Daily Devotional for Thursday, August 8

David’s Wicked Foes

“Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men,” Psalm 59:1, 2.

As we see so often in the Psalms, enemies of God’s people are real, and they do real harm and hurt to God’s people. About eight years ago, I read a book that changed my thinking about praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters. It was an enlightening dive into the lives of persecuted believers in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. I learned multiple ways to pray for those suffering for the cause of Christ and I see that there is a greater need for more prayer.

Protection—We do pray for those believers in harm’s way. We pray for peace to completely surround them. So we pray that God would blind those who need to be blinded and stop up the ears of those who do not need to hear.

Provision—As believers lose their jobs and their ability to provide for their families, we must pray for God to provide for them in their circumstances. Many times believers in hostile countries will no longer receive aid or medical help from their governments. So we pray for Jesus to step in.

Perseverance—As believers face pressure and pain, we must also pray for them to persevere through it all. Not only are their lives at stake, so also is the gospel. Oddly enough, many persecuted brothers find that the persecution provides them great opportunity to bear witness to the grace and beauty of Jesus, so we pray they stay faithful through it all. This kind of prayer honors their sacrifice and suffering.

PRAYER
“Bless our persecuted brothers and glorify your name Lord as You help them through their trials and troubles. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Jason Rutherford