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.

A Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance

1431 Let my prayer come to you, O Lord; give ear to my requests for your grace; keep faith with me, and give me an answer in your righteousness; 2 Let not your servant come before you to be judged; for no man living is upright in your eyes. 3 The evil man has gone after my soul; my life is crushed down to the earth: he has put me in the dark, like those who have long been dead. 4 Because of this my spirit is overcome; and my heart is full of fear. 5 I keep in mind the early days of the past, giving thought to all your acts, even to the work of your hands. 6 My hands are stretched out to you: my soul is turned to you, like a land in need of water. (Selah.)

7 Be quick in answering me, O Lord, for the strength of my spirit is gone: let me see your face, so that I may not be like those who go down into the underworld. 8 Let the story of your mercy come to me in the morning, for my hope is in you: give me knowledge of the way in which I am to go; for my soul is lifted up to you. 9 O Lord, take me out of the hands of my haters; my soul is waiting for you. 10 Give me teaching so that I may do your pleasure; for you are my God: let your good Spirit be my guide into the land of righteousness. 11 Give me life, O Lord, because of your name; in your righteousness take my soul out of trouble. 12 And in your mercy put an end to my haters, and send destruction on all those who are against my soul; for I am your servant.

A Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity

1441 Praise be to the God of my strength, teaching my hands the use of the sword, and my fingers the art of fighting: 2 He is my strength, and my Rock; my high tower, and my saviour; my keeper and my hope: he gives me authority over my people. 3 Lord, what is man, that you keep him in mind? or the son of man that you take him into account? 4 Man is like a breath: his life is like a shade which is quickly gone. 5 Come down, O Lord, from your heavens: at your touch let the mountains give out smoke. 6 With your storm-flames send them in flight: send out your arrows for their destruction. 7 Put out your hand from on high; make me free, take me safely out of the great waters, and out of the hands of strange men; 8 In whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit.

9 I will make a new song to you, O God; I will make melody to you on an instrument of ten cords. 10 It is God who gives salvation to kings; and who kept his servant David from the wounding sword. 11 Make me free, and take me out of the hands of strange men, in whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit. 12 Our sons are like tall young plants; and our daughters like the shining stones of a king's house; 13 Our store-houses are full of all good things; and our sheep give birth to thousands and ten thousands in our fields. 14 Our oxen are well weighted down; our cows give birth safely; there is no going out, and there is no cry of sorrow in our open places. 15 Happy is the nation whose ways are so ordered: yes, happy is the nation whose God is the Lord.

Praise for the LORD's Goodness and Power

1451 Let me give glory to you, O God, my King; and blessing to your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I give you blessing, praising your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his power may never be searched out. 4 One generation after another will give praise to your great acts, and make clear the operation of your strength. 5 My thoughts will be of the honour and glory of your rule, and of the wonder of your works. 6 Men will be talking of the power and fear of your acts; I will give word of your glory. 7 Their sayings will be full of the memory of all your mercy, and they will make songs of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is full of grace and pity; not quickly angry, but great in mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all men; and his mercies are over all his works.

10 All the works of your hands give praise to you, O Lord; and your saints give you blessing. 11 Their words will be of the glory of your kingdom, and their talk of your strength; 12 So that the sons of men may have knowledge of his acts of power, and of the great glory of his kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and your rule is through all generations. 14 The Lord is the support of all who are crushed, and the lifter up of all who are bent down. 15 The eyes of all men are waiting for you; and you give them their food in its time. 16 By the opening of your hand, every living thing has its desire in full measure. 17 The Lord is upright in all his ways, and kind in all his works. 18 The Lord is near all those who give honour to his name; even to all who give honour to him with true hearts. 19 To his worshippers, he will give their desire; their cry comes to his ears, and he gives them salvation. 20 The Lord will keep all his worshippers from danger; but he will send destruction on all sinners. 21 My mouth will give praise to the Lord; let all flesh be blessing his holy name for ever and ever.