A Prayer to Stand Up for Righteousness
By Alicia Searl
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” - Micah 6:8
As a former public school teacher, I attended several professional development days. On one such day, the topic of testing was being addressed. There must have been over a hundred teachers talking about state standards and how to administer the tests. At the end of the discussion, we had to choose a corner of the room based on what we believed about the standardized tests. Feeling totally convicted and a tad bit foolish, I sauntered over to the corner I felt led to. I ended up being the only one there! I wanted to move, just to appease the crowd, but my feet (and heart) wouldn’t let me.
This situation reminds me a lot of what is going on in our world today. Many are choosing a corner to stand in, and the four corners presented are – your way, society’s way, the church’s way, and God’s way. Truthfully, we are faced with this choice every single day. Begs to question, where would you stand?
Each corner looks enticing and has its own appeal. They all hold different worldly viewpoints and various perspectives. However, as believers, there is only one corner to stand in! Sounds easy enough, right? Yet, in saying that, there are so many times I don’t even realize I take a stand for my own way, bend to the way of society, or fall into a misconception of what the church offers, dismissing the whole truth.
Friend, we are in strange times, unchartered territory, I would even add. God’s laws are all but removed in most places or sadly being replaced with personal narratives and motives. It is not only happening within the walls of nearly every public building, including our schools, but it is sadly happening within the walls of our congregations too. Currently, our society is easily bending and swaying to the ways of the flesh, which costs the safety of many, especially our innocent children.
So, what do we do? We choose to stand up for righteousness by getting in God’s corner! But, with all the misinformation and misleading truths out there, how do we know it is truly His corner? We must know Him – deeply. We can tell His way apart from the others because it has His Word written all over it. It acts justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly (Micah 6:8). If we really want to take a stand for righteousness and speak out for injustice, we need to be submerged in His Word and etch it in the depth of our hearts (Proverbs 3:3).
Our actions must show others that our God is a God of law and order and that He craves justice. We act justly by speaking out for what is true, noble, and right in God’s eyes, all while repenting and seeking forgiveness of our fleshly desires. We share that God’s love is full of mercy and grace and that forgiveness is wrapped in freedom. And lastly, we walk in humility, knowing God has our back as we boldly posture our hearts towards Him rather than our abilities or the ways of this world. Will you join me in standing up for righteousness?
Let’s pray:
Father God,
You are a righteous God, and we are so thankful that You provide us with an instruction manual on how to live this life. Help us etch Your precious Word into our hearts. Give us the courage to stand firm in our convictions and stand up for what is true and right. Give us the wisdom and words to speak out against the evil surrounding us daily, and lead us back to Your corner! Help us act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly while submitting to Your will and ways. Please forgive us where we fail You and have grace upon us. Lord, direct Your church and people to the truth in Your Word and help us stand on that bedrock and not depart from it. We love you, Lord, and praise your Holy name. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Merlas
Alicia Searl is a devotional author, blogger, and speaker that is passionate about pouring out her heart and pointing ladies of all ages back to Jesus. She has an education background and master’s in literacy. Her favorite people call her Mom, which is why much of her time is spent cheering them on at a softball game or dance class. She is married to her heartthrob (a tall, spiky-haired blond) who can whip up a mean latte. She sips that goodness while writing her heart on a page while her puppy licks her feet. Visit her website at aliciasearl.com and connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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