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“Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood…You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely” (Psalm 59:1-2, 17).

Once again David is besieged by his enemies. If our biblical editors are correct, he is in his own house with King Saul's soldiers prowling around it, trapping David inside. Since it's not likely that this is a common experience for us, how do we pray this psalm? How do we make it our own?

Here are a few suggestions:

This psalm helps us pray for our Christian family members who are persecuted for their faith. It gives us language for such prayers. The psalmist uses the words 'prowling dogs' to embody the devouring, malignant persons and forces in human affairs which seek to destroy the people of God. Many Christians live in places where this is their constant reality. When we don’t know how to pray for them, the Holy Spirit has already given us words to use.

In a similar vein, it helps us pray for events in North America that reflect the breakdown of our collective security. There seems to be no end of such things: gun violence, sweltering heat, aftershocks of a 2-year pandemic, corporate restructuring leaving us hunting for a new job, inadequate housing, rising interest rates. We are virtually powerless in all these situations. Any number of things haunt our steps in the night, let alone during the day. This psalm helps us pray in those situations in which we have little influence to affect change.

Those of us who are part of the white middle class have generally enjoyed significant freedom and opportunity. We may feel as if those privileges are diminishing. But the fact is, many people, because of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, have lived for generations without those freedoms and opportunities. It is difficult for the privileged in society to understand the realities of life without prospects. This psalm gives us a window into the life without control.

We can also use Psalm 59 when faced with personal temptations. Whether we wrestle against our own fleshly nature, the world around us or direct attacks from the devil himself, we face foes too strong for us. As Martin Luther once penned, "For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal."

But, like Martin Luther, we also believe, "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing... Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he..."

It is he. He faced all the powerful forces of earth and hell itself. It is he. He stood firm, facing the full-frontal attack of the devil. It is he. He faced them and fought them, and he rose from the dead. Death could not hold him.

With his resurrection, the kingdom of God was established on this earth. It is he. Because of his resurrection, we know that God's derision and scornful laughter is more than a match for all these dogs (8).

Today, we may still need to pray this psalm. But, because Jesus rose from the dead, some day we will not need this psalm. Its time will be over. Thanks be to God. It is he!