Father
Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for you from God.” O Lord, help me know you are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cry to you Lord with my voice, and pray you will hear me from His holy hill. I lay down and have troubled dreams in my sleep; I awoke, because you Lord sustained me, even when I was not aware of your presence. Even when I felt that you had abandoned me. Arise, O Lord; I beg you to save me, O my God! I pray that you strike all my enemies on the cheekbone; and brake all the teeth of those who are trying to hurt me. Salvation belongs to you oh Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Please I pray that you put your blessing upon me and protect me from the evil one who bombards me with negativity and who is out to harm me.
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! I pray that you relieve me in and from my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. I do not wish to be known in your presence as someone who turns your glory to shame nor as someone who loves worthlessness and seeks falsehood. Please help me in my days of trouble. Help me in these days when I feel so low and alone. I am crushed under my heavy burdens. I feel yoked and it is making me feel strangled. Set me apart as one of your holy children are set apart. I beg you to hear me when I call out to you … as I am doing now. Help me not to sin especially when I have been hurt or am upset, frustrated or angry. Help me to meditate within my heart when I am in bed, or when I am up and about throughout the day. Help me know how to be still and to trust you when I can’t even trust myself. Help me put my trust fully in you as a child would do. There are many who say to me with their actions, “Who will show you any good?” Lord, lift up the light of your countenance upon me. There are many times you have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I want to always be able to do both, lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, can make me dwell in safety.
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I will pray. My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand in your sight; you hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; for you Lord abhor the bloodthirsty and deceitful people. But as for me, I will chose to continually come into your house in the multitude of your mercy; in fear of you I will worship toward your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue. Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against you, and against your children have they plotted horrible things. But let me rejoice in you for I have put my trust in you; let me ever shout for joy, and I ask that you always defend me; let me also be always joyful in You. I love your name Lord. For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour you will surround me as with a shield.
O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor chasten me in your hot displeasure. I know I very often displease you but I beg you to have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; o Lord, heal me, for I am troubled to my very bones. My soul also is greatly troubled. O Lord, how long? How long must I suffer this pain? When will it stop? Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for your mercies’ sake! For in death there is no remembrance of you; in the grave who will give you thanks? I feel dead inside! Bring life into my life in a way that will be powerful and will leave no doubt to me nor anyone else that you have put your life into my whole being. I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; and day I am in terrible pain. My life feels like an open grave ready to swallow me up. I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies. I look way beyond my years because of the deep sorrow in my heart. I ask that you make all the workers of iniquity depart from me. I pray that you Lord have heard the voice of my weeping and have heard my supplication; Lord please receive my prayer. Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.
O Lord my God, in you I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me, lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver. O Lord my God, if I have done this: if there is iniquity in my hands, if I have repaid evil to people who are at peace with me, or have plundered my enemy without cause, then let my enemies pursue me and overtake me; yes, let them trample my life to the earth, and lay my honour in the dust. Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; rise up for me to the judgment you have commanded! So the congregation of the peoples shall surround you; for their sakes, therefore, return on high. You Lord shall judge the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me. Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish me just; for you my righteous God tests the hearts and minds of all people. My defence is in you oh God, who saves the upright in heart. You God are a just judge, and you are angry with the wicked every day. If you don’t turn back, you will sharpen your sword; you bend your bow and make it ready. You also prepare for yourself instruments of death; you makes your arrows into fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked bring forth iniquity; yes, they conceive trouble and brings forth falsehood. And many of your loved ones get hurt and are caught in the crossfire. You alone oh Lord can deliver me. I know I deserve much trouble for the many sins in my life, but I beg you don’t let trouble return to my head nor let violent dealings be my crown. I beg for your mercies and grace to clothe me and your … not my … righteousness to be my crown. I know I do not deserve it. I rest in the shadow of your mercy. I will forever praise you Lord according to your righteousness, and I will sing praises to your name oh Lord Most High. Amen.
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