My Shield and Salvation

(Note: St. Augustine is famous for writing a book called “The Confessions,” which he wrote completely as a prayer to God. In the same spirit, I plan to write these posts as a prayer to God.)

“My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” (Psalm 7:10–11, ESV)

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

Heavenly Father, I am continually tempted to look for protection apart from you. I’m tempted to seek protection from other people, from money, from material things, from the government. Yet, You are my shield. You are my protection. You are the One who watches over me and delivers me. Why would I look anywhere else?  Why would I look to temporary things for help, rather than You as the eternal God? Why would I look to created things for protection, rather than the One who created them?

Father, please forgive me. Forgive me for trusting in false saviors. Forgive me for seeking protection apart from you. Turn my eyes to you. Stir my heart to trust you more fully. 

Father, I’m so thankful for the upright heart you’ve given me through Jesus. I know that I’m not upright in my heart or in my strength. Anything upright about me comes from Jesus. What a gift! I can only look back to you in praise and thanks for what you’ve given me. I’m thankful that you’ve changed my heart and brought me into your family. I’m thankful that I can look to you and trust you as my Father. 

God is a righteous judge.

Father, I also thank you for being a righteous judge. I know that you don’t make judgements willy-nilly. You do not change like shifting shadows. You do not base your judgements on the prevailing winds of culture or on the anger of mobs. You are a righteous judge who judges according to your unchanging eternal character. I’m thankful for that. 

Father, I’m also thankful that I can rest knowing that you will make things right one day. I look around and see so many things that are unjust and messed up. Yet, I’m confident you will make right the wrongs I see all around me. 

Father, as I think about the day of judgement, I once again thank you for Jesus. If I hadn’t been saved by Jesus, I would collapse in fear at the thought of judgement day. I know I could not stand before you in my own strength or righteousness. Yet, I don’t have to. When I stand before you on that day, I will be clothed in Christ’s righteousness. I’ll be washed as white as snow. So, I can look to that day with confidence and hope. Thank you! 

A God who feels indignation every day.

Father, I can’t imagine what it feels like to see the mess that we’ve made of your creation. I don’t think it’s much different now than it was right before the flood: “The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5, NIV). No wonder you feel indignation every day. Every day you watch people spit in your face and curse your decrees. 

Yet, when I’m honest with myself, I’m part of the problem. Even though I’ve been saved by Christ, I don’t always do the things I want to do. I keep doing the things I don’t want to do (Ro 7:15). Even though I know that these things lead to death and destruction, I keep doing them. Please forgive me, Father, and cleanse me from my sin. Please keep working in my heart so I look more like Jesus walk more fully in your will. 

Also, Father, I beg that you would change the hearts of those who have rejected you. I pray that you would change their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. That you would turn their hearts to you in repentance and fill them with you Spirit. I pray for revival to break out, Father. May your gospel spread throughout the land like leaven through the dough. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.