A Prayer about Not Judging Others

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

Matthew 7:1-2

Holy Lord,

Help us to correctly understand your prohibition against judging. 

On the one hand, you “prohibit a critical spirit.”*

On the other, you do “not forbid the use of all critical faculty.”*

We are not to judge for a number of reasons: 

First, God is the only one worthy to judge us.

Second, we’ve got a blind spot 

as big as Texas 

blocking our view of  our own hearts.

Third, we’ve been forgiven our sins so fully by you, 

why would we judge someone else’s sins? 

On the other hand, you have provided us 

with wisdom and “righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

You have given us the Holy Spirit 

to show us what is true and what is false. 

And you instructed your disciples 

about an honorable way to approach a brother or sister 

when they have sinned against us.

Lord, only by your Spirit and by your guidance 

can we properly judge anyone or anything. 

May we enlighten our minds and hearts with your Word 

that we might live out your love in this world.

In your advocating name. Amen.

Read Matthew 7:1-6; John 7; 1 John 4:1. 

*I’m grateful for the Matthew commentary by Daniel Doriani that helped me understand this passage better.