[Please join me in praying for our nation and world on Tuesdays this year.]
“Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.”
(Isaiah 45:23 NIV)
I have a goal of writing a prayer on each of the psalms. So far I’ve done the first 96, so I still have “several” to go. Today I was trying to find a good focus for a Tuesday prayer, and remembered a note from my Bible Recap podcast on Psalm 97. In the note she mentioned that when the psalmist says, “The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth,” (Psalm 97:5 NIV) we should remember that in Bible times the mountains were where the ancient pagan deities lived. I love the image of those “deities” melting like wax before the true God. Today, let us pray that this world would bow down to the One True God.
El Elyon, Most High God,
We rejoice that the One True God rules as king over all the earth. Clouds and darkness surround you; righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne. Fire goes before you to burn up your enemies. Your lightning lights up the world and the earth trembles. Rescue us from the power of wicked people and cause we who love you to hate what you define as evil. The mountains of wickedness, violence, paganism, communism, socialism, narcissism, arrogance, deception, child sacrifice, human slavery, and so much more melt like wax in your presence. Those who worship these idols will be put to shame because before you every knee will bow and by you every tongue will swear. May your light dawn for righteous people, and may joy come upon those whose motives are godly. You, O Lord, the Most High, are above the whole earth and all other “gods.” We find deliverance and joy in you, Lord, and give thanks for your judgments and your holiness. We ask this in Christ’s name, Amen.
“The Lord rules as king.
Let the earth rejoice.
Let all the islands be joyful.
Clouds and darkness surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.
Fire spreads ahead of him.
It burns his enemies who surround him.
His flashes of lightning light up the world.
The earth sees them and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord,
in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens tell about his righteousness,
and all the people of the world see his glory.
Everyone who worships idols
and brags about false gods will be put to shame.
All the gods will bow to him.
Zion hears about this and rejoices.
The people of Judah are delighted with your judgments, O Lord.
You, O Lord, the Most High, are above the whole earth.
You are highest. You are above all the gods.
Let those who love the Lord hate evil.
The one who guards the lives of his godly ones
will rescue them from the power of wicked people.
Light dawns for righteous people [a]
and joy for those whose motives are decent.
Find joy in the Lord, you righteous people.
Give thanks to him as you remember how holy he is.” (Psalm 97 GW)