Prayer To Know And Support Just Causes With Courage and Compassion
We have watched protestors in various places over these weeks and indeed over many months when we consider not only things like “Black Lives Matter” but climate change, the “Me too” movement and so many other focus points for . Many people marching and demonstrating do so in support of values the Bible teaches to be true. Others march and demonstrate with equal passion but unfortunately their understanding of reality is skewed by lies and current societal norms that are not God’s way of living with purity and justice.
People have a blind spots to wrong understanding and wrongdoing. Why? We have lived and relied on our own understanding for years – an understanding often fed by social media that is based in unholy values - and now our ideas alone have become a way of life that we find no fault with. However, when our behaviour goes against the teaching of the Bible, we need to agree that God is right, we are wrong, and we need to become willing to change our ways. It’s really hard when what is the “norm” in society requires a courageous choice of us that will make us seem unpopular and narrow minded. We need the courage and compassion of God to live this way. And so we pray today to stand up and speak clearly and with passion for what is true and right and to courageously oppose those things that God opposes.
Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
Isaiah 1:17
Oh Lord, we want to walk in what is right. We want to support just causes. We want to defend the poor and needy when their rights are trampled on. We want to be angry when something is truly unkind and unjust and let our voice be heard. Help us move beyond complacency and stand up for what is right and true.
Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side— leaders whose decrees
permit injustice? They gang up against the righteous and condemn the
innocent to death. But the Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock
where I hide.
Psalm 94:20-22
At the same time, help us to be courageous and stand against those things that are unjust and unholy in Your sight. No matter how strongly and how loudly people demonstrate, when what they support is in opposition to what You say is right, help us be willing to disagree and to lift up the truth with courage and love.
You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.
And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.
And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.
Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:9-12
Help us to live as people of faith who pray consistently and fervently for truth to be revealed and justice to be upheld across our society. Protect us from anger that we sometimes use to fuel our passion, even anger towards those we disagree with. You teach us to speak the truth in love and we want to find the right way to do that in these days.
to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that
is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:15
Give us the words and the actions that honour You, God, and what You call holy, and help us to know how to offer hope to others. Prepare us for the times we need to give reasons for the stands we take and prepare our hearts so we do so with gentleness and respect.
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