A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
4 Lord, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the Lord will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.
Prayer
Pray in groups of 2. Ask one another how you can pray for them. Keep it brief; only the overall gist is needed. Then pray this prayer over one another, filling in their name.
“LORD, we put our trust in You. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, we ask that You surround [Person’s name]. Envelop them in your loving arms. Deliver them from the rule of any wickedness, that they may live freely before you and flourish in righteousness. Do good to [Person’s Name], Lord. Protect their heart and mind. We ask for your deliverance from all evil and for Your help with their specific requests [state the specific requests]. May [Person’s Name] have your peace upon them. In your righteous and holy Name, Amen
The Mountains of Jerusalem
Jerusalem is not set upon one hill but is established among a series of hills. These hills surrounding Jerusalem made it one of the most protected cities in all of Judea.
Even though the mountains provided protection, the Psalmist knew ultimate protection was in the LORD.
Psalm 123-125 teach that God is our defender. He does not need our defense.
“For God doesn’t need me to defend Him…. The proper work for the Christian is witness, not apology” ~ Eugene Peterson
Psalm 125 is all about trust. “Trusting God implies that we believe God is trustworthy. So, for what do you need to trust God? What challenge are you facing? What fear do you have? What hardship are you experiencing? What frustration are you enduring? This is an opportunity for you to trust God and for your relationship with God to deepen. The psalmist teaches us that those who trust God know his stability, security, goodness, and holiness” ~ Tony Merida and Daniel Akin
Questions:
- What part of this Psalm stands out to you?
The Prayer of Patric Ireland (fifth century)
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
Spiritual Challenges from Psalm 125
Consider praying these two prayers this week:
First, Prayer of Patrick of Ireland, addressed to the Trinity (Father, Spirit, Son):
“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.”
Second, Intercessory prayer for the person you prayed with this week at Bible study and any others who came to mind. Feel free to pray portions of this prayer rather than the whole thing:
“Lord, we put our trust in You. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, we ask that You surround [Person’s name]. Envelop them in your loving arms. Deliver them from the rule of any wickedness, that they may live freely before you and flourish in righteousness. Do good to [Person’s Name], Lord. Protect their heart and mind. We ask for your deliverance from all evil and for Your help with their specific requests [state the specific requests]. May [Person’s Name] have your peace upon them. In your righteous and holy Name, Amen.
