On Sunday, Grace hosted a panel discussion on justice. Five individuals, who love and pursue justice in a variety of areas, talked about their motivation to serve, the difference between doing Gospel-centered justice and social activism, and the Church’s failings.

Though there was so much to consider, one point stood out.

It is clear that God of the Bible is a God of justice. He loves justice and he wants his people to do the same. Our love is not abstract but practical, moving us to action. As His image bearers, we are to cultivate eyes that see when people do not get what they need. We are to advocate for those who do not have a voice. We are to work for justice in the world.

And integral to this work is prayer. For me, prayer doesn't immediately come to mind when considering how to pursue justice. Sure, I believe prayer works; however, pursuing justice is about getting your hands dirty and using your voice to speak against those who oppress. Regardless, prayer is not to be an afterthought but an essential part of the work. In our discussion on Sunday, I was struck by a couple of different aspects of this type of prayer.

First, God, not us, is a father to the fatherless and the defender of the helpless. God uses our work, but it is first and foremost God’s. This reality must be worked into our hearts through prayer, because if it isn’t, depending on the result of labors, we will either become self-righteous or overcome by guilt.

Second is a similar but slightly different prayer: we are to ask God to help us take our rightful place as creatures. We cannot reverse the curse of sin and death, and therefore we cannot eliminate injustice. If our panel discussion revealed one thing, it showed us that advocates for justice are passionate people. They tend to say “yes” to everything and overwork themselves. They are deeply affected by the pain of others and will do almost anything to assist, even at great cost to themselves.

In this battle, prayer is vital. We must ask God to remind us that we are creatures with limitations. We must ask God to help us not to lose hope when our best efforts only make a dent. We must ask God to help us cope with the pain we see and experience.

Prayer must be a vital part of doing justice.