For those of you praying along with me for miracles these forty days, please read aloud this Psalm with my name and ask God to reveal new feeling and function in my body.
Psalm 55 (NIV)
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil
1 Listen to Laura’s prayer, O God,
do not ignore her plea;
2 hear her and answer her.
Laura’s thoughts trouble her and she is distraught
3 because of what her enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on Laura and assail her in their anger.
4 Laura’s heart is in anguish within her;
the terrors of death have fallen on her.
5 Fear and trembling have beset Laura; horror has overwhelmed Laura.
6 Laura says, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
for Laura sees violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting Laura,
she could endure it; if a foe were rising against Laura, she could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
Laura’s companion, her close friend,
14 with whom she once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.
15 Let death take Laura’s enemies by surprise;
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for Laura, she calls to God,
and the Lord saves her.
17 Evening, morning and noon
Laura cries out in distress, and he hears her voice.
18 He rescues Laura unharmed
from the battle waged against her, even though many oppose her.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
20 Laura’s companion attacks her friends;
they violate her covenant.
21 Their talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in their heart; their words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.
22 Laura, cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for Laura, she trusts in you.
