Because of this, I think Psalm 7:1-2 is a very useful prayer, and I especially like Brenton's translation of the LXX (Septuagint) on this:
Psalm 7:1 O Lord my God, in thee have I trusted: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. 2 Lest at any time the enemy seize my soul as a lion, while there is none to ransom, nor to save.
I like this for three reasons:
1) The Street talk in v.1 “from all them” (we would say "dem").
2) The translation “lest at any time” in v.2 which implies that this prayer is prayed in advance, just in case at any time someone might attack him.
3) The image of there being no-one around to save him (v.2) is a familiar idea on a council estate. One minute you can be walking in safety with a bunch of people, the next minute you’re on your own and walk into a dodgy situation. It's good to pray that God would protect us in these situations.
We don't know when the next time is that one of us will be in a dodgy situation, but we can pray this prayer each day, and walk around trusting in God.
