At Christian Aid, everything we do is rooted in our Christian beliefs. Jesus said that everyone is made in God’s image and proclaimed the good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.
Through his life, teaching, death and resurrection, Jesus called his followers to love God, love their neighbours and to seek justice for those who are oppressed. Our belief that poverty can be ended is based on our understanding of the Bible and the work of a creative, loving God.
Here are 7 bible verses about poverty that highlight why our faith compels us to help those in need.
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What the bible says about poverty:
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Isaiah 1:17 - ‘Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.’
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Psalm 82:3 - ‘Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.’
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Proverbs 31:8-9 - ‘Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.’
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Deuteronomy 15:11 - ‘Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'
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Proverbs 19:17 - ‘Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.’
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Deuteronomy 15:7-8 - ‘If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbour. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be.’
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2 Corinthians 9:7 - ‘Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’
All of these verses are taken from the NRSV version of the Bible.
We believe the world can be restored and transformed, and that God calls us to speak and act prophetically to bring change. We hope you and your church will join with us in our mission to help end injustice.
Keep poverty in your prayers
At Christian Aid, we aim to encourage churches and individuals to hold poor communities in prayer. We hope you have been inspired by these bible verses to pray against poverty and its devastating affects today.
You can find prayers about poverty, climate justice, global disasters and much more on our prayer and worship page.
Prayer for an end to poverty
Creator God,
you loved the world into life.
Forgive us when our dreams of the future
are shaped by anything other than glimpses of a kingdom
of justice, peace and an end to poverty.
Incarnate God,
you taught us to speak out for what is right.
Make us content with nothing less than a world
that is transformed into the shape of love,
where poverty shall be no more.
Breath of God,
let there be abundant life.
Inspire us with the vision of poverty over,
and give us the faith, courage and will to make it happen.
