A Dirge and a Prayer for Israel, Destroyed by Enemies
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance;
Your holy temple they have defiled;
They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.
2 The dead bodies of Your servants—
They have given as food for the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3 Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem,
And there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and derision to those who are around us.
- Lord, You see the condition of our nation and our world.
- The people of God are being marginalized, and the Christian church is seen by many as irrelevant at best, and hate-filled at worst.
- Lord, give Your people relief and give them favor.
- See our predicament and give us power to overcome the opposition.
- Let us rise up and take territory for the kingdom of God.
- Give us favor with men and open doors for ministry.
- Restore Your church to its rightful place in the culture and draw souls to Yourself as we lift You up!
5 How long, LORD?
Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You,
And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob,
And laid waste his dwelling place.
- Lord, I realize that many of the problems we face today are of our own doing.
- Our sins have hidden the glory of God.
- Our apathy has made us look uncaring and lazy.
- But, Lord, we submit our sins and our apathy before You today and ask for Your forgiveness.
- Please let Your anger subside and Your wrath be turned to the nations that rejected You.
- Let our enemies be turned back and our opponents fail at their attempts to stop the church.
- Give us revival and fight on our behalf, I pray, O LORD!
8 Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us!
Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,
For we have been brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
For the glory of Your name;
And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,
For Your name’s sake!
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let there be known among the nations in our sight
The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
- Forget our sins and have mercy on us, O LORD.
- We have figured it out: our plight is due to our failures, not Your inability to save.
- Save us, O God, and let Your glory shine through us again.
- Let not the heathens glory in the failure of the church, but let us show Your power to be real again, O LORD!
11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your power
Preserve those who are appointed to die;
12 And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom
Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.13 So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will show forth Your praise to all generations.
- Let our groans of pain come to Your ears.
- Preserve us in our agony and set our feet in a dry and level place.
- Save our lives from destruction, and visit our enemies derision back on them seven times over.
- When we see Your hand at work for us, we will thank You. We praise You already for Your greatness, and we will thank You for Your works on our behalf.
- We will declare You to many generations for the glory of the Lord. You are great!
Devoted To You 