1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 2: Hello again, and welcome to another Prayer through the Psalms 3 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 2: episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast. I'm Jamie, and 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 2: today we're going to be talking about and reading through 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 2: Psalm fifty five. Before we get started, let's just say 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 2: a little prayer. Father, God, we just thank you for 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 2: bringing us together today. We thank you for the ability 8 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: to take all of our burdens and our anxieties, and 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 2: our worries and our responsibilities and just lay them at 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: your feet. We pray you would help us to be focused. 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 2: We pray that we would be receptive to your word 12 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,919 Speaker 2: and to your voice. Just help us to attune our 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 2: ears to the frequency of your voice so that all 14 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 2: others just kind of turn into static in the background. 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: Amen. 16 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: So this psalm is another psalm of betrayal. You guessed it. 17 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: Last week we had Psalm fifty four where David was 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 2: betrayed by a group of people that should have been close, 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 2: but he called strangers. This time he is betrayed by 20 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: someone he doesn't make any. 21 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: Excuses for. 22 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 2: He says, you know, you're someone close to him has 23 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 2: betrayed him. This was thought to potentially be a time 24 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 2: when someone named a Hithophel betrayed David during Absalom's rebellion, 25 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: and Absalom was David's son. That's from Tewod Samuel fifteen 26 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: to seventeen, So you can go back and look at 27 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 2: that if you want. That's a possible historical setting that 28 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: several because of some of the clues. Contextually, some of 29 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 2: the theologians think that that might have been when that happened. 30 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 2: And just for history, Ethitepel was David's time advisor, his 31 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 2: counsel was considered to be authoritative, to be like from God, 32 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: and he later committed suicide when his plan failed. So 33 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 2: the language of this psalm kind of fits that betrayal 34 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: for someone of lots of trust, lots of influence in 35 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: David's life, so it's possible. But whatever the case, we 36 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,839 Speaker 2: know it was the betrayal by someone close to him, 37 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: as you'll find out. So let's read it. This is 38 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: Psalm fifty five, prayer for the destruction of the treacherous 39 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 2: for the choir director on stringed instruments, a maskil of David. 40 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: Give ear to my prayer, Oh God, and do not 41 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: hide yourself from my supplication. Give heed to me and 42 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: answer me. I'm restless in my complaint, and I'm surely 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 2: distracted because of the voice of the enemy, because of 44 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down trouble 45 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 2: upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. 46 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 2: My heart is in anguish within me, and the terrors 47 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come 48 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 2: upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. I said, Oh, 49 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 2: that I had wings like a dove, I would fly 50 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 2: away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away. 51 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 2: I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah, I would hasten 52 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 2: to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest. Confuse, O, Lord, 53 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 2: divide their tongues. For I have seen violence and strife 54 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: in the city day and night. They go around her 55 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: upon her walls, and iniquity and mischief are in her midst. 56 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: Destruction is in her midst oppression and deceit. Do not 57 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 2: depart from her streets. For it is not an enemy 58 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 2: who reproaches me, then I could bear it. Nor is 59 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 2: it one who hates me, who has exalted himself against me, 60 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, 61 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: and by you he's not talking to God, He's referring 62 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: to some one else. It is you, a man, my equal, 63 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: my companion, and my familiar friend. We who had sweet 64 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 2: fellowship together walked in the House of God in the throng. 65 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: Let death come deceitfully upon them. Let them go down 66 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: alive to Shiel, for evil is in their dwelling in 67 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 2: their midst. As for me, I shall call upon God, 68 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 2: and the Lord will save me evening and morning, and 69 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 2: at noon I will complain and murmur, and He will. 70 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: Hear my voice. 71 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle 72 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 2: which is against me. For they are many who strive 73 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 2: with me. God will hear and answer them, even the 74 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: one who sits enthroned from of old, with whom there 75 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 2: is no change, and who do not fear God. He 76 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 2: has put forth his hands against those who are at 77 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 2: peace with him. He has violated his covenant. His speech 78 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 2: was smoother than butter, but his heart was war. His 79 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 2: words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. 80 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 2: Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain you. 81 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 2: He will never allow the righteousness to be shaken. But you, 82 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 2: oh God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction, 83 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 2: men of bloodshed and deceit, will not live out half 84 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: their days, but I will trust in you. So the 85 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 2: structure of this psalm is very interesting because it kind 86 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 2: of moves through the several stages of emotion, like emotional trauma. 87 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: So some scholars notice that there's this stage one distress, 88 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 2: then complaint, then petition, than trust. So like in verses 89 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 2: one through five, you've got panic, you've got anxiety, you 90 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 2: have stress. Then verses six to eight, it's kind of 91 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: like a caged animal just wanting to escape. 92 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: Verses nine through eleven. 93 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: It's like complaining about the anger at the societal corruption 94 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 2: that he's experiencing. Verses twelve through fifteen, you've got shock 95 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: and again complaint against this personal betrayal of someone who 96 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 2: is very close to him. But then, as usually is 97 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: the case, he brings it back in verse sixteen to 98 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 2: twenty three, this renewed trust in God, who is protector, 99 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: who's the almighty, who has contrasted against these kings who 100 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 2: you know a lot of times kings of Earth were 101 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 2: referred to as having eternal thrones. Well, this God, he's 102 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 2: the ancient God who has always been, who's never changing, 103 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 2: and so David kind of contrasts that. So he gives 104 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 2: us permission to lament, He gives us permission to process 105 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: our emotional trauma. And I love that, and I would 106 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 2: recommend if you're going through actual emotional trauma and grief 107 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 2: and distress that is affecting your daily life, that you 108 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 2: talk to a professional, that you find either a counselor 109 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 2: or just someone that you can talk to and process 110 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 2: some of that grief and that trauma. David gives us 111 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: that permission to go to God with it as well, 112 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 2: because no matter what you do outside of God, always 113 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 2: go to God. 114 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: Going to God and praying. 115 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 2: It's not always the only thing to do, but it's 116 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 2: always the thing to do, if that makes sense. There's 117 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 2: extra stuff, you know, kind of like if anyone is sick, 118 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 2: you pray, you ask God for his intervention. You might 119 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 2: also seek medical assistance hopefully, but you always pray. That's 120 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: the foundation, it's the backbone of everything we do. And 121 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 2: David models this so perfectly. He complains, he laments, he 122 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 2: lets it all out, but he does it to God. 123 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 2: He does it through prayer, which is something we don't 124 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 2: always think of doing. We think of talking to our friends. 125 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 2: I cannot tell you the number of times I've had 126 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 2: a problem and my first thought is to call someone. 127 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 2: And I have a few people in my sphere that 128 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 2: I really respect and trust, and I'll go to with 129 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 2: questions with problems. And there've been several times. Okay, I 130 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 2: started off with hyperbole. I could probably count the number 131 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 2: times this has happened. It's probably been five or six 132 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 2: times that I have tried to call or text someone 133 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 2: and I haven't heard back or haven't been able to 134 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 2: get in touch with them, and I sit in my silence, 135 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 2: kind of bummed that they didn't respond, and I just 136 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 2: feel God saying, you haven't come to me yet. So 137 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 2: let's use David's model, like I want to use his 138 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 2: model of taking all of it to God, taking the anger, 139 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 2: the rage, the frustration, the lament, the sadness, the anguish, 140 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 2: the grief and the praise and kind of tie it 141 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 2: up with praise at the end. He doesn't always do that, 142 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 2: but he almost always does that, and it's beautiful that 143 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 2: he does. So he talks about, oh that I had 144 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 2: wings like a dove in verse six. He's got all 145 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 2: of these people coming against him, the wicked are bringing 146 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: down trouble, they're bearing grudges. His heart is in anguish, 147 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 2: the terrors of death are falling on him, fear and trembling, 148 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 2: physical manifestation of his anxiety and anguish and fear. And 149 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 2: he says, Oh, that I had the wings of a dove, 150 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 2: I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I 151 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 2: would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. 152 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 2: I would hasten to my place of refuge from the 153 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 2: stormy wind and tempest. Not to be like trite or 154 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 2: make light of it, but I think of in Forrest Gump, 155 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 2: if you've seen that movie, when Jenny, who had endured 156 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 2: abuse as a little girl, well she basically, I guess, 157 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 2: has been been abused, and she and Forrest are in 158 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: a field and she just says, she prays, and it's 159 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 2: heartbreaking and sweet at the same time, but she just 160 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 2: so innocently praise Dear God, make me a bird so 161 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 2: I can fly far, far, far away. And she just 162 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 2: repeats it over and over again. And that is the 163 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: sentiment of David. It's like, God doesn't make me a bird, 164 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 2: let me fly, let me get out of here. But 165 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:32,559 Speaker 2: God didn't do that for David. And what David says, 166 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,560 Speaker 2: next is okay, you're not going to give me escape 167 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 2: at this moment. Confuse them, divide their tongues, and this 168 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 2: hearkens to like the Tower of Babel language of many 169 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 2: conspire together. But if you confuse their tongues, so they're 170 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 2: not speaking the same language, figuratively or literally in this case, 171 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 2: probably figuratively, confuse their tongues help them not to be 172 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 2: able to plot against me in a successful manner. And 173 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: this is one of the reasons that scholars think that 174 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 2: this is referring to Absalom's rebellion because it actually in 175 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 2: that Second Samuel fifteen to seventeen a Hithaphal's betrayal. What 176 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 2: actually did happen was God caused like competing advice among 177 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 2: the different conspirators, and it broke their unity. 178 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: So that was like an exact answer to that prayer. 179 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 2: So they think that might have had something to do 180 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 2: with it or a similar situation. And then we get 181 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 2: into verse twelve. It's not the enemy that reproaches me, 182 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 2: I could bear that he could bear these like in 183 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 2: last week we talked about the group of people that 184 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 2: were sort of like Hebraic. Yeah, they were kind of 185 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 2: Israelite adjacent, but they weren't exactly, but they were kind 186 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 2: of kin, and he calls them strangers. But here he 187 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 2: doesn't mince words. He says, I could have taken it 188 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 2: if it was people that hated me, if it was 189 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 2: an enemy, But it's you. 190 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: You're my friend. 191 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 2: We had fellowship, we walked the House of the Lord together. 192 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 2: I mean, it's this is a brother relationship. And so 193 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 2: it was even more painful for him. This was a 194 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 2: very very personal betrayal. And then one thing I love 195 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 2: being a prayer podcast is he models this evening and 196 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 2: morning and at noon. I will complain and murmur and 197 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 2: he will hear my voice. It's just a simple like 198 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 2: I'm gonna pray like three times a day. I mean, 199 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 2: I think people actually took this literally for a while. 200 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 2: We don't have to take it literally exactly evening. 201 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: And morning and noon. 202 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 2: But he's just saying, yeah, I'm going to complain and 203 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 2: I'm going to murmur. I'm going to do it all 204 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 2: the time, and God's going to listen because he loves me, 205 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: because he will hear my prayers. He will hear my 206 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 2: voice and answer my prayers. Even the one who sits 207 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 2: enthroned from of old, with whom there is no change. 208 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 2: So God has not changed. He's more than a king 209 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 2: of earth. He's an eternal king. And David recognized that. 210 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 2: And then this is kind of my favorite part is 211 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 2: verses twenty two and twenty three, actually twenty two. Cast 212 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 2: your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you. 213 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 2: He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. So 214 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 2: I love that, and we talk about that a lot 215 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 2: in this prayer through the Psalms episodes, we talk about 216 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 2: just casting our burdens on the Lord to allow him 217 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 2: to take those, even just temporarily, so that we can 218 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 2: focus on him. And it's just a reminder, I don't 219 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 2: know what your burdens are. Most of us are not 220 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 2: being betrayed to the level that David was betrayed to 221 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 2: the point of death. Some of you might be, but 222 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: most of us are not. But betrayal is real, and 223 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 2: when it comes from within our family, or when it 224 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 2: comes within the body of Christ, our Christian family or 225 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 2: our church family, that can be very painful. And it's 226 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 2: something that can cause so much pain. It can cause 227 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 2: division within families, within the body of Christ. And so 228 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 2: I just want to leave us with a prayer today 229 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 2: for anyone experiencing that right now, and just for the 230 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 2: church with a capital see that God will protect our 231 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 2: family from division and from that kind of pain. 232 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: Let's pray. 233 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 2: God, we thank you again for the psalms. We thank 234 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 2: you for David's permission to lament, to complain, to do 235 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 2: it multiple times a day, and to remind us that 236 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 2: you never get tired. You were with us, you were 237 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 2: for us, and you're there for all of it. We 238 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 2: just pray that, like David, we would be able to 239 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 2: praise you in the end, even during the difficult times, 240 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 2: that we would have it in us to praise you, 241 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 2: and when we don't, that you would surround us with 242 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 2: people that would be able to lift us up with 243 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 2: their prayers and bring us to the throne room when 244 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 2: we don't have the energy or the reserves to do it. Lord, 245 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 2: we lift up the body of Christ today and I 246 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 2: pray in Jesus' name for unity in the body of Christ. 247 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 2: I pray against division. I pray against the enemy's schemes 248 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 2: to break us apart. We pray against lies. We pray 249 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 2: that any lies would be exposed. We pray for humility 250 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 2: for each and every one of us, that we would 251 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 2: be able to come to each other humbly speaking the 252 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 2: truth and love, resolving our conflicts in a loving way, 253 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 2: And that you would just give each one of us 254 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 2: a clear vision into the greatest commands. To love the Lord, 255 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 2: your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, 256 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 2: and your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. 257 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 2: Let that just be part of us. Let that be 258 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 2: not just what we do, but who we are. 259 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: In Jesus' name. Amen. 260 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 2: Do you love true crime but feel like it's a 261 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 2: guilty pleasure because of the swearing and explicit content. If so, 262 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 2: I can't wait to tell you the good news. Alana 263 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 2: and I just launched our brand new podcast, Christian True 264 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 2: Crime Junkies, a squeaky clean crime show for believers. 265 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: Each week we. 266 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 2: Bring you unforgettable testimonies of survival, stories of justice, and 267 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 2: tales of redemption. And yes, sometimes plain old murder, always clean, 268 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 2: always from a Christian perspective. Listen to Christian True Crime 269 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 2: Junkies today wherever you listen to podcasts, and don't forget 270 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 2: to follow us. New episodes come out every week and 271 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 2: you don't want to miss out. We'd like to take 272 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:12,880 Speaker 2: just a quick second to thank the team at life 273 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 2: Audio for their partnership with us on the podcast. If 274 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 2: you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find dozens 275 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 2: of other faith centered podcasts in their network. 276 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: They've got shows about. 277 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 2: Prayer, Bible study, parenting, and so much more. That's lifeaudio 278 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,640 Speaker 2: dot com.