A Prayer of Trust

561 Have mercy on me, O God, for man is attempting my destruction; every day he makes cruel attacks against me. 2 My haters are ever ready to put an end to me; great numbers are lifting themselves up against me. 3 In the time of my fear, I will have faith in you. 4 In God will I give praise to his word; in God have I put my hope; I will have no fear of what flesh may do to me. 5 Every day they make wrong use of my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They come together, they are waiting in secret places, they take note of my steps, they are waiting for my soul. 7 By evil-doing they will not get free from punishment. In wrath, O God, let the peoples be made low.

8 You have seen my wanderings; put the drops from my eyes into your bottle; are they not in your record? 9 When I send up my cry to you, my haters will be turned back; I am certain of this, for God is with me. 10 In God will I give praise to his word; in the Lord will I give praise to his word. 11 In God have I put my hope, I will have no fear of what man may do to me. 12 I keep the memory of my debt to you, O God; I will give you the offerings of praise. 13 Because you have taken my soul from the power of death; and kept my feet from falling, so that I may be walking before God in the light of life.

A Prayer for Deliverance from Deceitfulness

1201 In my trouble my cry went up to the Lord, and he gave me an answer. 2 O Lord, be the saviour of my soul from false lips, and from the tongue of deceit. 3 What punishment will he give you? what more will he do to you, you false tongue? 4 Sharp arrows of the strong, and burning fire.

5 Sorrow is mine because I am strange in Meshech, and living in the tents of Kedar. 6 My soul has long been living with the haters of peace. 7 I am for peace: but when I say so, they are for war.

A Prayer for Protection against Persecutors

1401 O Lord, take me out of the power of the evil man; keep me safe from the violent man: 2 For their hearts are full of evil designs; and they are ever making ready causes of war. 3 Their tongues are sharp like the tongue of a snake; the poison of snakes is under their lips. (Selah.) 4 O Lord, take me out of the hands of sinners; keep me safe from the violent man: for they are designing my downfall. 5 The men of pride have put secret cords for my feet; stretching nets in my way, so that they may take me with their tricks. (Selah.) 6 I have said to the Lord, You are my God: give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my prayer. 7 O Lord God, the strength of my salvation, you have been a cover over my head in the day of the fight.

8 O Lord, give not the wrongdoer his desire; give him no help in his evil designs, or he may be uplifted in pride. (Selah.) 9 As for those who come round me, let their heads be covered by the evil of their lips. 10 Let burning flames come down on them: let them be put into the fire, and into deep waters, so that they may not get up again. 11 Let not a man of evil tongue be safe on earth: let destruction overtake the violent man with blow on blow. 12 I am certain that the Lord will take care of the cause of the poor, and of the rights of those who are troubled. 13 Truly, the upright will give praise to your name: the holy will have a place in your house.

A Prayer for Preservation from Evil

1411 Lord, I have made my cry to you; come to me quickly; give ear to my voice, when it goes up to you. 2 Let my prayer be ordered before you like a sweet smell; and let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening offering. 3 O Lord, keep a watch over my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 4 Keep my heart from desiring any evil thing, or from taking part in the sins of the evil-doers with men who do wrong: and let me have no part in their good things.

5 Let the upright give me punishment; and let the god-fearing man put me in the right way; but I will not let the oil of sinners come on my head: when they do evil I will give myself to prayer. 6 When destruction comes to their judges by the side of the rock, they will give ear to my words, for they are sweet. 7 Our bones are broken up at the mouth of the underworld, as the earth is broken by the plough. 8 But my eyes are turned to you, O Lord God: my hope is in you; let not my soul be given up to death. 9 Keep me from the net which they have put down for me, and from the designs of the workers of evil. 10 Let the sinners be taken in the nets which they themselves have put down, while I go free.

A Prayer for Help in Trouble

1421 The sound of my cry went up to the Lord; with my voice I made my prayer for grace to the Lord. 2 I put all my sorrows before him; and made clear to him all my trouble. 3 When my spirit is overcome, your eyes are on my goings; nets have been secretly placed in the way in which I go.

4 Looking to my right side, I saw no man who was my friend: I had no safe place; no one had any care for my soul. 5 I have made my cry to you, O Lord; I have said, You are my safe place, and my heritage in the land of the living. 6 Give ear to my cry, for I am made very low: take me out of the hands of my haters, for they are stronger than I. 7 Take my soul out of prison, so that I may give praise to your name: the upright will give praise because of me; for you have given me a full reward.