A Father's Prayer

"Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, 'God will never call us to account.' But you see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans *. 

"Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed. The Lord is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land. Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,so mere people can no longer terrify them."

                                                                                                                        ~ Psalm 10:12-18 NLT

* Since the vast majority of abuse to children happens by men and within the family, maybe we should redefine 'orphans'.    Of course I don't want to negate the vulnerability of those who are truly orphaned - abuse among orphans and foster kids is astronomical - but perhaps any child not raised in a home where there is a dad who truly loves and protects them then maybe these children are in fact fatherless.