Psalm 13 Prayer of Lamentations and Love

Mar 25

Psalm 13
How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Our hearts are heavy and exhausted.

For some, hopelessness and despair is a daily companion due to the pestilence of mass shootings and violence that appears normalized. We cry out to God and we seek Thy face amidst the agony of great suffering across the land. We cry out in our grief, how long, God? How long before justice breaks through? How long before elected officials and leaders use power and influence to actualize real change? How long must we wear sackcloth and ashes in mourning before we prevail over the wickedness of bigotry pervading as racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and the like? How long before we are the change we seek?

The Psalmist cried out in their suffering asking you not to hide your face. So do we. The Psalmist also declared steadfast love and trust in you. Help us to be steadfast in our faith.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called the killings "senseless." Further, Governor Polis said, "This year we have all been surrounded by loss of life, illness and isolation, and the deep grief that has accompanied the loss of life as we knew it… As spring sprung this weekend, and vaccines continue to get into arms, lightness creeped back in only for the darkness to descend on us again today."

Let us be the persistent light that keeps creeping back in, breaking through the shadows so that life and love will descend again and again, boldly and relentlessly.

We lift up our prayers for the community of Atlanta, GA and the 8 killed.

We lift up our prayers for the community of Stockton, CA and the 5 shot.

We lift up our prayers for the community of Gresham, OR and the 4 shot.

We lift up our prayers for the community of Houston, TX and the 5 shot.

We lift up our prayers for the community of Dallas, TX and the 8 shot.

We lift up our prayers for the community of Philadelphia, PA and the 6 shot.

We lift up our prayers for the community of Boulder, CO and the 10 killed and multiples injured.

We lift up our prayers for our community of Chicago, IL and the 20 shot and 4 killed in one weekend and 15 shot and three killed on this past Monday alone.

With steadfast trust in you and bountiful love, we seek your hands of mercy and justice with an urgency of now.

How long, O Lord? How long?

With hope we pray, amen.

Psalm 13 (English Standard Version)

Source: Bible Gateway

How Long, O Lord?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13 (A)How long, O Lord? Will you (B)forget me forever?
How long will you (C)hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take (D)counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 (E)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
(F)light up my eyes, lest (G)I sleep the sleep of death,
4 (H)lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am (I)shaken.

5 But I have (J)trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall (K)rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Cross references

1. Psalm 13:1 : Ps. 79:5; 89:46; [Rev. 6:10]

2. Psalm 13:1 : Ps. 10:12; 44:24; 74:19, 23; Lam. 5:20

3. Psalm 13:1 : See Job 13:24

4. Psalm 13:2 : [Ps. 77:6]

5. Psalm 13:3 : Ps. 5:1; 119:153

6. Psalm 13:3 : Ps. 19:8; Ezra 9:8; Prov. 29:13; Eph. 1:18; [1 Sam. 14:27]

7. Psalm 13:3 : [Jer. 51:39]

8. Psalm 13:4 : Deut. 32:27

9. Psalm 13:4 : See Ps. 10:6

10. Psalm 13:5 : See Ps. 11:1

11.Psalm 13:5 : See Ps. 9:14