Oppression: Prayers Against
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Oppression, a condition of being weighed down by unjust treatment or control, is a recurring theme in the Bible. Scripture provides numerous examples of God's people crying out for deliverance from various forms of oppression, whether physical, spiritual, or social. The Bible encourages believers to seek God's intervention through prayer, trusting in His justice and mercy.

Biblical Examples of Prayers Against Oppression

1. Exodus 3:7-9: The Israelites' Cry for Deliverance
· The Israelites, enslaved in Egypt, cried out to God under the heavy yoke of Pharaoh's oppression. God heard their cries and responded, saying, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sufferings. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians" (Exodus 3:7-8). This passage highlights God's attentiveness to the prayers of the oppressed and His willingness to act on their behalf.

2. Psalm 9:9-10: A Refuge for the Oppressed
· The psalmist declares, "The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You" (Psalm 9:9-10). This prayer acknowledges God as a protector and a source of hope for those suffering under oppression, encouraging believers to seek Him earnestly.

3. Psalm 10:17-18: A Plea for Justice
· In a plea for divine justice, the psalmist prays, "You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more" (Psalm 10:17-18). This prayer reflects a deep trust in God's ability to bring justice and end the tyranny of oppressors.

4. Isaiah 58:6: A Call to Action
· While prayer is essential, Isaiah 58:6 emphasizes the importance of action in combating oppression: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?" . This verse calls believers to align their prayers with actions that promote justice and liberation.

5. Luke 4:18-19: Jesus' Mission to the Oppressed
· Jesus, quoting Isaiah, declared His mission: "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (Luke 4:18-19). This passage underscores the centrality of liberation in Jesus' ministry and encourages believers to pray for and participate in His redemptive work.

Practical Application in Prayer

Believers are encouraged to pray fervently against oppression, asking God to intervene in situations of injustice and to empower His people to act as agents of His justice. Prayers might include:

· Intercession for the Oppressed: Asking God to provide relief and deliverance for those suffering under unjust systems or authorities.
· Petitions for Justice: Seeking God's righteous judgment against oppressors and His protection for the vulnerable.
· Prayers for Strength and Courage: Requesting boldness and wisdom for those working to combat oppression and bring about change.
· Thanksgiving for God's Faithfulness: Acknowledging God's past deliverance and expressing trust in His ongoing work to set the oppressed free.

Through prayer, believers align themselves with God's heart for justice and His desire to see all people live in freedom and dignity.
Nave's Topical Index
Psalm 17:9
From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
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Psalm 44:24
Why hide you your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?
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Psalm 119:121,134
I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to my oppressors.
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Isaiah 38:14
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: my eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
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Library

Saul's Expedition against the Nation of the Ammonites and victory ...
... You have been guilty of great impiety against God, in ... the Egyptians brought into
slavery and hard oppression; that God himself, upon the prayers of our ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 sauls expedition against.htm

Twenty Second Sunday after Trinity Paul's Thanks and Prayers for ...
... PAUL'S THANKS AND PRAYERS FOR CHURCHES. ... Church somewhere a shelter of defense against
the murderous ... cries to heaven, unable longer to tolerate its oppression. ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/twenty second sunday after trinity.htm

Letter Lxi (AD 1138) to Louis the Younger, King of the French.
... united voice of clergy and people, by the oppression of the afflicted, and by the
prayers of all ... are now devoted to you will be turned against you (which ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter lxi a d 1138 to.htm

Meditations against Despair, or Doubting of God's Mercy.
... or whatsoever by robbery or violent oppression thou tookest ... be merciful unto thee,
to hear the prayers of his ... Lord to send out his sentence against them, yet ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations against despair or doubting.htm

All Saints' Day, or St Ursula's Day
... for sin arise from such prayers; then contempt ... up to suffer pain, mortification,
oppression, contradiction and ... while he endeavours to guard against all judging ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxvii all saints day.htm

Lessons for Worship and for Work
... fear thou God.8. If thou seest the oppression of the ... to the rash words of voluble
prayers in that ... surrender and devotion, which will protect against such empty ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/lessons for worship and for.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... cattle, all the necessary material to make prayers to Ra ... and intrigue in an underhand
way against them to ... wished to be free from foreign oppression"such as ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

An Analysis of Augustin's Writings against the Donatists.
... persecution, whether it be done for oppression or for ... Donatist use of the civil
authority against the Maximianists ... of dispute, but invokes their prayers in its ...
/.../chapter ii name analysis of.htm

Habakkuk-On his Watch-Tower
... he who ran to take up arms against the oppressor ... by God's full answers to his prayers
and expectations ... thus it is that, whatever our oppression and persecution ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/ix habakkuk-on his watch-tower.htm

The Glorious Gospel
... him as he groans under the yoke of oppression; he is ... I have sinned against light
and against knowledge ... I have trampled on a mother's prayers; I have despised a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the glorious gospel.htm

Resources
What is an Absalom spirit? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Egypt in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Shamgar? | GotQuestions.org

Oppression: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Oppression

Oppression of Hagar, by Sarah

Oppression of Israelites, by Egyptians

Oppression: God is a Refuge From

Oppression: God Will Judge

Oppression: God's Help Promised Against

Oppression: National, God Judges

Oppression: National, Relieved

Oppression: Prayers Against

Oppression: Rehoboam Resolves to Oppress the Israelites

Oppression: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To

Related Terms

Extortion (14 Occurrences)

Restraint (34 Occurrences)

Oppressing (11 Occurrences)

Occurred (23 Occurrences)

Anguish (75 Occurrences)

Samuel (129 Occurrences)

Misery (38 Occurrences)

Robbery (18 Occurrences)

Judges (117 Occurrences)

Oppressed (81 Occurrences)

Habakkuk (3 Occurrences)

Immediately (141 Occurrences)

Unequaled (2 Occurrences)

James (40 Occurrences)

Firm (111 Occurrences)

Redress (4 Occurrences)

Exercised (20 Occurrences)

Equaled (3 Occurrences)

Ehud (12 Occurrences)

Darkened (28 Occurrences)

Denying (11 Occurrences)

Daughter (320 Occurrences)

Pharaoh's (72 Occurrences)

Beginning (187 Occurrences)

Arises (21 Occurrences)

Short (128 Occurrences)

Oppress (57 Occurrences)

Wronged (22 Occurrences)

Stolen (28 Occurrences)

Moon (70 Occurrences)

Root (54 Occurrences)

Perverseness (46 Occurrences)

Moses (9295 Occurrences)

Vexed (37 Occurrences)

Violence (98 Occurrences)

Adversity (54 Occurrences)

Poverty (25 Occurrences)

Dark (234 Occurrences)

Suffering (104 Occurrences)

Mad (22 Occurrences)

Mischief (64 Occurrences)

Life (6001 Occurrences)

Affliction (120 Occurrences)

Mourning (85 Occurrences)

Backslide

Sinned (156 Occurrences)

Fatherless (44 Occurrences)

Redeem (56 Occurrences)

Enemy (134 Occurrences)

Plunder (118 Occurrences)

Deceit (160 Occurrences)

Throw (135 Occurrences)

Forgotten (69 Occurrences)

Poor (276 Occurrences)

Egypt (596 Occurrences)

Afflicted (171 Occurrences)

Needy (83 Occurrences)

Shed (73 Occurrences)

Thereon (90 Occurrences)

Violently (92 Occurrences)

Yet (1244 Occurrences)

Vainly (4 Occurrences)

Kill (310 Occurrences)

Kicking (4 Occurrences)

Nebuchadrezzar (31 Occurrences)

Name's (31 Occurrences)

Nakedness (50 Occurrences)

Under (4325 Occurrences)

Uncovereth (12 Occurrences)

Unlawfully (1 Occurrence)

Uttering (10 Occurrences)

Unrest (3 Occurrences)

Overreached (1 Occurrence)

Oppressive (6 Occurrences)

Opens (30 Occurrences)

Oppressions (5 Occurrences)

Overcome (300 Occurrences)

Jephthah (26 Occurrences)

Oppression: National, Relieved
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