Real People – The Presidential Prayer Team

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. – Psalm 82:3-4

God is just and He loves justice! He cares whether or not the powerful in society use their resources to help those needing protection or ignore them. Theoretical ideas of justice for the disenfranchised are multitudinous, but it can become challenging to apply them to real people.

The New Testament book of Matthew records Jesus discussing with His disciples what it will literally mean to be invited to dwell in the Kingdom of God. He describes a day when the Son of Man gathers all people to distinguish those who will reside with God and those who will not, “The King will say … come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom … for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:34-35).

In that scene some are bewildered the invitation is not extended to them, asking, “When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?” (Matthew 25:38). The King answers them plainly, “Truly I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me“ (Matthew 25:40).

Pray to God that America will be known as a land of justice, where real people who are marginalized and hurting can experience His love and compassion through those in authority and who follow Him.

Today’s Verse: Psalm 82:3-4

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
    maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
⁴Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: 1 John 3:16-24

⁶By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

¹⁹By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. ²¹Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²²and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. ²³And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.