The Cry for Justice

The Cry for Justice

Day 5 — Friday, January 16, 2026

Year Theme: Watchmen on the Walls — Intercession for Israel, the Nations & the Peace of Jerusalem

Month Theme: Foundations of Intercession — Standing in God’s Covenant Purposes

Week Theme: Intercession as Incense Before God.

Scriptures: Exodus 3:1–10 | Amos 5:24 | Psalm 82 | Luke 18:1–8

When Moses encountered the burning bush, he learned that God’s holiness is never detached from human suffering. Before any miracle unfolded, God declared that He had seen, heard, and known the affliction of His people (Exodus 3:7). The first movement toward deliverance was not strategy but divine notice and attention. This reveals a foundational truth for intercession: justice begins when God listens. Miroslav Volf writes that prayer trains us to “name the world’s wounds before God without becoming numb or vengeful.”¹ That is deep and often buried under the complexity of the world’s pain and wounds. Intercession keeps compassion alive without surrendering hope.

The prophets press this truth further. Amos does not call for louder worship but for reordered lives—“Let justice run down like water” (Amos 5:24). The Hebrew imagery suggests a steady, unstoppable flow, not occasional charity. Prayer for justice, then, is not sentimental; it is covenantal. It asks God to realign societies with His character. Psalm 82 places responsibility squarely on rulers and systems, reminding them that God stands in the assembly of the powerful and calls them to account. Intercession gives voice to those silenced by power.

Jesus carries this prophetic burden in His life and teachings. In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8), justice is delayed not because it is unimportant, but because perseverance reveals faith. The widow’s insistence exposes unjust authority and refuses resignation. Timothy Keller observed that this parable shows prayer as “a refusal to accept the world as it is when it does not reflect the will of God.”² Intercession becomes holy resistance—steadfast appeal anchored in trust.

This shapes how the Church prays today for Israel and the nations. Conflicts, displacement, and injustice tempt believers either toward despair or anger. Intercessory prayer offers a third way: faithful persistence before God. The Greek term ekdikēsis (“justice” or “vindication”) in Luke 18 carries the sense of setting things right. Prayer aligns the Church with God’s work of restoration without resorting to coercion or violence.

Do our prayers merely ask for comfort, or do they contend for righteousness? Do we intercede long enough to be shaped by God’s patience?

For missions, prayer for justice sustains our witness; for the Church, it guards integrity; for Israel and the nations, it appeals to God’s righteous rule. Samuel Escobar reminds us that mission and justice are inseparable because “the gospel speaks to the whole of life and the destiny of peoples.”³ Intercession keeps that vision whole.

As incense rises, so does a cry that heaven honors. God is neither indifferent nor hurried. He responds in His time, forming a praying people who learn to hope without surrender.

Prayer

Righteous God, You see the suffering of peoples and hear the cries of the oppressed. Teach us to pray with perseverance and humility. We lift before You Your Church, that she may embody justice and mercy; missions, that the gospel may heal broken places; Israel, that peace and righteousness may meet; and the nations, that leaders may govern with integrity. Keep us faithful in prayer until Your justice flows like living water. Amen.

Endnotes

1. Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge.

2. Timothy Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God.

3. Samuel Escobar, The New Global Mission.