A prayer guide for establishing kingdom principles in government

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So, justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. (Isaiah 59:14 NIV).  

In a day when righteous decrees and godly judgments need to be established and upheld in the land, intercessors can pave the way for change by praying these timeless scriptural principles and truths. Pray for these principles to be known as powerful deterrents to evil and essential tools for demonstrating God’s kingdom on the earth. (All Scripture passages are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.)

PRINCIPLES FOR EXECUTING JUSTICE:

Establish righteous judges.

Choose some wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you (Deuteronomy 1:13).

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:17).

• Pray that God would raise up godly men and women who can serve as judges.
• Pray that those already appointed would exhibit godly wisdom, understanding, and respect, and that favor would rest on those who do.

Rule with the fear of the Lord.

He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery” (2 Chronicles 19:5-7).

Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 16:19-20).

• Pray that the fear of the Lord would come upon public officials so that their decisions would demonstrate justice for all without partiality.
• Pray that those serving in elected positions would avoid taking bribes, recognizing patterns of manipulation or flattery to garner favor.

Overturn evil and subdue terror.

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers (Proverbs 21:15).

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror (Psalm 10:17-18).

• Pray that true justice will overrule the evildoer and nullify the terrorist. (See Amos 5:15)
• Pray for fair trials and hearings that will bring justice to the oppressed and freedom to the captives. (See Psalm 37:32-34)

Stand for truth and integrity.

Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit (Exodus 23:1-2).

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom (James 2:12).

• Pray for integrity in reporting cases and causes, and for those who testify, to do so with honesty, uprightness, and verified facts. (See Deuteronomy 1:16-17)
• Pray that truth and righteous judgments would be spoken of in the spirit of life and liberty, knowing that God’s judgments always bring hope and blessing.

Bring to justice those who oppose the law of the land and the Word of Truth.

Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them (Proverbs 24:24).

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless (Isaiah 10:1-2).

• Pray that those who have been responsible for unjust decrees and judgments would be brought to account and those guilty would receive righteous judgment.
• Pray for ungodly counsel to be dismissed and overruled, and for righteous wisdom to be favored and celebrated. (See Proverbs 28:5, Isaiah 61:8, and 59:17-19)

Rule with fairness for all people.

If you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers (James 2:7).

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34).

• Pray that God’s compassion and equal care would be extended to all under the law. (See Philippians 1:9)
• Pray that the fear of the Lord and God’s compassion would rightly discern each heart so that honest and impartial decisions can be rendered. (See James 3:17-18)

Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. (Ezekiel 45:9 ESV).

• Wanda Alger, IFA Field Correspondent