In the silence of my aching soul, let me hear Your sweet consolation, my Lord and my King. When words of critique fly at me like arrows from the quiver of darkness, shield me with the light of Your truth. Remind Your beloved to bask in the cleansing waters of truth offered by Your Word. Empower me to lift up the shield of faith that blocks the deluge of deceit which tries to trip me up. When I am surrounded by hatred, Your love is my defense. When I am buffeted by accusations, the knowledge that You see the heart brings me great peace. Raise me up to be an extension of Your heart, Lord God. Remove the iniquity within me so that I do not respond in kind to those who do not follow Your ways. May I not live solely for the approval of others. Rather, let me seek Your favor above all else. Let me seek to honor You above myself. Only in Your strength and wisdom can I become the image-bearer You created me to be. Turn my eyes off of my foes and onto You, the One who loves me enough to take my punishment upon Yourself. In the ground gained by Your grace, I will stand. Under the Word of truth in Psalm 109:1-4 and the authority of Christ, I bow in prayer.

O God, whom I praise,
    don’t stand silent and aloof
while the wicked slander me
    and tell lies about me.
They surround me with hateful words
    and fight against me for no reason.
I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations
    even as I am praying for them!
Psalm 109:1-4, NLT