PRAYER PSALM 44

Baruch Ata YHVH, Elohey Yisrael, Avi.

(Bless You, YHVH - Elohim of Israel, my Father)

I have heard with my ears and I have read in Your Word, Elohey Yisrael, the deeds that You did in the days of my/our forefathers, in the days of old.  How You, Elohey Tzva’ot (God of the Armies), with Your own hand drove out the nations that were living in our land. You afflicted those peoples and cast them out.  But because You favored my/our forefathers, You planted them and even though they had to use the sword to drive out their enemy, it was You that went out before them as a consuming fire.  It was by Y’min’cha (Your Right Hand), Abba, that they gained possession.  You even said that it was not because of their righteousness that they were going in to possess the land of promise, but for Your name sake.

Please help me/us today, El Ro’ee/Ro’enu (the One Who Sees and Provides for me/us).  I/We understand that it will not be by my/our sword, nor will my/our own arm save meus, but it will be by Y’min’cha (Your Right Hand), and by the light of Your countenance.  You favor meus because of the love that You have for my/our forefathers, and it is because of Your faithfulness to the covenant that You, Elohey Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’acov, made with them.

But what about this generation of Your people, Elohey Yisrael? You have cast us off and put us to shame, and You do not go out with our armies.  You make us turn back from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.  They are dividing up the land and saying “Aha! The everlasting heights (Yehudah and Shomron - Judea and Samaria) have become our possession!”  You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those all around us.  You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

You have severely broken us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.  We are like sheep intended for food.  You, El Shofet (Judge), have scattered us among the nations. For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  You sell Your people for next to nothing, and get nothing in return for selling us.

Awake! Why do You sleep, Ezre’nu (our Help), Go’ale’nu  (our Redeemer)?  Arise, help us, and redeem us for Your mercies' sake! Do not cast us off.  Why do You hide Your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?  For our soul is bowed down to the dust and our body clings to the ground.  Because of the voice of our enemies, and the reproaches and reviles of the avenger, our dishonor is continually before us, and the shame of our face has covered us.  All this has come upon us, because of sin and iniquity.  We have forgotten Your name YHVH, and have stretched out our hands to a foreign god.  You, Elohey Tzid’ke’nu (our Righteousness), have searched this out, You already know the secrets of the heart, nothing is hidden from You.

Help us, El Yeshu’atenu (God of our Salvation), not to forget Your name, nor to deal falsely with Your covenant.  Protect our heart so that it will not turn back, and our steps so that they will not depart from Your ways.

You are Mal’kee/Mel’kenu (my/our King). O Elee/Ele’nu (my/our Elohim), command victories for Ya’acov.  Through You, we will push down our enemies.  Through Your name YHVH – Yeshua’tee/Yeshua’tenu (my/our Salvation), we, the progeny of Yisrael, will trample those who rise up against us.  We will not trust in our bow, nor shall our sword save us.  But You, M’gee’nee/M’gee’nenu (my/our Protector/Shield), will save us from our enemies.   Put them to shame, Abba, those who hate us.  Thus we will boast all day long, and praise Your name, YHVH - El Elyon (God Most High), forever.

Hallelu-Yah!!!  For You YHVH are Elohim.  You are Elohey Yisrael, Elohey Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’acov.  Avi the Almighty reigns!