Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.--Psalm 44:22-26
Father,
I am delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that His life might be made manifest in my mortal flesh. Death is working in me, but life in those who see Your life in my life. Your Son, Jesus, was as a lamb led to slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent He opened not His mouth. You, Jesus, were obedient to death, even the death of the cross. No one took Your life from You. You gave Your life willingly for mine. My life, Father, is in Your Son. May I do as He did here on earth...give my life away freely.
Blessed am I, then, if I am persecuted, reviled and spoken of evilly and falsely for Your sake. I will rejoice and be exceedingly glad! Let me, Father, be salt and light here on this earth while I live. Give me that single minded desire for You and Your power and presence in my life. Oh, that others would see Your light and glorify You, my Father, in heaven.
But even so, I am so weak and so in need of You. Your word tells me that You will not forget me....that you will have compassion on me. I am engraved in the palms of Your hands...I am continually before You! Awake! Arise to help me! Do not hide your face from my affliction. My soul is bowed down to the dust. Arise for my help....redeem me, rescue me, deliver me for Your mercies sake! Be not far from me, my King and my God.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.... For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.--2nd Corinithians 4:7-18
