Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
² As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

³ Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
⁴ We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.

Dear God, wow, so this is the entire Psalm. Four verses and all about needing your mercy. Songs are normally longer than this. My prayers to you are normally longer than this. But the author here has some specific words for you.

1. I’m looking to you as my God.
2. I am completely submissive to you.
3. Please ease my pain the midst of contempt.
4. The people who are mean to me are arrogant and proud.
5. The end.

Yes, there are people in my life who have been and are still mean to me. I’ve prayed a prayer like this in the past. And some of them are still mean to me. But I can say with gratitude that you have eased my pain. It’s still there. It still hurts. But I have been able to receive your blessing and move on in so many ways.

Father, I pray for those who show me contempt. Love them. Break through the pain that they have that drives their contempt. If it is something that I have done to earn it, then please show me how to repent and show them how to forgive me. Help me to take my pain and turn it into grace for them and for others. Be glorified in me so that they might be drawn closer to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen