Prayer Guide: Psalm 11

By Daniel Henderson

Psalm 11 (ESV)

To the choirmaster. Of David.

 In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
    they have fitted their arrow to the string
    to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”[a]

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord‘s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.

 

REVERENCE

God’s praiseworthy attributes found in this text:

  • He is Jehovah, our personal, covenant-keeping God (v. 1) 
  • He is our refuge in the face of wicked attacks and accusations (vv. 1-2)
  • He righteous and the source of our uprightness/righteousness (vv. 2,3,5,7)
  • He is holy and enthroned in heaven (v. 4)
  • He is all-seeing/omniscient – (v. 4)
  • He tests the hearts of all – (vv. 4 & 5)
  • He hates and judges wickedness/violence – (vv. 5 & 6) 
  • He loves righteousness (v. 7)
  • He reveals himself in intimacy to the upright – (v. 7) 

Possible prayer prompts:

  • I praise You that You are my Lord/Jehovah, especially in a world that is __________________
  • I praise You that You are my supreme refuge especially when __________________
  • Because You are righteous, You have empowered me to live a righteous life in my walk with You when ________________
  • You are holy because You are ___________________
  • Because You are enthroned in Heaven right now, I thank You that I do not have to fear ________________________
  • I praise You that when I behold Your face, I see ___________________________

RESPONSE

  • All-seeing, all-knowing Lord, as You test my heart right now, I confess that You find __________________________
  • I confess that I am often troubled by the foundations being destroyed as I observe _______________________. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on Your high and holy throne. 

REQUESTS

  • Help me trust You today as my refuge, especially as I encounter ______________________
  • I pray that ______________________________ (name) will trust You as their refuge as they face ______________________________
  • Lord, remind me that You see and test my heart, especially in this next week as I ___________________________

READINESS

  • Individuals pray: Holy Lord, let us walk in Your righteousness, when wicked attacks tempt us to _________________________.
    • Antiphonal group response: The Lord will judge the wicked
  • Individual prays: Remind me that You love righteousness, especially when I encounter __________________________
    • Antiphonal response: “The upright will behold His face!”