A Prayer for a Warrior

[from the 18th Psalm; for Warrior and Follower of Christ]

The Lord is your strength. The Lord is your rock, your fortress and your deliverer. God is your rock, in whom you can take refuge. He is your shield and the horn of your salvation, your stronghold. Call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and He will save you from your enemies. The cords of death may entangle you; the torrents of destruction may overwhelm you. The cords of the grave may coil around you; the snares of death may confront you. In your distress, call to the Lord; cry to God for help. From His temple He will hear your voice; your cry comes before Him, into His ears.

He will reach down from on high and will take hold of you; He will draw you out of deep waters. He will rescue you from your powerful enemy, from your foes, who are too strong for you. They may confront you in the day of your disaster, but the Lord will be your support.

He will bring you out into a spacious place; He will rescue you because He delights in you. The Lord will deal with you according to your righteousness; according to the cleanness of your hands He will reward you. So keep the ways of the Lord; do not commit evil by turning from your God. All His laws are before you; do not turn away from His decrees. Be blameless before Him and keep yourself from sin. The Lord will reward you according to your righteousness, according to the cleanness of your hands in His sight.

To the faithful He shows Himself faithful, to the blameless He shows Himself blameless, to the pure He shows Himself pure, but to the crooked He shows Himself shrewd. He saves the humble but brings low those whose eyes are haughty. The Lord will keep your lamp burning; God will turn your darkness into light.

With His help you can advance against a troop; with God you can scale a wall. God’s ways are perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except God? It is God who will arm you with strength and make your way perfect. He will make your feet like the feet of a deer; He will enable you to stand on the heights. He will train your hands for battle; your arms can bend a bow of bronze. He will give you His shield of victory, and His right hand will sustain you; He will stoop down to make you great.

He will broaden the path beneath you, so that your ankles will not turn. You will pursue your enemies and you will overtake them; you will not turn back till they are destroyed. You will crush them and they will not rise; they will fall beneath your feet. God will arm you with strength for battle; He will make your adversaries bow at your feet. He will make your enemies turn their backs in flight; you will destroy your foes. They will cry for help, but no one will save them— they will call to the Lord, but He will not answer.

You will beat your enemies as fine as dust borne on the wind; you will pour them out like mud in the streets. He will deliver you from the attacks of the people; God will make you the head of nations; people you do not know will be subject to you. As soon as they hear you, they will obey you; foreigners will cringe before you. They will all lose heart; they will come trembling from their strongholds.

The Lord lives! Give praise to your Rock! Exalt God, your Savior! He is the God who will avenge you, who will subdue nations under you, who will save you from your enemies. He will exalt you above your foes; He will rescue you from violent men. So, praise the Lord among the nations; sing praises to His name. He will give you great victories; He will show unfailing kindness to His anointed.