A Prayer for Situations of Domestic Abuse

 

Someone recently asked me if I have a prayer for situations of domestic abuse. This person helps to counsel abused persons, and explained they were needing a hand as they pray with and for them. I thought about it and couldn’t recollect one, though it is on my mind often, and it arises often in my private prayers. So, I pointed this individual to Psalm 146 and gave some pointers. That short discussion has stayed with me, and so I have decided to present one possible prayer. The biblical text is Psalm 146. 

Oh LORD God of Jacob, in whom alone we can trust. It is you who are our help and our hope. It is you who made heaven, earth, sea, and all that is in them. It is you who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for those oppressed, and gives food to the hungry. It is you who sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those bowed down, loves the righteous, watches over sojourners, and upholds widows and orphans. And it is you who will bring ruin to the wicked. Dear God, here is oppression! Here is wickedness! Here is great need for genuine justice! We cry out and place our prayers between the violated and violator, between the oppressed and oppressor, between the abused and the abuser (…). Rise up on behalf of the bowed down and bowled over. Rise up and bring down the one who uses dominance to push down the defenseless. Rise up and raise up the one who is crushed under the weight of such tyranny. Rise up, O LORD, and we will ever sing and shout, “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!” 

This prayer is to be used with specific people or situations in mind. Where you see the ellipsis points, you may add those names. 

If you find this useful, feel free to print it out and take it up. Also, there may well be someone in your life you can share this with, and I hope you do.

 

Mike


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