Don’t stop praying. Breakthrough comes to the persistent. Freedom doesn’t always come quickly—but it comes to those who persevere in faith.
Our Father (The Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
A Psalm of Praise and Thanks
Psalm 40
I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
Blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, who has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood! Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us—none can compare to You—if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I can count.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll: I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know. I have not covered up Your righteousness in my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and salvation; I have not concealed Your loving devotion and faithfulness from the great assembly.
O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me; Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me. For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; hurry, O LORD, to help me.
May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated. May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!” be appalled at their own shame.
May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “The LORD be magnified!” But I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my helper and deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
Blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, who has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood! Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us—none can compare to You—if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I can count.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll: I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know. I have not covered up Your righteousness in my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and salvation; I have not concealed Your loving devotion and faithfulness from the great assembly.
O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me; Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me. For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; hurry, O LORD, to help me.
May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated. May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!” be appalled at their own shame.
May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “The LORD be magnified!” But I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my helper and deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
A Psalm for Mercy and Help
Psalm 44
We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in days of long ago. With Your own hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers; You crushed the peoples and cast them out.
For it was not by their sword that they took the land, nor did their own arm save them, but by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them. You are my King, O God; ordain victories for Jacob!
Through You we push back our enemies; through Your name we trample our foes. For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory.
But You have saved us from our enemies and put to shame those who hate us. In God we boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever. Selah
But now You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go out with our armies. You make us retreat from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken the spoils.
You have given us up like sheep to be devoured and have scattered us among the nations. You sell Your people for nothing; You have gained no wealth from their sale.
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face, at the voice of the scorner and reviler, at the presence of the enemy and avenger.
All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or been false to Your covenant. Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from Your path.
But You have crushed us in a haunt of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Awake, O Lord! Why do You sleep?
Rise up! Do not reject us forever. Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?
For our souls have sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth. Rise up and help us; redeem us because of Your loving devotion.
For it was not by their sword that they took the land, nor did their own arm save them, but by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them. You are my King, O God; ordain victories for Jacob!
Through You we push back our enemies; through Your name we trample our foes. For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory.
But You have saved us from our enemies and put to shame those who hate us. In God we boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever. Selah
But now You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go out with our armies. You make us retreat from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken the spoils.
You have given us up like sheep to be devoured and have scattered us among the nations. You sell Your people for nothing; You have gained no wealth from their sale.
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face, at the voice of the scorner and reviler, at the presence of the enemy and avenger.
All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or been false to Your covenant. Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from Your path.
But You have crushed us in a haunt of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Awake, O Lord! Why do You sleep?
Rise up! Do not reject us forever. Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?
For our souls have sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth. Rise up and help us; redeem us because of Your loving devotion.
Brief Prayer
Lord, You invite me to bring my needs to You again and again.
Give me persistence to keep praying when answers seem delayed.
Strengthen my faith when silence feels heavy.
Help me trust Your timing and Your wisdom above my own.
Remind me that every prayer is heard and treasured by You.
Keep me expectant, knowing You are faithful to respond.
Let my hope remain steadfast in Your goodness.
Amen.
