Prayer

A Prayer for Protection

Psalm 17

A PRAYER OF DAVID.

¹LORD, hear me begging for fairness;

listen to my cry for help.

Pay attention to my prayer,

because I speak the truth.

²You will judge that I am right;

your eyes can see what is true.

³You have examined my heart;

you have tested me all night.

You questioned me without finding anything wrong;

I have not sinned with my mouth.

⁴I have obeyed your commands,

so I have not done what evil people do.

⁵I have done what you told me;

I have not failed.

⁶I call to you, God,

and you answer me.

Listen to me now,

and hear what I say.

⁷Your love is wonderful.

By your power you save those who trust you

from their enemies.

⁸Protect me as you would protect your own eye.

Hide me under the shadow of your wings.

⁹Keep me from the wicked who attack me,

from my enemies who surround me.

¹⁰They are selfish

and brag about themselves.

¹¹They have chased me until they have surrounded me.

They plan to throw me to the ground.

¹²They are like lions ready to kill;

like lions, they sit in hiding.

¹³LORD, rise up, face the enemy, and throw them down.

Save me from the wicked with your sword.

¹⁴LORD, save me by your power

from those whose reward is in this life.

They have plenty of food.

They have many sons

and leave much money to their children.

¹⁵Because I have lived right, I will see your face.

When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

A Prayer for the King

Psalm 20

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. A PSALM OF DAVID.

¹May the LORD answer you in times of trouble.

May the God of Jacob protect you.

²May he send you help from his Temple

and support you from Mount Zion.

³May he remember all your offerings

and accept all your sacrifices.

Selah

⁴May he give you what you want

and make all your plans succeed,

⁵and we will shout for joy when you succeed,

and we will raise a flag in the name of our God.

May the LORD give you all that you ask for.

⁶Now I know the LORD helps his appointed king.

He answers him from his holy heaven

and saves him with his strong right hand.

⁷Some trust in chariots, others in horses,

but we trust the LORD our God.

⁸They are overwhelmed and defeated,

but we march forward and win.

⁹LORD, save the king!

Answer us when we call for help.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

A Cry for Help

Psalm 102

A PRAYER OF A PERSON WHO IS SUFFERING WHEN HE IS
DISCOURAGED AND TELLS THE LORD HIS COMPLAINTS.

¹LORD, listen to my prayer;

let my cry for help come to you.

²Do not hide from me

in my time of trouble.

Pay attention to me.

When I cry for help, answer me quickly.

³My life is passing away like smoke,

and my bones are burned up with fire.

⁴My heart is like grass

that has been cut and dried.

I forget to eat.

⁵Because of my grief,

my skin hangs on my bones.

⁶I am like a desert owl,

like an owl living among the ruins.

⁷I lie awake.

I am like a lonely bird on a housetop.

⁸All day long enemies insult me;

those who make fun of me use my name as a curse.

⁹I eat ashes for food,

and my tears fall into my drinks.

¹⁰Because of your great anger,

you have picked me up and thrown me away.

¹¹My days are like a passing shadow;

I am like dried grass.

¹²But, LORD, you rule forever,

and your fame goes on and on.

¹³You will come and have mercy on Jerusalem,

because the time has now come to be kind to her;

the right time has come.

¹⁴Your servants love even her stones;

they even care about her dust.

¹⁵Nations will fear the name of the LORD,

and all the kings on earth will honor you.

¹⁶The LORD will rebuild Jerusalem;

there his glory will be seen.

¹⁷He will answer the prayers of the needy;

he will not reject their prayers.

¹⁸Write these things for the future

so that people who are not yet born will praise the LORD.

¹⁹The LORD looked down from his holy place above;

from heaven he looked down at the earth.

²⁰He heard the moans of the prisoners,

and he freed those sentenced to die.

²¹The name of the LORD will be heard in Jerusalem;

his praise will be heard there.

²²People will come together,

and kingdoms will serve the LORD.

²³God has made me tired of living;

he has cut short my life.

²⁴So I said, “My God, do not take me in the middle of my life.

Your years go on and on.

²⁵In the beginning you made the earth,

and your hands made the skies.

²⁶They will be destroyed, but you will remain.

They will all wear out like clothes.

And, like clothes, you will change them

and throw them away.

²⁷But you never change,

and your life will never end.

²⁸Our children will live in your presence,

and their children will remain with you.”