[I am attending a conference today, so I share a post I published in 2021.]
Reviving God,
We sing to you, our God, to the Lord, who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, who thunders with mighty voice. We proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over us, whose power is in the heavens. You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; you give power and strength to your people. To the fatherless you are a father; to the widow you are a champion friend. You make lonely part of families and lead the prisoners out with singing. You have given us this nation to steward – her resources, her people, and the ideals on which she was founded. Help us to be protectors of those things. Send the Awakening of Holy Spirit to renew, revive, and reform this country. Send the reviving rain of Holy Spirit upon your weary people, especially those who seek to honor what we have inherited. You are a glorious God who gives salvation. Every day you carry our burdens and we praise you for that. Thank you that you reign over the mountain of this nation and you hear our prayers for her. May all those who worship you, the Sovereign God who saves, be built up in the most holy faith. We pray in Jesus’s name, Amen.
“God! Arise with awesome power,
and every one of your enemies will scatter in fear!
Chase them away—all these God-haters.
Blow them away as a puff of smoke.
Melt them away like wax in the fire.
One good look at you and the wicked vanish.
But let all the righteous be glad!
Yes, let them all rejoice in your presence
and be carried away with gladness.
Let them laugh and be radiant with joy!
Let them sing their celebration-songs
for the coming of the cloud rider whose name is Yah!
To the fatherless he is a father.
To the widow he is a champion friend.
The lonely he makes part of a family.
The prisoners he leads into prosperity until they sing for joy.
This is our Holy God in his Holy Place!
But for the rebels there is heartache and despair.
O Lord, it was you who marched in front of your people,
leading them through the wasteland.
Pause in his presence
The earth shook beneath your feet; the heavens filled with clouds
before the presence of the God of Sinai.
The sacred mountain shook at the sight of the face of Israel’s God.
You, O God, sent the reviving rain upon your weary inheritance,
showers of blessing to refresh it.
So there your people settled.
And in your kindness you provided the poor with abundance.
God Almighty declares the word of the gospel with power,
and the warring women of Zion deliver its message:
“The conquering legions have themselves been conquered.
Look at them flee!”
Now Zion’s women are left to gather the spoils.
When you sleep between sharpened stakes,
I see you sparkling like silver and glistening like gold,
covered by the beautiful wings of a dove!
When the Almighty found a king for himself,
it became white as snow in his shade.
O huge, magnificent mountain,
you are the mighty kingdom of God!
All the other peaks, though impressive and imposing,
look with envy on you, Mount Zion!
For Zion is the mountain where God has chosen to live forever.
Look! The mighty chariots of God!
Ten thousands upon ten thousands,
more than anyone could ever number.
God is at the front,
leading them all from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary
with the radiance of holiness upon him.
He ascends into the heavenly heights,
taking his many captured ones with him,
leading them in triumphal procession.
And gifts were given to men, even the once rebellious,
so that they may dwell with Yah.
What a glorious God!
He gives us salvation over and over,
then daily he carries our burdens!
Pause in his presence
Our God is a mighty God who saves us over and over!
For the Lord, Yahweh, rescues us
from the ways of death many times.
But he will crush every enemy, shattering their strength.
He will make heads roll
for they refuse to repent of their stubborn, sinful ways.
I hear the Lord God saying to all the enemies of his people,
“You’d better come out of your hiding places,
all of you who are doing your best to stay far away from me.
Don’t you know there’s no place to hide?
For my people will be the conquerors;
they will soon have you under their feet.
They will crush you until there is nothing left!”
O God, my King, your triumphal processions
keep moving onward in holiness;
you’re moving onward toward the Holy Place!
Leaders in front, then musicians,
with young maidens in between, striking their tambourines.
And they sing, “Let all God’s princely people rejoice!
Let all the congregations bring their blessing to God, saying,
‘The Lord of the fountain! The Lord of the fountain of life!
The Lord of the fountain of Israel!’ ”
Astonishingly, it’s the favored youth leading the way:
princes of praise in their royal robes
and exalted princes are among them,
along with princes who have wrestled with God.
Display your strength, God, and we’ll be strong!
For your miracles have made us who we are.
Lord, do it again
and parade from your temple your mighty power.
By your command even kings will bring gifts to you.
God, rebuke the beast-life that hides within us!
Rebuke those who claim to be “strong ones,”
who lurk within the congregation
and abuse the people out of their love for money.
God scatters the people who are spoiling for a fight.
Africa will send her noble envoys to you, O God. They will come running, stretching out their hands in love to you.
Let all the nations of the earth sing songs of praise to Almighty God!
Go ahead, all you nations—sing your praise to the Lord!
Pause in his presence
Make music for the one who strides the ancient skies.
Listen to his thunderous voice of might split open the heavens.
Give it up for God, for he alone has all the strength and power!
Proclaim his majesty! For his glory shines down on Israel.
His mighty strength soars in the clouds of glory.
God, we are consumed with awe, trembling before you
as your glory streams from your Holy Place.
The God of power shares his mighty strength with Israel
and with all his people.
God, we give our highest praise to you!” (Psalm 68 TPT)
“May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
When you, God, went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.
Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.
The Lord announces the word,
and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:
“Kings and armies flee in haste;
the women at home divide the plunder.
Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,[e]
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold.”
When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.
Mount Bashan, majestic mountain,
Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
at the mountain where God chooses to reign,
where the Lord himself will dwell forever?
The chariots of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.
When you ascended on high,
you took many captives;
you received gifts from people,
even from[h] the rebellious—
that you, Lord God, might dwell there.
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,
while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”
Your procession, God, has come into view,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
Praise God in the great congregation;
praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.
There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
Summon your power, God;
show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.
Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.
Rebuke the beast among the reeds,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight in war.
Envoys will come from Egypt;
Cush will submit herself to God.
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the heavens.
You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!” (Psalm 68 NIV)
“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith
and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 20 NIV)
(Originally published March 6, 2021)