A Prayer to Spare You from Hell
[1] Lord, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
[2] May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
[3] I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
[4] I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
[5] I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
[6] You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
[7] Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.
[8] You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
[9] my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
[10] Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
[11] Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
[12] Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
[13] But I cry to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
[14] Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
[15] From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
[16] Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
[17] All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
[18] You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
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Keep the Faith. Best regards,
Brother Ron, N.D.S.M.D.
