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.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on Psalm 89, a poem written by Ethan the Ezrahite, a man known for his wisdom.
Read by Ruby
Psalm 89:13-14
Your arm has great power.
Your hand is strong; your right hand is lifted up.
Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair.
Love and truth are in all you do.
Psalm 89:13-14 (NCV)
In today’s Psalm, Ethan the Ezrahite says that God’s kingdom is ‘built on what is right and fair’. That’s what justice is – rightness and fairness – and it’s the way that God wants us to live. Jesus put it like this, ‘Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants.’ Seek first what is right and fair, because it is the foundation on which everything else is built. When we look at the kingdoms – the nations – around the world, we see lots of things that aren’t right and fair, but if everyone lived the way that God wants us to, things would be right and fair.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question. Let’s try and think of something that we felt wasn’t fair. Maybe it was something that we experienced, or something we saw happening to someone else.
And now let’s ASK God to help us and others…
Loving God, we ASK You to help us build our lives on a foundation of Your justice – and by this we mean that we want to do the right thing, even if it’s difficult, and we want to always treat people fairly, even if no-one else is.
A little earlier, we said that things around the world aren’t always right and fair, yet.
God of Justice and Mercy, we ASK You to be especially close to those around the world who aren’t being treated right or fairly. Comfort them and strengthen them, and we ASK You to rescue them too.
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 89:13-14
Your arm has great power.
Your hand is strong; your right hand is lifted up.
Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair.
Love and truth are in all you do.
Psalm 89:13-14 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord God, we say YES, may Your kingdom come. We want more of Your justice – more of Your rightness and fairness – in our schools and communities. Help us to seek this first.
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.
