Praying for me:

Father God, I lift to you my friend and Brother, Matthew. He has endured years of persecution, years of oppression because of his love for You, and now You have delivered him out of the hand of his enemies. You are with him as a Mighty Warrior, and now his enemies have been disgraced and fallen away. Matthew cried out to You in his pain and anguish. His foot was slipping, but in Your unfailing love, You supported him.

Father God, we see the corruption in this nation. Can a corrupt throne be allied with You? is*am bands together against Your children and condemns them to death. But You, O LORD, have become their fortress, their safeguard, their stronghold. You are the Rock in whom they take refuge. For You are a great God, the great King above ALL gods. For all the gods of the nations are but idols, but You, O Lord, made the heavens! All will bow to You. Every tongue will confess that You are LORD.

Ascribe to the LORD, all you families and nations, ascribe to Him glory and strength. All will worship You in the splendor of Your holiness. All the earth will one day tremble before You. A day is coming when You will judge our enemies. Zion hears and rejoices, and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O Lord. You are Most High over all the earth! You are exalted far above all gods. They are but dust between Your toes.

Father God, make Matthew's way straight before him. His enemies have twisted his path and filled his heart with darkness. The heart of his enemy is filled with malice. Their throats are an open grave. His eyes grow weary with sorrow. They have poured their darkness upon him and he cannot see. His mind is a dark and dreary land. His heart is a somber place. It's choked with bitterness and pain. His body is safe but his heart and mind remain imprisoned. The memory of his enemy is with him.

Away from Matthew, all you who do evil! For the Lord has heard his weeping. The Lord has heard Matthew's cry for mercy, and the Lord accepts his prayer. May Matthew's enemies be overwhelmed with shame and anguish. May they be brought to their knees in repentance. For those who do not repent, may even the memory of them perish.

Father God, lift Matthew up from the gates of death that he may declare Your praises on the mountains, and there rejoice in Your salvation. The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug. Time is running out. Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The wicked are ensnared by the work of their own hands! They will go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God. But God will never forget His children; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

The is*am in his arrogance hunts down Your children and they are caught in the schemes he devises. Their mouths are full of lies and threats. Their deceptive ways are not hidden from You. is*am lies in wait, and from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims. Like a lion he lies in wait. His victims are crushed and they collapse under his strength.

Arise, O Lord!! Lift up Your hand, O God! Do not forget the brokenhearted. The waters have come up to Matthew's neck. He is sinking in the miry depths of is*am's poison where there is no foothold. The floods engulf him. He is worn out calling for help. His eyes fail looking for His God. Those who hate him outnumber the hairs on his head. Many seek to destroy him. They are gone in body but present in spirit, as thick darkness which chokes out the light.

Father God, in the time of Your favor, in Your great love, O God, answer Matthew with your sure salvation. Rescue him from the mire, from the mental and emotional sludge is*am has left in his life. Do not let him sink. Deliver him from is*am, from the deep waters. Do not let the depths swallow him up or the pit close its mouth around him. You have rescued his body from the grave, but his heart and mind need renewal. His foes have left traps in his heart which to this day ensnare him.

Father, make Your saving help to be Matthew's shield. May Your right hand sustain him. Keep his way secure. Your way is perfect, O LORD. Your word is flawless. You shield all who take refuge in You, for who is God besides the LORD? In Your goodness You reached down from on high and took hold of Matthew. You drew him out of the waters and rescued him from his enemies, his foes who were too strong for him. You rescued him because You delight in him. You, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. You guard the lives of Your faithful ones and deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Your light shines on Your children, and Your joy on the upright of heart.

My Brother Matthew and I rejoice in You, O LORD, and we praise Your Holy Name because You are worthy. Let the heavens rejoice. Let the earth be glad. Let the sea echo in praise, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy, and all the inhabitants of their branches. Let all creation rejoice before You Lord, for You are worthy. We ascribe to You the glory due Your Name. We will sing to You a new song. We will declare Your glory among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Amen & Amen