A Prayer for the Battle
O LORD GOD,
Thou art my protecting arm,
fortress, refuge, shield, buckler.
Fight for me and my foes must flee;
Uphold me and I cannot fall;
Strengthen me and I stand unmoved, unmovable:
Equip me and I shall receive no wound;
Stand by me and Satan will depart;
Anoint my lips with a song of salvation
and I shall shout thy victory;
Give me abhorrence of all evil,
as a vile monster that
defies thy law, casts off thy yoke,
defiles my nature, spreads misery.
Teach me to look to Jesus on his cross
and so to know sin’s loathsomeness in thy sight.
There is no pardon but through thy Son’s death,
no cleansing but in his precious blood,
No atonement but his to expiate evil.
Show me the shame, the agony,
the bruises of incarnate God,
that I may read boundless guilt in the
boundless price;
May I discern the deadly viper in its real malignity,
tear it with holy indignation from my breast,
resolutely turn from its every snare, ery event,
refuse to hold polluting dalliance with it.
Blessed Lord Jesus, at thy cross
may I be taught the awful miseries
from which I am saved,
ponder what the word ‘lost’ implies,
see the fires of eternal destruction;
Then may I cling more closely to thy broken self,
adhere to thee with firmer faith,
be devoted to thee with total being,
detest sin strongly as thy love is strong,
And may holiness be the atmosphere
in which I live.
—Valley of Vision
In Psalm 91, the Psalmist found courage in trusting God despite severe adversity: “If you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:9-11). Ask yourself: Where in my life—at work, at home, in my community—am I being called upon to act or speak out courageously? Can I take courage knowing that God is with me and the Lord is my refuge? —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics