Today's prayer: Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.

Psalm 56

1

Psalm 56 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "A Dove on Distant Oaks." Of David. A miktam. ^[1] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

1

Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.

2

My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.

3

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

4

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

5

All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.

6

They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life.

7

On no account let them escape; in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

8

Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll ^[2] -- are they not in your record?

9

Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.

10

In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise--

11

in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12

I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.

13

For you have delivered me ^[3] from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life

Today's bible teaching: O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come

Psalm 65

1

Psalm 65 For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

1

Praise awaits ^[1] you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.

2

O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.

3

When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave ^[2] our transgressions.

4

Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

5

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,

6

who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,

7

who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.

8

Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.

9

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. ^[3]

10

You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

11

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

12

The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.

13

The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.

Today's bible teaching: How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?

Psalm 74

1

Psalm 74 A maskil ^[1] of Asaph.

1

Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

2

Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed-- Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

3

Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

4

Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.

5

They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.

6

They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.

7

They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

8

They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

9

We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.

10

How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?

11

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

12

But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.

13

It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

14

It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.

15

It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers.

16

The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

17

It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

18

Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name.

19

Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

20

Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

21

Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.

22

Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.

23

Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

Today's bible teaching: Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 31

1

Psalm 31 For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

2

Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

3

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4

Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

5

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

6

I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.

7

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

8

You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9

Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.

10

My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, ^[1] and my bones grow weak.

11

Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends-- those who see me on the street flee from me.

12

I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.

13

For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

14

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."

15

My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

16

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.

17

Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. ^[2]

18

Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

20

In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

21

Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.

22

In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

23

Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Today's bible teaching: All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.

Psalm 64

1

Psalm 64 For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1

Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

2

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

3

They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

4

They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

5

They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them ^[1] ?"

6

They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

7

But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.

8

He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

9

All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.

10

Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!

Today's bible teaching: Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty-- he is the King of glory

Psalm 24

1

Psalm 24 Of David. A psalm.

1

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

2

for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

3

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?

4

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. ^[1]

5

He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.

6

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. ^[2] Selah

7

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

8

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9

Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

10

Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty-- he is the King of glory. Selah

Today's bible teaching: They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for he has done it.

Psalm 22

1

Psalm 22 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David.

1

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

2

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

3

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. ^[1]

4

In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

5

They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

7

All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8

"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."

9

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.

10

From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13

Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.

14

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

15

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me ^[2] in the dust of death.

16

Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced ^[3] my hands and my feet.

17

I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.

18

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

19

But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20

Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save ^[4] me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22

I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.

23

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24

For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

25

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you ^[5] will I fulfill my vows.

26

The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him-- may your hearts live forever!

27

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,

28

for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.

29

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him-- those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

31

They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for he has done it.