My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
Do you remember when we set out and began to talk about making a list of those we know, those we love, those for whom we made a decision to care deeply, many of whom are living under a crushing weight of guilt, deception, oppression, fear, or anxiety so heavy and unnatural that we would consider those burdens chronic and even “clinical,” if we had to categorize them? It is for them we pray when we lift our prayers and cry out to our God. Think of yours, your Desperate Little Friends, those you know who are overwhelmed in life and floundering on the sands.
Certainly, we pray for ourselves, our families, our happy and well-adjusted friends and neighbors, but while we navigate through our days, even our most difficult ones, every one of us knows several who are living in spiritual desperation. That can’t be coincidental! We are strategically located on this earth, that, as my Pastor says, “None should miss the grace of God,” not those who live next door, not those who make the headlines, not those imprisoned actually or spiritually.
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
“Lord God, You take no pleasure in wickedness, but what if the most wicked thing of all is to have liberty, forgiveness, truth, peace, joy in our salvation, and to leave in captivity those too desperate to see their own desperation, too blind to see the escape tunnel, too wounded to trust, even in God?
“Father, we know men, women, and children who have lifted their heads above water for a few gasping breaths, and some that have been drowning, drowning, drowning for decades. These are our Dear Little Friends, our Desperate Little Friends, and just as the Psalmist writes, a few of them are themselves workers of iniquity, liars, blood-thirsty and deceitful boasters, gang members, addicts … abortionists … themselves taken captive by devils to do his will, just as the Scripture says, but they have mothers and fathers who grieve for them. Some are already in prison, some in so much danger that they would be better off if they were, not to mention those falsely accused.
“O Lord! This is a grievous thing! In our time, in our culture and under our watch, most of them are not knife-wielding mercenaries, crawling through the underbrush to get at us, as did David’s mortal enemies. Most of our DLFs are still holding down jobs, raising families, but with darkened souls and fear in their eyes and regrets overtaking their hearts. Some will not survive without Your deliverance, and we care about them. We meet them on the job, in committee meetings, at the gym, and sometimes in Church. They post on social media, sometimes their perspectives are chilling, and some of them have a broad field of influence. Too long have we feared them, resented their intrusions. If dozens are praying for them, we add our prayers. If no one else is praying for them, we are.
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Psalm 5:3-7 (NIV)
“You abhor the blood-thirsty and the deceitful man, O God, but You see those that made them that way, those that have thirsted for their blood. Even the Scripture says there are some for whom we do not pray, but let us take up an anthem for every one that can turn and repent and be saved. One, is a brother. One, a father. One a husband. One, a mother. Another, an executive. Another, a very troubled child. Some were priests. Some still are. Some teach. Some sit in judgment.
“Too long have we resented their sin and failed to take the battle to the camp of THEIR enemies. Now, together, we will care before judgment comes.”
Bart Everson, by permission, Wikipedia
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