Psalm 28
August 17, 2025 Our Father, we are so grateful that we can come to you with all of our needs, our fears, our emotions, and our celebrations. You welcome us to bring all that we are and all that we need. What a gracious gift.
This Psalm reminds us of all the reasons we have to praise You. You are our Rock, the one who hears us and helps us. You are holy, the one who brings justice on evil. You are our Strength and our Shield, the one whom our hearts can trust and celebrate. You are a Stronghold of salvation for us, the one who gives us strength. And You are our Shepherd, the one who carries us forever.
We pray for those this week who are feeling weak and weary. Oh Father, would you carry and sustain them, show yourself to be their Stronghold? We pray for those who feel attacked, who experience the evil of the world—would you be their Shield and Protector? For all of us as we wrestle with temptations from within and without—by Your Spirit, would you make us holy? Help our hearts to rejoice in you so that they are not drawn away by all the enticements of the world around us.
On that note, we confess our propensity to be snared by our own hearts and desires. We are quick to lose sight of Your goodness and to seek to find our joy and security in anything else around us—in relationships, successes, finances, pleasures. We rationalize away Your Word when it’s inconvenient, we fail to love others when it requires sacrifice, and we consistently fail to love you with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Forgive us in Your abundant grace, Lord, and enable us to desire and to do Your Word, for the glory of Your name.
We remember also the many people around us who do not know You, who have never experienced Your forgiveness and love. Would you open our eyes to see those you’ve placed near us and open doors for us to share with them Your good news? Give us courage to speak up and wisdom to know how to do so. We pray also for the people groups around the globe who have yet to ever hear of You. We ask that You raise up workers to send to these harvest fields, that You use us to equip, support, and pray for their efforts, and that You prepare hearts to hear. We specifically lift up our church’s global partners who are working toward this end, and we ask that You provide for their needs, surround them in supportive community, and multiply their efforts so that many will come to know You through them.
We thank You for the work You are doing all around the world, much of which we never see. We are grateful to be counted among Your people and to know You. And we pray all this in the name of Jesus, and all God’s people said, Amen.