Psalm 35
August 2, 2026 Heavenly father, contend O Lord with those who contend with us. As David says, “Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for [our] help! 3Draw the spear and javelin against [our] pursuers! Say to [our] soul[s], “I am your salvation!”
Lord God come to our aid. We as a church body face assaults of various kinds from physical, emotional, and mental health challenges to spiritual attacks and the actions of other people. Free us Lord today from these challenges. We lift up all of our global partners that you would protect them and meet all their needs. Deliver them from all the challenges and attacks they face. We rejoice in having D, K, and family here and ask that you would protect them and bless their time here. We also pray for all your people across the world. Lord, be with your people in North Korea, change Kim Jong-Un’s heart to bring policy change to persecutions there, and would you strengthen and protect the believers there. Also give safety to your people in Somalia, change the hearts of the people of Al-Shabaab, and give community and healing from trauma for the believers there and all of our persecuted brothers and sisters across the world. Protect and bring justice for them God our deliverer. Rise up oh God come to the deliverance of your people. Let not our pursuers exult over us. We pray for justice. While we come to you praying that our earthly pursuers may turn in repentance and find salvation in Christ, we also yearn and cry out for justice to be restored. With our spiritual pursuers Satan and his demons we cry to you oh God that you would exult over them. Bring an end even today to their attacks against us and siblings across the globe. Lord give our spiritual pursuers what they have brought upon themselves in attacking your saints without cause. We pray that you may deliver us now from the various attacks of the evil one and let them not exult over us, “How long O Lord will you look on?” Hasten the day that you will free the world from the power of darkness and end their reign. When full and lasting peace will be restored. As a congregation we thank you and praise you for the work of Christ in defeating death. We thank you for the work of Christ in bringing justice to our sin through your atoning death and for showing us grace. Please forgive us for times in which we have inflicted pain to others. We thank you for pouring out your Holy Spirit upon us to guide us in walking righteously. We thank you for these forms of deliverance and praise you in expectation of that day when you will bring ultimate justice and judgement. We eagerly wait for the day when the forces of evil will be no more and you will, “wipe away every tear from [our] eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Great are you O Lord. Thank you for caring to delight in our well-being. You are kind and compassionate oh God. We lift these things to you trusting in your goodness and your wise plan for creation. All God’s people said, Amen.