O Lord, Our Rock, Fortress and Deliverer,
We praise you for being our refuge, our shield, and our stronghold. Thank you for saving us from the physical and spiritual enemies of this world, especially in circumstances where we felt like death and destruction were about to overwhelm us. Thank you for hearing us when we call and for showing yourself our Strong Deliverer in times of trial. As much as you have rescued us individually, now we cry out for you to awaken and rescue your Church. You delight in your people and your Church, but we know we have not always delighted in your ways and your law. Forgive us for not loving You, ourselves, and our neighbors with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Forgive us for not doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with You, our God. Forgive us as a Church when we have turned a blind eye to widows, orphans, the unborn, the broken, the needy, and the oppressed. Forgive us for not strongly praying and speaking and acting against human-induced suffering, trafficking, and violence. Forgive your Church and renew her in this day. Pour out a fresh fire of your Holy Spirit; renew and cleanse her of her unrighteousness so she can fulfill the calling and ministry you have for her in this world. Help her (us!) to be faithful, blameless, pure, and humble. Keep our lamps burning so we may be salt and light in this world that so desperately needs your Light.
We pray all of this is in the strong name of Christ, Amen.
Psalm 18 NIV
1
I love you, Lord, my strength.
2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4
The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6
In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7
The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
19
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20
The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22
All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23
I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24
The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25
To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27
You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
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