Psalm 27 from my book, "Praying the Psalms for the Unborn Child."

Psalm 27
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.

The Church prays to Jesus who brings us the knowledge of God (light)⁴⁹ and saves us through the grace of baptism⁵⁰. We are assured of His divine protection against evil (27:1-3). All we seek is a divine union with Him, a divine intimacy that was initiated through our baptism when Jesus became our defender in the war against the devil⁵¹ (27:4-6).

Do not abandon us. Though we be sinners, You are our Savior and are always ready to save us when we cry to You for help. You will always come to our defense, even if the whole world forsakes us⁵², for such is the strength of the bond created at our baptism that unites us to You (27:7-10). Show us Your ways, Lord, and be our surety. Deliver us from the wiles and temptations of the devil, for without You we are lost. Hope of one day attaining everlasting life⁵³ (in the land of the living) makes us strong, patient and courageous (27:11-14).

Prayer for life: Dear Jesus, since my baptism, when I became an adopted child of God, You have been protecting me from the devil and all who do his bidding. Stay with me now, Lord, when the forces of evil press upon me and tempt me to terminate my baby's life. I know that I am a miserable sinner and have turned my back on You many times in the past. Yet You have been patiently waiting for me to repent and seek Your forgiveness. I do repent, Lord, and seek your help from the evil forces that surround me. Forgive my sins and grant those who still offend You the grace to see the error of their ways and to seek Your pardon. Give me the strength and courage to have my baby and the patience to be a good mother. With Your help I hope to spend eternity with You and my baby. Amen.

Have a blessed day!
John

⁴⁹The Orthodox Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008. 698. Print.

⁵⁰ Reardon, Patrick. Christ in the Psalms. Ben Lomond, CA: Conciliar Press, 2000. 51. Print.

⁵¹ The Orthodox Study Bible 698.

⁵² The Orthodox Study Bible 698.
⁵³ The Orthodox Study Bible 698.

Scripture (Psalms 25-36) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.