20 Days of Prayer Day 5 "The Lord Is My Light and Salvation"

“The Lord is my light and salvation – whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in his dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, "Seek His face!" Your face, Lord I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27).

Holy God, we worship You and praise Your mighty name for You are our light and salvation, You are the stronghold of our lives. You are a place of protection, refuge, and safety in this time of uncertainty. Even when we do not know what tomorrow holds, we can trust in You. We can trust that in the day of trouble, You will keep us safe, You will hide us in your shelter, and You will set us high upon a rock. You are good. You are holy. You are mighty.

Cause us to seek Your face, Lord. Remind us and help us to focus our gaze on You, O merciful Lord. May our days be about seeking Your face, Your presence, Your beauty, and Your Spirit in our lives to empower and help us to be loving, generous, faithful, and kind. We want more of You, Lord. Forgive us for the times when we have sought things other than You to orient our lives and find fulfillment or protection. Forgive us for trusting in possessions or circumstances rather than You. Help us, Lord, to be about seeking You.

Finally, Lord, help us to wait for You (The word “wait” used in this psalm is a hopeful expectation). Help us to be strong, Lord, to take heart, and to faithfully wait with expectancy, knowing that You will move, You will act, You will arrive – right on time, not a moment too soon or too late. Thank you for all the ways that You are moving and working and acting for Your glory. Tune us to Your movements and Your timing that we may be in step with You. Lord, help us to reflect Your Kingdom and Your work to others. May the world see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Amen.

Laura Morris