Gospel Psalm
82
Praying for God to preside over our government
O God, you preside in the great
assembly of our
nation;
you
give judgment among the politicians,
with
their god-like powers and responsibilities.
Therefore we bring our
requests, prayers,
intercession
and thanksgiving
for
everyone;
for
all in the government and all those in
authority,
so that we may live peaceful
and quiet lives
in
all godliness and holiness.
For
this is good, and pleases you,
our God and Saviour,
for you want all people to be saved,
and
to come to a knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God
and one mediator between God and men,
the
man Christ Jesus,
who
gave himself as a ransom for all people.
May everyone in our country
submit
themselves to the government,
for
there is no authority except that which
you
have established.
The authorities that exist in
our nation
have
been established by you, O God.
Consequently,
those who rebel against these
authorities
are
rebelling against what you have instituted,
so
may those who do so bring judgment on
themselves.
May
our rulers hold no terror for those who do
right,
but
for those who do wrong.
O Lord, we want to be free from
fear of the those
in
authority.
Help
us to do what is right
and
may the government commend us for it.
For
those in government are your servants, O God,
to
do our county good.
But for those do wrong, let
them be afraid,
for
the government does not bear the right to
punish
for nothing.
May our government be your
servant, O God,
an
agent of wrath to bring punishment on the
wrongdoer.
You have shown our politicians
what is good,
and
what you require of them:
To act justly and to love mercy
and
to walk humbly with you, their God.
May they never defend the
unjust
or
show partiality to the wicked.
May they defend the cause
of the weak and
fatherless;
and
maintain the rights of the poor and
oppressed.
May they rescue the weak and
needy;
and
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
May they administer true
justice,
and
show mercy and compassion to their
citizens.
May they speak the truth to
each other and to us,
and
render sound judgment in our courts.
May they not oppress the alien,
the fatherless or
the
widow,
and
may they not shed innocent blood,
or
follow other gods to our harm.
So let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness
like a never-failing stream!
Without you, O Lord,
our will politicians know nothing,
they
will understand nothing.
They will walk about in
darkness;
and
all the foundations of the earth will be
shaken.
You have delegated god-like
power to them;
power
to be a blessing and power to be a curse,
power
to enrich life, and power to bring death.
So may they remember that they
will die like
mere
humans;
that
they will fall like every other ruler.
Rise up, O God, judge the
earth,
for
all the nations are your inheritance.
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Psalm 82 Prayed
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