A Prayer for Safety
Psalm 140:4-5 “Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path.”
Christians are suffering oppression all over the world. from physical attacks in Middle Eastern and African nations to social credit systems in Asian countries that deny access to needed goods and services. The attacks on believers are ever-increasing.
In the United States we hear the twisting of words that misrepresent what Scripture teaches. We hear angry, accusatory statements that lay blame and unleash anger on believers. And yes, we get angry, frustrated and we feel ‘persecuted’. But, friends, we need to be careful. Some of the blame lies with us. We’ve espoused things that we don’t live out well. We’ve spoken words of compassion and then failed to live it out with grace and mercy. Our vision is sometimes short-sighted and ignores the pain and deep needs that are not as ‘comfortable’ or convenient for us to address and meet. We need to be prepared that we will, we WILL face opposition. And we need to be prepared to live without compromise...not just when it’s comfortable or convenient.
If we’re going to live out the gospel, we need to live it all. ALL. OF. IT. We need to be ready that we will face real persecution- not just mean words. Are we ready to stand firm? Do our sons and daughters understand what is ahead? Are they prepared? Let’s pray that the Lord strengthens every believer to stand firm in the face of what is to come. Pray that the Lord provides safety for our faith.
“Keep us safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked. I pray that you would keep (name) safe, too. The wicked will stop at nothing to destroy our faith and ruin our testimony to others. Lord, it’s not about us. It’s about You. Preserve our walk with Jesus so that we can stand before You, unashamed. Protect us from the violent, who devise ways to trip our feet. Give us eyes that have spiritual discernment to avoid those traps that would pull us down. The arrogant have hidden a snare; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for us along our path. Lord, guide our steps. Please uphold (name) and let them walk unwaveringly with You. Guard and guide them, Lord. Keep them growing in their faith and in deep, spiritual discernment. Help me as a parent to encourage them and pray for them always. Go before us, Lord, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.