Ever Present Help – The Presidential Prayer Team

Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. – Psalm 55:22

Have you ever had someone dear betray you? Maybe a relative that should be a protector has turned against you. In Psalm 55, David describes such a situation and his feelings about it. He uses such words and phrases as: complaint, moan, noise of the enemy, oppression, trouble, a grudge against me, anguish, terrors, fear, trembling, and horror.

Whenever tragedy strikes a common thought is, “I wish this was a nightmare and I’d wake up,” or as David said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away!” (55:6). He goes on to say it was not an enemy who brought him grief but a “familiar friend” (55:13). Jesus experienced it when Judas betrayed Him. Psalm 41:9 as well as Zechariah 11 and Jeremiah 32: 6-9 prophesy Judas’s betrayal of Christ.

As the Psalm continues, David calls on God and places his hope in Him. He says, “He redeems my soul in safety” (55:18) and that He will listen and humble his oppressors. God is the only being you can ultimately trust. Even loved ones who mean well have the capacity to hurt you. And you have the potential to hurt others, even if you do not intend to. Bring all those things to the Father that cause you anguish, as David did. God is able to set things right and comfort and heal the brokenhearted. Lift up the nation and its citizens to the Lord and ask Him to heal and help all of those who are afflicted. Thank Him for His blessings and all of the times He has been your comfort and strength.

Today’s Verse: Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Psalm 34:4-18

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

⁸Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
⁹Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
¹⁰The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

¹¹Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹²What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may see good?
¹³Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.