11 Powerful Prayers for Justice

When you or someone you know is hurting because of injustice, it can be hard to know what to pray. The pain and the heartache in the wait can be overwhelming. We serve a just God who promises that there will be justice for wrongdoing. We can pray today believing that God loves us, sees our pain, and wants to bring healing. 

Let us pray through the hard things - through every hard and challenging day and through every promising and hopeful day. Let us not be silent in our communities and let us not be silent in our prayers. Lord, you know the pain that is in so many hearts right now, a pain that for many has been present for quite some time. Holy Spirit please hear our prayers as we pray today.

Here are 11 prayers for justice to use in the midst of pain and waiting for God's justice:

An Intercessory Prayer for Justice

I pray for the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the sick, the bereaved, and those who are imprisoned—behind both visible and invisible walls. Send your comfort, your peace, and your calming presence to those who are without hope. Protect the defenseless, and hold them close to your heart. I pray for laborers to tell the good news of Jesus to people around our world. Jesus, my heart cries out for persecuted believers, too. Make them brave, and give them your powerful protection. I pray you will bring swift justice to those who want to destroy the innocent and those who carry your name. Bind the power of Satan, and strengthen believers everywhere.

So many needs, Jesus, but you are adequate for every need. Your name is powerful, and your power is great. So it's in your name that I pray—and believe. Amen (by Rebecca Barlow Jordan)

A Prayer for Acknowledgement of Injustice

Father God, sometimes I think the most infuriating thing about injustice is the absence of the acknowledgment of wrong. I think of times I have read the Gospel accounts of Jesus in your Word, and the frustration I have felt when reading about the wicked-hearted Pharisees and Sadducees, the crowd that chose Barabas, and the Roman soldiers who carried out their orders without thinking about the injustice. I wanted them to know that what they were doing was wrong. No one knows the depths of injustice better than you God. Lord, I know acknowledgment will not fix everything but it’s a step in the direction of truth.

Lord, you know that change starts with the heart; please open the hearts of many so that we may see people the way you see people -- that we may love people the way you love people. Help us to acknowledge wrongs, give us clear minds and hearts to decipher the truth behind injustice. May we look at every circumstance through your lens Lord, a lens of truth, love, grace, and mercy.

In your name Jesus, amen.

A Breakthrough Prayer for Waiting for God's Timing

Lord, I thank You that You will answer my prayers in Your perfect timing. Reveal what is in my heart, and make me ready to handle the answer in the right way when it comes. Help me to pray by faith consistently and long-term, to believe, wait, and then move forward in Your timing. Help me to be patient in prayer, not give up, and trust You even during moments when I feel negative emotions. I don’t want to live by feelings but by faith. Help me not to take matters in my own hands. I choose to trust you, and I refuse to believe the lies of the enemy. I choose to be faithful in prayer (Colossians 4:2). Deepen my understanding, and give me a greater knowledge of what You are doing in my life. I choose to hold unswervingly to the hope that I profess (Hebrews 10:23). Stretch my faith in the midst of the wait, just as You did with Your disciples when encountering a storm at sea (Matthew 8:23-27). I thank You that You have all wisdom and will answer my prayers in the perfect way. In Jesus’ name, amen. (by Debbie Przybylski)

A Prayer for God's Justice 

Jesus, we pray for strength as we wait for God's justice. The Bible is very clear that taking a life is sinful and abhorrent, and it is a sin against you. Your Word is clear about human life; every life is valuable because every life is made in your image. We may look different from each other, but we have one big thing in common -- we’re all your image-bearers Lord, which means we all have equal value, we all have purpose, and we are all part of your plan. Father, you know the injustice that has occurred for thousands of years, in different countries, with all races of color and classes of people. I pray for the injustices that have happened to so many - that these wrongs look very wrong to everyone who views these situations; make it clear to everyone God, that races of color are beautiful, valuable, and worthy.

You are the author of justice Lord, we ask that you would rain down justice in the form of convictions, transformed mindsets and hearts, and continued reconciliation. Help us to look to you…and your Word to remind ourselves of what justice should look like. You know what injustice is like God; every sin committed is an injustice against you. Lord help us to fight injustice in the right way, may we always look to you as the solution. Oh Lord, that there would be more and more hearts transformed by your grace. May this time of injustice produce opportunities for conversation to talk about your grace, mercy, and forgiveness. May we seek you in our quest for justice, and may we continue to pray in your name for justice to be served when lives are taken and hateful actions are committed. In your name Jesus, amen.

A Prayer to Live at Peace

Heavenly Father, thank You for continuing to teach me Your ways that I may become more and more like You.  You are a righteous God and You take no pleasure in evil doing. Thank You for showing me that we can unite together as a people and be of one accord. You are the one who judges and sits on the throne and instructs us to not repay evil for evil but instead live at peace with everyone for it is Yours to avenge. Thank You for Your Son whom You sent to experience everything we would experience in this life yet without sin. Help us to become more like Him in everything we do and say. In Jesus’ name, amen. (by Maria Drayton)

A Prayer for the Broken-Hearted 

Lord, you know every broken heart and every pain - those spoken and unspoken. There are many tears right now, Lord please draw near to all who are grieved. Remind us of your closeness and your presence; remind us that you are with us always, through tragedy and triumph.

Your Word tells us that you are the Light and though the darkness tries it cannot put out the light; your Word also tells us that the darkness is as light to you. You know all things, there is no secret that can be kept from you, even in darkness -- you know the truth of what has happened. Thank you for the comfort in your Psalms, many of which are penned from a broken heart and a place of trial. The Psalms remind us that you are our Refuge in the midst of trials; you are our everlasting fortress. You are our only true safe place. May we leave every tear and every ache of our heart at your feet; may we trust you with these realities and these feelings and know that you are sovereign over all. You are a just God, and you will right every wrong. Help us to trust you always, and help us to seek you in everything. May we find comfort in who you are, God.

A Prayer for Your Enemies

Lord Jesus, following Your example and command, we pray for our enemies today. We ask first that You would saturate our lives with the Holy Spirit’s power and might. Send Your love flowing through us, and forgive us for holding on to anything that could hinder our prayers. We release any unforgiveness, thoughts of revenge, or hateful emotions that can quench Your Spirit in our hearts. Then give us wisdom as we seek how to bless, to love, and to pray for our enemies.

Lord, we pray that instead of lusting for pure evil, they would hunger and thirst for Your purity and righteousness, become advocates of Your justice and that their warring spirits would be changed into peacemaking. Remove the façade of well-being; tear down the lies that have deceived them; and hedge their ways until they can see no way out but up. We pray You would show them the futility of what they are doing because in opposing God’s kingdom and in their darkness, they are often oblivious about the true reasons for their behavior and resulting consequences. Reveal to them any deep hurts or traumas in their own lives that may be contributing to their destructive actions.

Knowing how you sometimes use pain and difficulty to bring blessing to our lives, we pray the same for our enemies. Use whatever means You need to soften stony hearts, open blind eyes, and to help them realize their ultimate neediness for You. If necessary, allow persecution in their own lives so they can experience Your blessing. Speak to them in miraculous, supernatural ways if necessary, through a dream, a movie, another believer, Your Word—or even through our own lives if we are ever confronted. In some way, let them witness Your power and recognize that You are the source. We pray for conviction, for an honest evaluation of their own destiny, and for a sense of desperation if that’s what it takes for them to consider Your claims and to discover Who You really are. Pursue them, even allowing goodness to lead them to repentance. And give us patience and a deep trust in You, Lord, even when we can’t see any change in our enemies. When we waver, not wanting to pray for our enemies, help us to remember Your grace in our own lives, and what we would be without You. (by Rebecca Barlow Jordan)

A Prayer for the Angry

Just as there are many who are broken-hearted right now, Lord, there are many who are angry--and some who feel both emotions. Injustice in its nature produces frustration and anger, sometimes we just wonder why would someone do this, how could someone think this way, why would they choose those words and so on. You did not design life with acts of injustice in mind. We were not created to hate or kill one another. In fact, every time we sin it is an act against you. Your heart breaks for the pain in the world, and you hold the sorrow of the world. Lord please break our hearts to see the truth behind injustice, may we see the real sorrow that is caused and the pain that so many have in their hearts from acts of sin. Lord help us to be angry at the right things at the right time - do not let our anger be against you. Help us to express righteous anger, to be angry about the things that make you angry too.

Jesus, we can read about your anger in the temple, and we can recognize that your anger was righteous anger. You were angry at what makes God angry, they degraded the house of God, the Temple of Jerusalem. You were righteously angry against sin, Lord, help us to have that same righteous anger and may it encourage us to speak out and take action. But Lord please do not let our anger lead us to a place of unrighteous anger, to a place where we commit sin out of our anger. Holy Spirit lead our hearts to know how to manage our anger and how to use it wisely for your glory and your kingdom. Train our hearts to be angry according to what makes you angry, and help us act with purpose, with a heart of forgiveness. May there always be forgiveness behind our anger. Help us to turn our anger into conversations with others, lead our conversations into relationships where we can share your truth and grace -- and may your truth and grace change hardened hearts and confused minds. Oh Lord, take the lead when we feel angry; Holy Spirit lead us in right action, according to your Word, amen.

A Prayer of Lament

Lord, my joy is found in you. You are my salvation and my strength. Whatever my circumstances, whatever fears or anxieties I have, whatever darkness lurks on the horizon, whatever is happening in the world around me, you are my salvation and my joy. When the world around me seems confusing and hopeless, I pray that you would fill me with incredible hope in your goodness, grace and sovereignty over all things. Help me fix my gaze on you all the days of my life.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Prayer for Unity

Lord, we respond differently to acts of sin -- some are protesting peacefully, some are protesting angrily, some are confused, and many are hurting. Help us to find unity in you God, you are the unifying factor because you are the Creator who created us all to be your image-bearers -- none more important than another. You look at each of your children and you have compassion and love toward each one equally, what love that is Lord. Help us to love as you do, help us to see human beings as you do, and help us to forgive one another in the midst of injustice. I don’t know how you did it Jesus; you turned to the thief on the cross who was mocking you minutes before and you forgave him and led him to everlasting life in you with a few sentences. You looked out on the hateful crowd and you had compassion… you said Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Oh Lord, please give me that kind of compassion, that kind of love, and that kind of grace for others. You had the same compassion on the hateful crowd as you did for your disciple John and your mother Mary watching this happen to you. Your love is amazing and unparalleled. Thank you for being a living example to us of how to love and forgive.

You offer everlasting life to any who believe that you are the Son of God, that you died for sinners, which we all are, and you paid our penalty of death with the sacrifice of your life; then you took on the wrath of God against all sin, and you washed us white as snow with your innocent blood. Your resurrected life has provided a way for all who believe to know you and be loved by you. You have adopted us into your family, every one of us as equal inheritors of the kingdom of God. You took the penalty of our sins so that when and however we die we will be raised to life again -- a life without sin, without injustice, without pain, anger, and sorrow.

Lord, thank you for this hope today. May our hearts be ignited for your truth and glory Lord; lead us to speak your truth in grace and love to others. Please bring hope to the broken-hearted and the angry, give us direction to find justice, and light the way to your kingdom so that many more can see and believe with transformed hearts and minds that you are who you say you are. You are God and God alone, you are the only Refuge from sin. May we find unity at the foot of the cross, where all men and women are equal in Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing our prayers God.

A Prayer for Protection Against Evil

Lord Jesus, evil is such a harsh word, and yet Your Word uses it frequently to describe the opposite of good. While we are all capable of sin, I ask Your protection against those who call good evil, and evil good. Guard us from those who scheme against righteousness and from those who twist truth into lies to accomplish their evil intents. May Your angels hover ever near to eradicate fear and fight against dark, spiritual forces we cannot see. Help us cast down every imagination and thought that our enemy tries to use to exalt itself against You.

You dealt our spiritual enemy a fateful blow on Calvary when you died on the cross for us and were resurrected on the third day. While evil still roams, the power of Your name and Your blood rises up to defeat and bring us victory against every evil planned against us. While malicious actions may disturb us, we use the armor of God You have given us to stand firm. You will bring justice in due time for all the harm and needless violence aimed at Your children. Until then, we remain in Your presence, aligned with Your purposes, and we look to You as our Supreme Commander and Protector. Help us to avoid temptation, and deliver us from evil, Lord. You are the Mighty One, the One Who will ultimately bring all evil to light. With You, Jesus, we are safe. (by Rebecca Barlow Jordan)
Top/main photo: ©GettyImages/WoraweeMeepian

This article is part of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.

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