A Responsive Prayer Not To Just Pray

Eternal God,

You alone are Just and Righteous and Holy.

You alone are Good, Right, and Perfect.

You tells us that your eyes are on the righteous and that you hear our prayers (1 Peter 3:12) and that You the Spirit even helps us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26-27).

So we “approach Your throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)

We pray to You, today to bring about Your Shalom; peace and flourishing for all Your children; that your will be done here and now as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10).

And we acknowledge that we are your ambassadors in and a broken and hurting world.

So we pray that we not merely pray to you, O God, to end war;

For we know that You have made the world in such a way that we must find our own path to peace: with You, within ourselves and with our neighbors.

As you have reconciled your people to yourself, we ask that you would equip and embolden us as your ministers of reconciliation here and now.

We do not merely pray that You, O God, would end starvation; For You have already given us the resources to feed the entire world, if we would only use them wisely.

We ask for wisdom with the resources you have given your people; that we would use them to further Your kingdom rather than our own.

We do not merely pray that You, O God, root out prejudice; For You have already given us eyes with which to see the good in all people, if we would only use them rightly.

You have shown us, O God, “what is good” and what You require of us: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with You, our God” (Micah 6:8).

Empower us, O God, to humbly love the strangers in our midst, because we were once strangers to You (Deuteronomy 10:19).

Make us more like You, O God, who shows no favoritism to any country or people (Acts 10:34), protect us from believing that our country, our skin, or our position in society makes us any better than anyone else.

Remind us, O God, that Love does no wrong to a neighbor (Romans 13:10), and let us not justify our lack of love by asking: “who is my neighbor” (Luke 10:29), but form us into a people that owes nothing to anyone but Love (Romans 13:8).

We do not merely pray that You, O God, would end despair; For You have already given us the power to clear away slums and to give hope, if we would only use our power justly.

God, you have shown us that where your people are, the ideal is that there should be no needy people among us (Acts 4:34). Help us understand that we are stewards of Your resources and to use them wisely so that people will see our generosity and praise You (2 Corinthians 9:13).

We do not merely pray that You, O God, would end disease; For You have already given us great minds with which to search out cures and healing, if we would only use them constructively.

God, grant us the humble confidence to stand against systems which enable those who oppress the poor to increase their own wealth (Proverbs 22:16).

We pray to You, O God, for strength, determination and will power,

To do and not just ask,

To become instead of merely to wish.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10)

For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. (Matthew 6:13)

Amen.

(Adapted from a prayer by Jack Riemer featured at Social Justice Resource Center)