Pastor Stef's prayer based on Psalm 12

Help us Jesus!
There doesn’t seem to be many people following you anymore.
Where are all the faithful?
They seem to have disappeared.
 
People lie to one another and say things to try and look good.
Our tongues sure cause a lot of problems – even within the church.
(I believe the apostle James wrote something about this).
 
Sometimes I wonder if it would help us if we cut our tongues out.
Jesus talked about poking out eyes and cutting off limbs if they were causing us to sin.
I’m surprised he didn’t say anything about ripping out our tongues.
 
Obviously those drastic measures can’t really stop us from sinning.
There are still one armed thieves, lusting blind people, and boastful lying mutes.
The problem is with our personhood not our body parts.
 
A better approach would be to give you control of our lives - rather than trying to subdue our problems on our own.
As long as we think we can control ourselves we will remain out of control.
Only when we let you take over do we find self-control.
 
It is your turn to speak, Lord.
You are the God of new life.
You see the wounded and the weak.
You hear the groans of those who are in need.
It is time for you to shout:
 
I will protect the innocent from those who try to harm them by their deceitful words!
 
Your words are perfect.
Like silver refined by fire.
We see and hear your holiness in your Word Jesus Christ.
He is the one who keeps us safe.
He protects us from liars and from becoming a liar.
He protects us from the father of lies - the devil.
He keeps us forever.
 
It may appear that the wicked strut their stuff with no consequences, but it won’t be long until you strut on them. 
It’s all going to come crashing down on them and they will be licking up their spew with their filthy lying tongues.  
 

Devotion by Cora Goodyear
Psalm 12
A psalm of David
David, in this psalm, pleads from help from God because the godly seem to be no more. He asks that God deal with those who claim to have no master. V8 says “The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honoured among men.” In v5 the Lord says, he will protect those who are oppressed and will keep us safe and protect us from such people (those who malign us) forever. This is an example of parallelism in which an idea is developed by the use of repetition.
 
Psalm 12:5 “Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
 
David was in bad times. Times when no one was godly. The faithful were failing in their duties to God. They were doubleminded in their undertakings – saying one thing but their intentions were for another. They were acting according to their own wishes without considering the wishes of God.
 
But David (as we) know in difficult circumstances – have someone to call upon. David calls “Help Lord” in v1 and the Lord responds in v5. He responds to the weak and the needy and says he will protect them from those who malign them.
 
When we are confronted by enemies, wisdom dictates times we should be silent and times we should speak up but we always have a friend we can call on. We can call on God when need be. He will give us safety and protect us from such people – in this world or in eternity.
 
Point: God is our protector.
 
 
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