praying the psalms for the suffering & oppressed

"the psalms support the suffering and oppressed. these texts summon the community to participate with Yahweh in acts of liberation. the contemporary trend to spiritualize the psalms can lead readers to miss the fact that these texts call the worshiping community to create and support just societal structures. the psalms do imply vested interests. considered as a whole, the book's primary interest is fullness of life, a basic component of which is justice. the psalms declare God's support for justice in the human community."

-W.H.Bellinger, JR. from Psalms: Reading and Studying the Book of Praises

Psalm 94

14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? 17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18 When I thought, "My foot is slipping," your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. 20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute? 21 They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He will repay them for their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.