An old comic strip called Pogo illustrated a powerful truth. “We have met the enemy and he is us.” When I read the psalms the authors of these honest and powerful prayers often ask for protection, vindication, and victory against enemies. I struggle to relate to these prayers because I don’t have people chasing me with swords and trying to overthrow my kingdom. But I do pierce myself with loathing, shame, second-guessing, fear, and doubts. This Sunday Psalm: A Prayer for Protection against My(Self) Enemies and those of us who need protection from that most insidious of enemies: ourselves.
God Who Sees the True Me
Deliver me from my foes;
Protect me from my enemies
Who have penetrated the gates.
Their unmistakable disguise disarmed me.
Now I see I have taken up arms against myself
And attack myself from inside.
God of piercing patience:
My granite-like heart
Aches to be soothed.
Yet withstands your explosions of grace.
My hungry eyes
Forage for truth
Yet gaze beyond your face.
My roiling mind
Questions your every word
Yet the thinnest ideas I embrace.
My grasping hands
Clutch trinkets and treasures
Yet seize air leaving not a trace.
God of angel armies:
Rescue me from myself.
Break my heart then remake it whole.
Focus my eyes on honey for my soul.
Still my mind with your sweet voice.
Open my hands to receive your sacred choice.
Reinforce my faulty defenses
With trust for you.
Cast beyond my walls my doubts and fears
And second guessing.
Fortify my soul with your Spirit.
Arm me with your mighty love.
Redeem my mistakes
With forgiveness like a river.
These things I ask of you in your mercy and compassion.
Amen.
More prayers and blogs that might help you face fear and your worst enemies. How Does God’s Perfect Love Drive Out Your Deepest Fear? and One Way God Comforts Us When We Are OverPowered by Extreme Fear and Sunday Psalm: Confessing the Deadly Sin of Seeing Life Like Narcissus and Sunday Psalm: A Heartfelt Plea for God to Flood the Darkness with His Light
we are born into a “life” where we hear and experience many negative voices, internally and externally,… mixed-in with other types of thoughts, vibes, ideas, messages and communications,… what to believe?,… what not to believe?,… how to sort it all out?,… what things are copied?,… what things are original?,… what does it all mean?,…
good questions,…
education helps us sort through some things,… of course, “the Gospel” brings us awareness of the most significant differences that we will face,… God brings us Beauty, Truth and Love, to the forefront,… yes, I desire to be able to discern and choose God’s Beauty, Truth and Love in all things,… but “what happens?”,…
just as “in the Garden”, there are sneaky “other voices” that seek to “weave themselves in” with our consciousness,… that whisper their cunning thoughts to us,…
one of the happiest moments of my life occurred when I first truly realized that one of these “negative voices” was also truly “Not Me!”,… so much Joy came in that simple Revelation!,… and I still delight in sending these counterfeit thoughts “on down the road” and “away from me”!,…
Finding ourselves in Christ is a joy and the only true place.