7:6,9-11a (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
God of Justice and Mercy, we join in with David’s Psalm and say YES, rise up in Your anger! Things aren’t right in the world and people are being treated unfairly. We need You to do something about this, and we say YES to doing what we can too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 5:7
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:7 (NLT)
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Ruby is 12 and she lives in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland with her family. Ruby is a gymnast who never sits still! She loves dogs (but her mum won’t get her one), she loves her friends and she’s always up for a laugh. Ruby would love to work with animals when she’s older.
