Do Not Judge

About this article

This gathering prayer is about opening hearts and putting aside biases.

Luke 6:37
Jesus warned his followers: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Merciful God, we find it easy to pass judgment on other people without trying to understand them. We hate to be judged ourselves, but we often judge others. Then we pass sentence. God, open our heart and mind to other people. Help us to listen, to put aside our biases, so that we can come to a better understanding of our neighbors. And may we readily forgive, just as you forgive us. It's not easy, but with your grace it is possible.

Acknowledgments

(This prayer is adapted from As We Gather, As We Part: 150 New Opening and Closing Prayers by Carl Koch, published by Saint Mary's Press, 1998) Copyright © 1998 by Saint Mary's Press. Permission is granted for this prayer to be used for classroom or campus ministry purposes. This prayer may not be republished in any form without written permission from Saint Mary's Press. To order this book, contact Saint Mary's Press at 800-533-8095, or visit our online catalog at www.smp.org/catalog.cfm.)