A Prayer for Strength against the Foe

Psalm 108

When I am weak

Then I am strong.

Grace my shield;

And Christ my song.

Spurgeon

In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian reaches the Valley of Humiliation where he meets a terrible foe, Apollyon. At first Apollyon uses only words and intimidation to try and dissuade Christian from continuing on to the Celestial City. Christian however remains resolute. In rage at Christian’s firmness, Apollyon attacks Christian with fiery darts, some of which Christian is able to deflect but is wounded by others. They engage in an intense battle in which Christian begins to despair of life. But at the moment of desperation, Christian is able to reach his sword and cry, “Do not rejoice against me, oh my implacable enemy, for when I fall, I shall yet arise!”(Micah 7:8) While thrusting his sword into Apollyon, causing him to retreat, Christian cries again, “Even so, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us”(Romans 8:37). As a result, Apolloyon flees. Christian used the weapon supplied by the Lord, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, to battle his foe.

Psalm 108 concludes with a prayer for help. “Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes” (108:12-13). Valiantly, in the Scriptures, gives the idea of strength. In our modern language it means to do something with courage and determination. Fighting against whatever foe rises against us will take the strength that God must supply in order that we can endure with courage and determination until our adversaries are subdued or flee. But God promises that “He gives strength to the weary, and to Him who lacks might He increases power” (Isaiah 40:29). And those who wait for Him will gain new strength (Isaiah 40:31). The weapon God gives us in our battles is His Word filled with His promises.

Am I appropriating the promises or observing them? There is a difference between seeing the promises God has for us and then taking them for our own use. We know numerous truths from His Word, but are we living on them? Are we resting in them and quieting ourselves in His care? So many truths can be stored up in our minds. We can admire them, but are we using them? “How often we simply admire and talk about truths the Holy Spirit reveals to us in the Word, whereas His primary purpose in giving them to us is that we might stand on them in faith, waiting confidently for Him to make them an integral part of our life” (Stanford).

Whatever we face, the Lord promises to supply our need. Whatever foe we meet, inwardly or outwardly, with God we shall do valiantly. It is He who treads down our foes. Let’s pray through Psalm 108 standing on His Word with faith that He will grant us help in our time of need.

My heart is steadfast

108:1-4 My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Lord, I pray:

▫️In this battle I am in, my heart would remain steadfast. I would stand firmly upon Your Word, resting in it, trusting You, and quieting my heart. Give me reminders throughout the day to point me back to You and Your promises, and I would live upon them.

▫️Trusting Your Word and living on Your promises would create in me a heart filled with thanksgiving and praise, responding with singing in my heart to You. I would know the deep delight of being sustained by Your Word. My inner being would be filled with such peace as I live moment by moment taking hold of the truth.

▫️Your steadfast love is great above the heavens, and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Oh, that I would truly understand that in all the difficulties I face, I am upheld by Your great love and faithfulness. Your promises are sure. What You have said You will do. “And as our need is met, as we prove the sufficiency of Christ to meet our inward need, so there can be a new showing forth of His glory through us”(H.F.). Oh, Lord, let it be true in me.

Give salvation

108:5-9 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me! God has promised in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

Lord, I pray:

▫️You would be exalted in my deliverance. You would work powerfully on my behalf. You have created the stars, leading forth their host by number. You call them all by name, and because of the greatness of Your might and the strength of Your power, not one of them is missing (Isaiah 40:26). So I know my way is not hidden from You and the justice due me does not escape Your notice (Isaiah 40:27). Apply Your strength and might to my situation and in me. Gird me with strength for the battle.

▫️Come now, Father, and grant me help. Answer me speedily in my day of trouble. You are the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth. You do not become weary or tired. Your understanding is inscrutable. And You are the Shepherd and Guardian of my soul. Tend to me now, I pray. Gather me in Your arms and carry me in Your bosom. Gently lead me through this time (Isaiah 40:11, 28).

Grant us help

108:10-13 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Lord, I pray:

▫️I would be secure because I am in Christ. You have not rejected me in my trouble. In fact, it is in this time of weakness that You will show Yourself strong on my behalf. “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Psalm 57:1).

▫️Oh, grant me help against my foe! You, O Lord, know that I face _____. I will not trust in man’s help. I will trust in You alone. You will not forsake those who seek You. Be to me my help, strength, fortress, and strong deliverer. Oh my God, do not delay!

▫️With You, I will do valiantly. I will be strong and courageous in You. I will persevere and remain hopeful because of You. I will not despair because I know I will see Your goodness. As I wait for You, You will give me new strength. In the strength that You supply, I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo credit to victorfreitas.

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