Psalm
59 Prayed
Praying for the persecuted Church
Deliver your Church from their enemies, O God;
protect
them from those who rise up against
them.
Deliver them from evildoers
and
save them from bloodthirsty men.
See how they lie in wait for
your people!
Fierce
men conspire against them
for
no offence or sin they have done, O Lord.
They have done no wrong, yet
they are ready to
attack
your Church.
Arise
to help them; look on their plight!
O God, who said, “Let light
shine out of darkness,”
you
made your light shine in their hearts
to give them the light of the
knowledge
of
your glory in the face of Christ.
But they have this treasure in
jars of clay
to
show that this all-surpassing power is from
you,
O God and not from us.
They are hard pressed on every
side,
but
not crushed;
perplexed, but not in
despair;
persecuted,
but not abandoned;
struck
down, but not destroyed.
They always carry around in
their bodies
the
death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may
also be revealed in
their
bodies.
For those who are alive
are
always being given over to death for Jesus’
sake,
so that his life may be
revealed in their mortal
bodies.
O Lord God Almighty, the God of
your people,
rouse
yourself to punish all the leaders of
the
nations who persecute your Church;
show no mercy to Satan, the
wicked traitor
who
inspires them.
They return at evening,
snarling
like dogs,
and
prowl about the city.
See what they spew from their
mouths—
they
spew out swords from their lips.
Some act in the name
of their religion,
others
seek to defend their political power.
But they are confident they
will never be punished,
and
they say, “Who can hear us?”
But you, O Lord, laugh at them;
you
scoff at all those national leaders.
For if they escape prosecution
in this life,
they
face your judgment in the next.
O our Strength, we watch for
you;
you,
O God, are our fortress,
our loving God.
O God go before your people
and
do not let those who persecute your
Church
gloat
over us and slander us.
But do not kill them, O Lord
our shield,
or
our people will forget.
In your might make them wander
about,
and
bring them down in repentance.
For the sins of their mouths,
for
the words of their lips,
let
them be caught in their pride.
May they be captured and
prosecuted,
so
tyrants across the world will know,
they
too will not escape justice.
For the curses and lies they
utter,
consume
them in wrath,
consume
them till their power is no more.
Then it will be known to the
ends of the earth
that
God rules over the whole world.
If they return at evening,
snarling
like dogs,
and
prowl about the city,
if they wander about for food,
craving
for the blood of your people,
may
they howl, and never be satisfied.
But let your Church sing of
your strength,
in
the morning may your Church in every land
sing
of your love;
for you are our fortress,
our
refuge in times of trouble.
O our Strength, we sing praise
to you;
you,
O God, are our fortress, our loving God.
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Psalm 59 Prayed
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