A Prayer For You Today

Psalm 80 has been understood historically, by the church, as a prayer for renewal.  The church simply recognized that the power for spiritual renewal resides wholly in God.  The imagery in the Psalm is salvation from God imagery.  When we pray this, that is our plea.

Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
display your radiant glory…
Show us your mighty power.
Come to rescue us!

Turn us again to yourself, O God.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved…

Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved.

You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine;
you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land.
You cleared the ground for us,
and we took root and filled the land.
Our shade covered the mountains;
our branches covered the mighty cedars.
We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea;
our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.
But now, why have you broken down our walls
so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
The wild boar from the forest devours it,
and the wild animals feed on it.

Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
Look down from heaven and see our plight.

Take care of this grapevine
that you yourself have planted,
this son you have raised for yourself.

For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies.
May they perish at the sight of your frown.
Strengthen the man you love,
the son of your choice.
Then we will never abandon you again.
Revive us so we can call on your name once more.

Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved

Psalm 80

God bless you and yours in the coming week.

Joe Franzone