Prayer for Illustration of God’s Power
1 Oh that you would tear the heavens open and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence,
2 as when fire kindles brushwood or makes water boil.
Make your name known to your adversaries,
that the nations may tremble at your presence,
3 as when you did awesome deeds beyond our expectations.
You came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 Since ancient times man has not heard,
nor has the ear perceived,
nor has the eye seen a God like you,
who works for him who waits for him.
5 You meet him who rejoices at doing right,
those who remember you and your ways.
You were angry, and we sinned.
We have been in sin for a long time.
Shall we be saved?
6 For we have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteousness is like filthy rags.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls on your name,
who stirs himself up to take hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us
and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8 But now, Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay and you, our potter.
All of us are the work of your hand.
9 Do not be furious, O Lord.
Do not remember sin forever.
Look and see, we beg you.
We are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness.
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and our beautiful house
where our fathers praised you
has been burned down.
All our treasured places are laid waste.
12 With all of this, will you hold yourself back from helping, Lord?
Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?