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.
Yesterday, we read another of David’s Psalms where he prayed that God would ‘rise up in anger’. It seemed a bit strange to be asking God to get angry, so today we’re REFLECTING on another of David’s Psalms to help us understand what he meant.
Read by Ruby
Psalm 86:15-16
But, Lord, you are a God who shows mercy and is kind.
You don’t become angry quickly.
You have great love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and have mercy.
Give me, your servant, strength.
Psalm 86:15-16a (NCV)
What comes into our minds when we think about the word ‘anger’? Maybe it’s someone yelling and shouting or stomping their feet? Or maybe it’s someone throwing things across a room or slamming doors? Or maybe it’s the Incredible Hulk turning green and shouting, ‘Hulk, Smash!’
God’s anger is nothing like this. (And He’s definitely nothing like the Incredible Hulk!) In today’s Psalm, David says that God doesn’t become angry quickly. And then, before and after saying this, David adds that God is merciful and kind, loving and faithful. Yes, God feels anger when things aren’t right and people aren’t being treated fairly. But God’s anger is wrapped up in mercy, kindness, love and faithfulness.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When was the last time we felt angry about something? What was it? Why do we think we felt angry about it?
Now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Loving God, we’re sorry for the times when we’ve become angry quickly, when we’ve said or done things while we’ve felt angry that ended up hurting us or other people. We ASK You to help us to express our angry feelings more like You do, wrapped up in mercy and kindness, love and faithfulness.
Loving God, we also ASK You to be with those who are holding angry feelings deep inside – maybe they’ve been holding onto them for a long time, and they’re afraid of letting them out. We ASK to help them find a friend to talk with, and maybe pray with 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 86:15-16
But, Lord, you are a God who shows mercy and is kind.
You don’t become angry quickly.
You have great love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and have mercy.
Give me, your servant, strength.
Psalm 86:15-16a (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
God of Mercy and Justice, we’re glad that You feel angry about things sometimes, because we do too. But we’re really glad that You are 100 times more merciful and kind and loving and faithful. We say YES to being more like this 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.
