Psalm
74 Prayed
Praying for revival for the Church
Why have you rejected us
forever, O God?
Why
does your anger smoulder against the
sheep
of your pasture?
Remember the people you
purchased of old,
the
tribe of your inheritance, whom you
redeemed
with the precious blood of Christ—
your
Church in this country, where you dwell.
Turn your steps toward these
everlasting ruins,
all
this destruction our enemy Satan
has
brought on the sanctuary,
the true tabernacle set up by
the Lord Jesus,
and
not by us.
Your foes, the devil and his
troops,
roared
in the place where you met with us;
they
set up their standards as signs.
They behaved like men wielding
axes
to
cut through a thicket of trees.
They
smashed all the carved panelling
with
their axes and hatchets.
They burned your sanctuary to
the ground;
they
defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
They said in their hearts, “We
will crush them
completely!”
They burned with vitriol at every
place where you
are
worshiped in our land.
Atheists mock our faith and
ridicule your Word.
Scoffers
and sceptics are given all the
prominence
in the media,
and
we are pushed to the margins.
We are given no miraculous
signs;
no
prophets are left,
and
none of us know how long this will be.
How long will the enemy mock
you, O God?
Will
the foe revile your name forever?
Why do you hold back your hand,
your right hand?
Take
it from the folds of your garment and
destroy
their influence!
But you, O Jesus, are our king
from of old;
you
bring salvation upon the earth.
The reason you appeared
was
to destroy the devil’s work.
It was you who split open the
sea by your power;
you
broke the heads of the monster in the
waters.
It was you who crushed the
heads of Leviathan
and
gave him as food to the creatures of the
desert.
In that day you punished with
your sword,
your
fierce, great and powerful sword,
Leviathan the gliding serpent,
Leviathan
the coiling serpent,
You
slew the monster of the sea.
When Michael and his angels
fought against the
dragon,
the
dragon and his angels fought back.
But he was not strong enough,
and
they lost their place in heaven.
The great dragon was hurled
down—
that
ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan,
who
leads the whole world astray.
He was hurled to the earth,
and
his angels with him.
For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood,
but
against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark
world
and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly
realms.
Lord Jesus, by you all things
were created:
things
in heaven and on earth,
visible
and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or
rulers or authorities;
all
things were created by you and for you.
It was you who opened up
springs and streams;
you
dried up the ever flowing rivers.
The day is yours, and
yours also the night;
you
established the sun and moon.
It was you who set all the
boundaries of the earth;
you
made both summer and winter.
Remember how the enemy has
mocked you,
O
Lord Jesus,
how
foolish people have reviled your name.
Do not hand over the life of
your dove the Church
to
wild beasts;
do
not forget the lives of your afflicted people
forever.
Have regard for your covenant,
because
haunts of violence fill the dark places
of
this land
and
only the gospel can redeem our
communities.
Do not let the oppressed
retreat in disgrace;
may
the poor and needy praise your name.
Rise up, O God, and defend your
cause;
remember
how fools mock you all day long.
Do not ignore the clamour of
your adversaries,
the
uproar of your enemies, which rises
continually.
Let our spiritual enemies see
your power.
Let
them know defeat once more.
Let the gospel triumph again:
Sweep
our land with revival once more.
continually.
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Psalm 74 Prayed
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