Worship

Praise God Who Creates and Saves

Psalm 33

¹Sing to the LORD, you who do what is right;

honest people should praise him.

²Praise the LORD on the harp;

make music for him on a ten-stringed lyre.

³Sing a new song to him;

play well and joyfully.

⁴God’s word is true,

and everything he does is right.

⁵He loves what is right and fair;

the LORD’S love fills the earth.

⁶The sky was made at the LORD’S command.

By the breath from his mouth, he made all the stars.

⁷He gathered the water of the sea into a heap.

He made the great ocean stay in its place.

⁸All the earth should worship the LORD;

the whole world should fear him.

⁹He spoke, and it happened.

He commanded, and it appeared.

¹⁰The LORD upsets the plans of nations;

he ruins all their plans.

¹¹But the LORD’S plans will stand forever;

his ideas will last from now on.

¹²Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he chose for his very own.

¹³The LORD looks down from heaven

and sees every person.

¹⁴From his throne he watches

all who live on earth.

¹⁵He made their hearts

and understands everything they do.

¹⁶No king is saved by his great army.

No warrior escapes by his great strength.

¹⁷Horses can’t bring victory;

they can’t save by their strength.

¹⁸But the LORD looks after those who fear him,

those who put their hope in his love.

¹⁹He saves them from death

and spares their lives in times of hunger.

²⁰So our hope is in the LORD.

He is our help, our shield to protect us.

²¹We rejoice in him,

because we trust his holy name.

²²LORD, show your love to us

as we put our hope in you.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Praise God Who Judges and Saves

Psalm 34

DAVID’S SONG FROM THE TIME HE ACTED CRAZY SO ABIMELECH
WOULD SEND HIM AWAY, AND DAVID DID LEAVE.

¹I will praise the LORD at all times;

his praise is always on my lips.

²My whole being praises the LORD.

The poor will hear and be glad.

³Glorify the LORD with me,

and let us praise his name together.

⁴I asked the LORD for help, and he answered me.

He saved me from all that I feared.

⁵Those who go to him for help are happy,

and they are never disgraced.

⁶This poor man called, and the LORD heard him

and saved him from all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the LORD camps around those who fear God,

and he saves them.

⁸Examine and see how good the LORD is.

Happy is the person who trusts him.

⁹You who belong to the LORD, fear him!

Those who fear him will have everything they need.

¹⁰Even lions may get weak and hungry,

but those who look to the LORD will have every good thing.

¹¹Children, come and listen to me.

I will teach you to worship the LORD.

¹²You must do these things

to enjoy life and have many happy days.

¹³You must not say evil things,

and you must not tell lies.

¹⁴Stop doing evil and do good.

Look for peace and work for it.

¹⁵The LORD sees the good people

and listens to their prayers.

¹⁶But the LORD is against those who do evil;

he makes the world forget them.

¹⁷The LORD hears good people when they cry out to him,

and he saves them from all their troubles.

¹⁸The LORD is close to the brokenhearted,

and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed.

¹⁹People who do what is right may have many problems,

but the LORD will solve them all.

²⁰He will protect their very bones;

not one of them will be broken.

²¹Evil will kill the wicked;

those who hate good people will be judged guilty.

²²But the LORD saves his servants’ lives;

no one who trusts him will be judged guilty.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Praise to God the King

Psalm 145

A PSALM OF PRAISE. OF DAVID.

¹I praise your greatness, my God the King;

I will praise you forever and ever.

²I will praise you every day;

I will praise you forever and ever.

³The LORD is great and worthy of our praise;

no one can understand how great he is.

⁴Parents will tell their children what you have done.

They will retell your mighty acts,

⁵wonderful majesty, and glory.

And I will think about your miracles.

⁶They will tell about the amazing things you do,

and I will tell how great you are.

⁷They will remember your great goodness

and will sing about your fairness.

⁸The LORD is kind and shows mercy.

He does not become angry quickly but is full of love.

⁹The LORD is good to everyone;

he is merciful to all he has made.

¹⁰LORD, everything you have made will praise you;

those who belong to you will bless you.

¹¹They will tell about the glory of your kingdom

and will speak about your power.

¹²Then everyone will know the mighty things you do

and the glory and majesty of your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom will go on and on,

and you will rule forever.

The LORD will keep all his promises;

he is loyal to all he has made.

¹⁴The LORD helps those who have been defeated

and takes care of those who are in trouble.

¹⁵All living things look to you for food,

and you give it to them at the right time.

¹⁶You open your hand,

and you satisfy all living things.

¹⁷Everything the LORD does is right.

He is loyal to all he has made.

¹⁸The LORD is close to everyone who prays to him,

to all who truly pray to him.

¹⁹He gives those who respect him what they want.

He listens when they cry, and he saves them.

²⁰The LORD protects everyone who loves him,

but he will destroy the wicked.

²¹I will praise the LORD.

Let everyone praise his holy name forever.

Wisdom

God Is Eternal, and We Are Not

Psalm 90

A PRAYER OF MOSES, THE MAN OF GOD.

¹Lord, you have been our home

since the beginning.

²Before the mountains were born

and before you created the earth and the world,

you are God.

You have always been, and you will always be.

³You turn people back into dust.

You say, “Go back into dust, human beings.”

⁴To you, a thousand years

is like the passing of a day,

or like a few hours in the night.

⁵While people sleep, you take their lives.

They are like grass that grows up in the morning.

⁶In the morning they are fresh and new,

but by evening they dry up and die.

⁷We are destroyed by your anger;

we are terrified by your hot anger.

⁸You have put the evil we have done right in front of you;

you clearly see our secret sins.

⁹All our days pass while you are angry.

Our years end with a moan.

¹⁰Our lifetime is seventy years

or, if we are strong, eighty years.

But the years are full of hard work and pain.

They pass quickly, and then we are gone.

¹¹Who knows the full power of your anger?

Your anger is as great as our fear of you should be.

¹²Teach us how short our lives really are

so that we may be wise.

¹³LORD, how long before you return

and show kindness to your servants?

¹⁴Fill us with your love every morning.

Then we will sing and rejoice all our lives.

¹⁵We have seen years of trouble.

Now give us as much joy as you gave us sorrow.

¹⁶Show your servants the wonderful things you do;

show your greatness to their children.

¹⁷Lord our God, treat us well.

Give us success in what we do;

yes, give us success in what we do.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

God Saves from Many Dangers

Psalm 107

¹Thank the LORD because he is good.

His love continues forever.

²That is what those whom the LORD has saved should say.

He has saved them from the enemy

³and has gathered them from other lands,

from east and west, north and south.

⁴Some people had wandered in the desert lands.

They found no city in which to live.

⁵They were hungry and thirsty,

and they were discouraged.

⁶In their misery they cried out to the LORD,

and he saved them from their troubles.

⁷He led them on a straight road

to a city where they could live.

⁸Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love

and for the miracles he does for people.

⁹He satisfies the thirsty

and fills up the hungry.

¹⁰Some sat in gloom and darkness;

they were prisoners suffering in chains.

¹¹They had turned against the words of God

and had refused the advice of God Most High.

¹²So he broke their pride by hard work.

They stumbled, and no one helped.

¹³In their misery they cried out to the LORD,

and he saved them from their troubles.

¹⁴He brought them out of their gloom and darkness

and broke their chains.

¹⁵Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love

and for the miracles he does for people.

¹⁶He breaks down bronze gates

and cuts apart iron bars.

¹⁷Some fools turned against God

and suffered for the evil they did.

¹⁸They refused to eat anything,

so they almost died.

¹⁹In their misery they cried out to the LORD,

and he saved them from their troubles.

²⁰God gave the command and healed them,

so they were saved from dying.

²¹Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love

and for the miracles he does for people.

²²Let them offer sacrifices to thank him.

With joy they should tell what he has done.

²³Others went out to sea in ships

and did business on the great oceans.

²⁴They saw what the LORD could do,

the miracles he did in the deep oceans.

²⁵He spoke, and a storm came up,

which blew up high waves.

²⁶The ships were tossed as high as the sky and fell low to the depths.

The storm was so bad that they lost their courage.

²⁷They stumbled and fell like people who were drunk.

They did not know what to do.

²⁸In their misery they cried out to the LORD,

and he saved them from their troubles.

²⁹He stilled the storm

and calmed the waves.

³⁰They were happy that it was quiet,

and God guided them to the port they wanted.

³¹Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love

and for the miracles he does for people.

³²Let them praise his greatness in the meeting of the people;

let them praise him in the meeting of the older leaders.

³³He changed rivers into a desert

and springs of water into dry ground.

³⁴He made fertile land salty,

because the people there did evil.

³⁵He changed the desert into pools of water

and dry ground into springs of water.

³⁶He had the hungry settle there

so they could build a city in which to live.

³⁷They planted seeds in the fields and vineyards,

and they had a good harvest.

³⁸God blessed them, and they grew in number.

Their cattle did not become fewer.

³⁹Because of disaster, troubles, and sadness,

their families grew smaller and weaker.

⁴⁰He showed he was displeased with their leaders

and made them wander in a pathless desert.

⁴¹But he lifted the poor out of their suffering

and made their families grow like flocks of sheep.

⁴²Good people see this and are happy,

but the wicked say nothing.

⁴³Whoever is wise will remember these things

and will think about the love of the LORD.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Praise the Lord’s Goodness

Psalm 111

¹Praise the LORD!

I will thank the LORD with all my heart

in the meeting of his good people.

²The LORD does great things;

those who enjoy them seek them.

³What he does is glorious and splendid,

and his goodness continues forever.

⁴His miracles are unforgettable.

The LORD is kind and merciful.

⁵He gives food to those who fear him.

He remembers his agreement forever.

⁶He has shown his people his power

when he gave them the lands of other nations.

⁷Everything he does is good and fair;

all his orders can be trusted.

⁸They will continue forever.

They were made true and right.

⁹He sets his people free.

He made his agreement everlasting.

He is holy and wonderful.

¹⁰Wisdom begins with respect for the LORD;

those who obey his orders have good understanding.

He should be praised forever.

Victory

Thanksgiving for the King

Psalm 21

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. A PSALM OF DAVID.

¹LORD, the king rejoices because of your strength;

he is so happy when you save him!

²You gave the king what he wanted

and did not refuse what he asked for.

Selah

³You put good things before him

and placed a gold crown on his head.

⁴He asked you for life,

and you gave it to him,

so his years go on and on.

⁵He has great glory because you gave him victories;

you gave him honor and praise.

⁶You always gave him blessings;

you made him glad because you were with him.

⁷The king truly trusts the LORD.

Because God Most High always loves him,

he will not be overwhelmed.

⁸Your hand is against all your enemies;

those who hate you will feel your power.

⁹When you appear,

you will burn them as in a furnace.

In your anger you will swallow them up,

and fire will burn them up.

¹⁰You will destroy their families from the earth;

their children will not live.

¹¹They made evil plans against you,

but their traps won’t work.

¹²You will make them turn their backs

when you aim your arrows at them.

¹³Be supreme, LORD, in your power.

We sing and praise your greatness.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

The God Who Always Wins

Psalm 76

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A
PSALM OF ASAPH. A SONG.

¹People in Judah know God;

his fame is great in Israel.

²His Tent is in Jerusalem;

his home is on Mount Zion.

³There God broke the flaming arrows,

the shields, the swords, and the weapons of war.

Selah

⁴God, how wonderful you are!

You are more splendid than the hills full of animals.

⁵The brave soldiers were stripped

as they lay asleep in death.

Not one warrior

had the strength to stop it.

⁶God of Jacob, when you spoke strongly,

horses and riders fell dead.

⁷You are feared;

no one can stand against you when you are angry.

⁸From heaven you gave the decision,

and the earth was afraid and silent.

⁹God, you stood up to judge

and to save the needy people of the earth.

Selah

¹⁰People praise you for your anger against evil.

Those who live through your anger are stopped from doing more evil.

¹¹Make and keep your promises to the LORD your God.

From all around, gifts should come to the God we worship.

¹²God breaks the spirits of great leaders;

the kings on earth fear him.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

A Prayer for Victory

Psalm 144

OF DAVID.

¹Praise the LORD, my Rock,

who trains me for war,

who trains me for battle.

²He protects me like a strong, walled city, and he loves me.

He is my defender and my Savior,

my shield and my protection.

He helps me keep my people under control.

³LORD, why are people important to you?

Why do you even think about human beings?

⁴People are like a breath;

their lives are like passing shadows.

⁵LORD, tear open the sky and come down.

Touch the mountains so they will smoke.

⁶Send the lightning and scatter my enemies.

Shoot your arrows and force them away.

⁷Reach down from above.

Save me and rescue me out of this sea of enemies,

from these foreigners.

⁸They are liars;

they are dishonest.

⁹God, I will sing a new song to you;

I will play to you on the ten-stringed harp.

¹⁰You give victory to kings.

You save your servant David from cruel swords.

¹¹Save me, rescue me from these foreigners.

They are liars; they are dishonest.

¹²Let our sons in their youth

grow like plants.

Let our daughters be

like the decorated stones in the Temple.

¹³Let our barns be filled

with crops of all kinds.

Let our sheep in the fields have

thousands and tens of thousands of lambs.

¹⁴Let our cattle be strong.

Let no one break in.

Let there be no war,

no screams in our streets.

¹⁵Happy are those who are like this;

happy are the people whose God is the LORD.

Trust

A Prayer of Faith in Troubled Times

Psalm 31

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. A PSALM OF DAVID.

¹LORD, I trust in you;

let me never be disgraced.

Save me because you do what is right.

²Listen to me

and save me quickly.

Be my rock of protection,

a strong city to save me.

³You are my rock and my protection.

For the good of your name, lead me and guide me.

⁴Set me free from the trap they set for me,

because you are my protection.

⁵I give you my life.

Save me, LORD, God of truth.

⁶I hate those who worship false gods.

I trust only in the LORD.

⁷I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

because you saw my suffering;

you knew my troubles.

⁸You have not handed me over to my enemies

but have set me in a safe place.

⁹LORD, have mercy, because I am in misery.

My eyes are weak from so much crying,

and my whole being is tired from grief.

¹⁰My life is ending in sadness,

and my years are spent in crying.

My troubles are using up my strength,

and my bones are getting weaker.

¹¹Because of all my troubles, my enemies hate me,

and even my neighbors look down on me.

When my friends see me,

they are afraid and run.

¹²I am like a piece of a broken pot.

I am forgotten as if I were dead.

¹³I have heard many insults.

Terror is all around me.

They make plans against me

and want to kill me.

¹⁴LORD, I trust you.

I have said, “You are my God.”

¹⁵My life is in your hands.

Save me from my enemies

and from those who are chasing me.

¹⁶Show your kindness to me, your servant.

Save me because of your love.

¹⁷LORD, I called to you,

so do not let me be disgraced.

Let the wicked be disgraced

and lie silent in the grave.

¹⁸With pride and hatred

they speak against those who do right.

So silence their lying lips.

¹⁹How great is your goodness

that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you have given to those who trust you.

You do this for all to see.

²⁰You protect them by your presence

from what people plan against them.

You shelter them from evil words.

²¹Praise the LORD.

His love to me was wonderful

when my city was attacked.

²²In my distress, I said,

“God cannot see me!”

But you heard my prayer

when I cried out to you for help.

²³Love the LORD, all you who belong to him.

The LORD protects those who truly believe,

but he punishes the proud as much as they have sinned.

²⁴All you who put your hope in the LORD

be strong and brave.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Praise and Prayer for Help

Psalm 40

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. A PSALM OF DAVID.

¹I waited patiently for the LORD.

He turned to me and heard my cry.

²He lifted me out of the pit of destruction,

out of the sticky mud.

He stood me on a rock

and made my feet steady.

³He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many people will see this and worship him.

Then they will trust the LORD.

⁴Happy is the person

who trusts the LORD,

who doesn’t turn to those who are proud

or to those who worship false gods.

⁵LORD my God, you have done many miracles.

Your plans for us are many.

If I tried to tell them all,

there would be too many to count.

⁶You do not want sacrifices and offerings.

But you have made a hole in my ear

to show that my body and life are yours.

You do not ask for burnt offerings

and sacrifices to take away sins.

⁷Then I said, “Look, I have come.

It is written about me in the book.

⁸My God, I want to do what you want.

Your teachings are in my heart.”

⁹I will tell about your goodness in the great meeting of your people.

LORD, you know my lips are not silent.

¹⁰I do not hide your goodness in my heart;

I speak about your loyalty and salvation.

I do not hide your love and truth

from the people in the great meeting.

¹¹LORD, do not hold back your mercy from me;

let your love and truth always protect me.

¹²Troubles have surrounded me;

there are too many to count.

My sins have caught me

so that I cannot see a way to escape.

I have more sins than hairs on my head,

and I have lost my courage.

¹³Please, LORD, save me.

Hurry, LORD, to help me.

¹⁴People are trying to kill me.

Shame them and disgrace them.

People want to hurt me.

Let them run away in disgrace.

¹⁵People are making fun of me.

Let them be shamed into silence.

¹⁶But let those who follow you

be happy and glad.

They love you for saving them.

May they always say, “Praise the LORD!”

¹⁷Lord, because I am poor and helpless,

please remember me.

You are my helper and savior.

My God, do not wait.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Trusting God for Help

Psalm 56

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. TO THE TUNE OF “THE DOVE IN THE
DISTANT OAK.” A MIKTAM OF DAVID WHEN THE PHILISTINES
CAPTURED HIM IN GATH.

¹God, be merciful to me because people are chasing me;

the battle has pressed me all day long.

²My enemies have chased me all day;

there are many proud people fighting me.

³When I am afraid,

I will trust you.

⁴I praise God for his word.

I trust God, so I am not afraid.

What can human beings do to me?

⁵All day long they twist my words;

all their evil plans are against me.

⁶They wait. They hide.

They watch my steps,

hoping to kill me.

⁷God, do not let them escape;

punish the foreign nations in your anger.

⁸You have recorded my troubles.

You have kept a list of my tears.

Aren’t they in your records?

⁹On the day I call for help, my enemies will be defeated.

I know that God is on my side.

¹⁰I praise God for his word to me;

I praise the LORD for his word.

¹¹I trust in God. I will not be afraid.

What can people do to me?

¹²God, I must keep my promises to you.

I will give you my offerings to thank you,

¹³because you have saved me from death.

You have kept me from being defeated.

So I will walk with God

in light among the living.

Thanksgiving

God the Judge

Psalm 75

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. TO THE TUNE OF “DO NOT DESTROY.”
A PSALM OF ASAPH. A SONG.

¹God, we thank you;

we thank you because you are near.

We tell about the miracles you do.

²You say, “I set the time for trial,

and I will judge fairly.

³The earth with all its people may shake,

but I am the one who holds it steady.

Selah

⁴I say to those who are proud, ‘Don’t brag,’

and to the wicked, ‘Don’t show your power.

⁵Don’t try to use your power against heaven.

Don’t be stubborn.’”

⁶No one from the east or the west

or the desert can judge you.

⁷God is the judge;

he judges one person as guilty and another as innocent.

⁸The LORD holds a cup of anger in his hand;

it is full of wine mixed with spices.

He pours it out even to the last drop,

and the wicked drink it all.

⁹I will tell about this forever;

I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰He will take all power away from the wicked,

but the power of good people will grow.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Israel’s Failure to Trust God

Psalm 106

¹Praise the LORD!

Thank the LORD because he is good.

His love continues forever.

²No one can tell all the mighty things the LORD has done;

no one can speak all his praise.

³Happy are those who do right,

who do what is fair at all times.

⁴LORD, remember me when you are kind to your people;

help me when you save them.

⁵Let me see the good things you do for your chosen people.

Let me be happy along with your happy nation;

let me join your own people in praising you.

⁶We have sinned just as our ancestors did.

We have done wrong; we have done evil.

⁷Our ancestors in Egypt

did not learn from your miracles.

They did not remember all your kindnesses,

so they turned against you at the Red Sea.

⁸But the LORD saved them for his own sake,

to show his great power.

⁹He commanded the Red Sea, and it dried up.

He led them through the deep sea as if it were a desert.

¹⁰He saved them from those who hated them.

He saved them from their enemies,

¹¹and the water covered their foes.

Not one of them escaped.

¹²Then the people believed what the LORD said,

and they sang praises to him.

¹³But they quickly forgot what he had done;

they did not wait for his advice.

¹⁴They became greedy for food in the desert,

and they tested God there.

¹⁵So he gave them what they wanted,

but he also sent a terrible disease among them.

¹⁶The people in the camp were jealous of Moses

and of Aaron, the holy priest of the LORD.

¹⁷Then the ground opened up and swallowed Dathan

and closed over Abiram’s group.

¹⁸A fire burned among their followers,

and flames burned up the wicked.

¹⁹The people made a gold calf at Mount Sinai

and worshiped a metal statue.

²⁰They exchanged their glorious God

for a statue of a bull that eats grass.

²¹They forgot the God who saved them,

who had done great things in Egypt,

²²who had done miracles in Egypt^£

and amazing things by the Red Sea.

²³So God said he would destroy them.

But Moses, his chosen one, stood before him

and stopped God’s anger from destroying them.

²⁴Then they refused to go into the beautiful land of Canaan;

they did not believe what God promised.

²⁵They grumbled in their tents

and did not obey the LORD.

²⁶So he swore to them

that they would die in the desert.

²⁷He said their children would be killed by other nations

and that they would be scattered among other countries.

²⁸They joined in worshiping Baal at Peor

and ate meat that had been sacrificed to lifeless statues.

²⁹They made the LORD angry by what they did,

so many people became sick with a terrible disease.

³⁰But Phinehas prayed to the LORD,

and the disease stopped.

³¹Phinehas did what was right,

and it will be remembered from now on.

³²The people also made the LORD angry at Meribah,

and Moses was in trouble because of them.

³³The people turned against the Spirit of God,

so Moses spoke without stopping to think.

³⁴The people did not destroy the other nations

as the LORD had told them to do.

³⁵Instead, they mixed with the other nations

and learned their customs.

³⁶They worshiped other nations’ idols

and were trapped by them.

³⁷They even killed their sons and daughters

as sacrifices to demons.

³⁸They killed innocent people,

their own sons and daughters,

as sacrifices to the idols of Canaan.

So the land was made unholy by their blood.

³⁹The people became unholy by their sins;

they were unfaithful to God in what they did.

⁴⁰So the LORD became angry with his people

and hated his own children.

⁴¹He handed them over to other nations

and let their enemies rule over them.

⁴²Their enemies were cruel to them

and kept them under their power.

⁴³The LORD saved his people many times,

but they continued to turn against him.

So they became even more wicked.

⁴⁴But God saw their misery

when he heard their cry.

⁴⁵He remembered his agreement with them,

and he felt sorry for them because of his great love.

⁴⁶He caused them to be pitied

by those who held them captive.

⁴⁷LORD our God, save us

and bring us back from other nations.

Then we will thank you

and will gladly praise you.

⁴⁸Praise the LORD, the God of Israel.

He always was and always will be.

Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the LORD!

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

God’s Love Continues Forever

Psalm 136

¹Give thanks to the LORD because he is good.

His love continues forever.

²Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love continues forever.

³Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His love continues forever.

⁴Only he can do great miracles.

His love continues forever.

⁵With his wisdom he made the skies.

His love continues forever.

⁶He spread out the earth on the seas.

His love continues forever.

⁷He made the sun and the moon.

His love continues forever.

⁸He made the sun to rule the day.

His love continues forever.

⁹He made the moon and stars to rule the night.

His love continues forever.

¹⁰He killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.

His love continues forever.

¹¹He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt.

His love continues forever.

¹²He did it with his great power and strength.

His love continues forever.

¹³He parted the water of the Red Sea.

His love continues forever.

¹⁴He brought the Israelites through the middle of it.

His love continues forever.

¹⁵But the king of Egypt and his army drowned in the Red Sea.

His love continues forever.

¹⁶He led his people through the desert.

His love continues forever.

¹⁷He defeated great kings.

His love continues forever.

¹⁸He killed powerful kings.

His love continues forever.

¹⁹He defeated Sihon king of the Amorites.

His love continues forever.

²⁰He defeated Og king of Bashan.

His love continues forever.

²¹He gave their land as a gift.

His love continues forever.

²²It was a gift to his servants, the Israelites.

His love continues forever.

²³He remembered us when we were in trouble.

His love continues forever.

²⁴He freed us from our enemies.

His love continues forever.

²⁵He gives food to every living creature.

His love continues forever.

²⁶Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love continues forever.

Sin and Repentence

A Prayer for God to Guide

Psalm 25

OF DAVID.

¹LORD, I give myself to you;

²my God, I trust you.

Do not let me be disgraced;

do not let my enemies laugh at me.

³No one who trusts you will be disgraced,

but those who sin without excuse will be disgraced.

⁴LORD, tell me your ways.

Show me how to live.

⁵Guide me in your truth,

and teach me, my God, my Savior.

I trust you all day long.

⁶LORD, remember your mercy and love

that you have shown since long ago.

⁷Do not remember the sins

and wrong things I did when I was young.

But remember to love me always

because you are good, LORD.

⁸The LORD is good and right;

he points sinners to the right way.

⁹He shows those who are humble how to do right,

and he teaches them his ways.

¹⁰All the LORD’S ways are loving and true

for those who follow the demands of his agreement.

¹¹For the sake of your name, LORD,

forgive my many sins.

¹²Are there those who respect the LORD?

He will point them to the best way.

¹³They will enjoy a good life,

and their children will inherit the land.

¹⁴The LORD tells his secrets to those who respect him;

he tells them about his agreement.

¹⁵My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help.

He will keep me from any traps.

¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy on me,

because I am lonely and hurting.

¹⁷My troubles have grown larger;

free me from my problems.

¹⁸Look at my suffering and troubles,

and take away all my sins.

¹⁹Look at how many enemies I have!

See how much they hate me!

²⁰Protect me and save me.

I trust you, so do not let me be disgraced.

²¹My hope is in you,

so may goodness and honesty guard me.

²²God, save Israel from all their troubles!

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

It Is Better to Confess Sin

Psalm 32

A MASKIL OF DAVID.

¹Happy is the person

whose sins are forgiven,

whose wrongs are pardoned.

²Happy is the person

whom the LORD does not consider guilty

and in whom there is nothing false.

³When I kept things to myself,

I felt weak deep inside me.

I moaned all day long.

⁴Day and night you punished me.

My strength was gone as in the summer heat.

Selah

⁵Then I confessed my sins to you

and didn’t hide my guilt.

I said, “I will confess my sins to the LORD,”

and you forgave my guilt.

Selah

⁶For this reason, all who obey you

should pray to you while they still can.

When troubles rise like a flood,

they will not reach them.

⁷You are my hiding place.

You protect me from my troubles

and fill me with songs of salvation.

Selah

⁸The LORD says, “I will make you wise and show you where to go.

I will guide you and watch over you.

⁹So don’t be like a horse or donkey,

that doesn’t understand.

They must be led with bits and reins,

or they will not come near you.”

¹⁰Wicked people have many troubles,

but the LORD’S love surrounds those who trust him.

¹¹Good people, rejoice and be happy in the LORD.

Sing all you whose hearts are right.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

A Prayer in Time of Sickness

Psalm 38

A PSALM OF DAVID TO REMEMBER.

¹LORD, don’t correct me when you are angry.

Don’t punish me when you are furious.

²Your arrows have wounded me,

and your hand has come down on me.

³My body is sick from your punishment.

Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin.

⁴My guilt has overwhelmed me;

like a load it weighs me down.

⁵My sores stink and become infected

because I was foolish.

⁶I am bent over and bowed down;

I am sad all day long.

⁷I am burning with fever,

and my whole body is sore.

⁸I am weak and faint.

I moan from the pain I feel.

⁹Lord, you know everything I want;

my cries are not hidden from you.

¹⁰My heart pounds, and my strength is gone.

I am losing my sight.

¹¹Because of my wounds, my friends and neighbors avoid me,

and my relatives stay far away.

¹²Some people set traps to kill me.

Those who want to hurt me plan trouble;

all day long they think up lies.

¹³I am like a deaf man; I cannot hear.

Like a mute, I cannot speak.

¹⁴I am like a person who does not hear,

who has no answer to give.

¹⁵I trust you, LORD.

You will answer, my Lord and God.

¹⁶I said, “Don’t let them laugh at me

or brag when I am defeated.”

¹⁷I am about to die,

and I cannot forget my pain.

¹⁸I confess my guilt;

I am troubled by my sin.

¹⁹My enemies are strong and healthy,

and many hate me for no reason.

²⁰They repay me with evil for the good I did.

They lie about me because I try to do good.

²¹LORD, don’t leave me;

my God, don’t go away.

²²Quickly come and help me,

my Lord and Savior.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

A Prayer for Forgiveness

Psalm 51

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. A PSALM OF DAVID WHEN THE
PROPHET NATHAN CAME TO DAVID AFTER DAVID’S SIN WITH
BATHSHEBA.

¹God, be merciful to me

because you are loving.

Because you are always ready to be merciful,

wipe out all my wrongs.

²Wash away all my guilt

and make me clean again.

³I know about my wrongs,

and I can’t forget my sin.

⁴You are the only one I have sinned against;

I have done what you say is wrong.

You are right when you speak

and fair when you judge.

⁵I was brought into this world in sin.

In sin my mother gave birth to me.

⁶You want me to be completely truthful,

so teach me wisdom.

⁷Take away my sin, and I will be clean.

Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Make me hear sounds of joy and gladness;

let the bones you crushed be happy again.

⁹Turn your face from my sins

and wipe out all my guilt.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart, God,

and make my spirit right again.

¹¹Do not send me away from you

or take your Holy Spirit away from me.

¹²Give me back the joy of your salvation.

Keep me strong by giving me a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach your ways to those who do wrong,

and sinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴God, save me from the guilt of murder,

God of my salvation,

and I will sing about your goodness.

¹⁵Lord, let me speak

so I may praise you.

¹⁶You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give them.

You don’t want burnt offerings.

¹⁷The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit.

God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

¹⁸Do whatever good you wish for Jerusalem.

Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then you will be pleased with right sacrifices and whole burnt offerings,

and bulls will be offered on your altar.