Prayers & Reflections for April 19

The Armor of God
Reflections and Prayers for Wartime

CHAPTER XII
Occasional Prayers

PSALM 17
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength: The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer.

My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust.

My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.

Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.

He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.

And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.

And the Lord will reward me according to my justice: and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands:

Because I have kept the ways of the Lord: and have not done wickedly against my God.

For all his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me.

And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.

And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God?

God who hath girt me with strength: and made my way blameless.

Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places.

Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.

And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up:

And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline the same shall teach me.

Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened.

I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed.

I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.

And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.

And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me.

And they cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.

And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets....

[Continued tomorrow]
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From:
The Armor of God
Reflections and Prayers for Wartime
by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen
(C) 1943, P.J. Kenedy & Sons