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A Prayer for God’s Power

¹ If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence,² as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that nations will tremble at Your presence!³ When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.⁴ From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God but You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.⁵ You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?

⁶ All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.⁷ No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and made us melt in the hand^(a) of our iniquity.⁸ But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.⁹ Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people!¹⁰ Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.¹¹ Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.¹² After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?