⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
    and all the peoples behold his glory.
⁷ All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    those who make their boast in worthless idols;
    all gods bow down before him.
⁸ Zion hears and is glad,
    and the towns^[a] of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O God.
⁹ For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰ The Lord loves those who hate^[b] evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful;
he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
¹¹ Light dawns^[c] for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
¹² Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
⁴ Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
    and blameless when you pass judgment.
⁵ Indeed, I was born guilty,
    a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶ You desire truth in the inward being;^[a]
    therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and put a new and right^[b] spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from your presence,
    and do not take your holy spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and sustain in me a willing^[c] spirit.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ For you have no delight in sacrifice;
    if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
¹⁷ The sacrifice acceptable to God^[d] is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸ Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
¹⁹ then you will delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
    and all the peoples behold his glory.
⁷ All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    those who make their boast in worthless idols;
    all gods bow down before him.
⁸ Zion hears and is glad,
    and the towns^[a] of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O God.
⁹ For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰ The Lord loves those who hate^[b] evil;
    he guards the lives of his faithful;
    he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
¹¹ Light dawns^[c] for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
¹² Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name!

Prayer:
Holy God, your love is higher than the heavens and your grace is wider than the sea.  Awaken our hearts to the joy of your presence and open our lips to sing your praise.
Today we thank you for (personal thanksgiving)…..
Watch over your world and those whom we love.  Address those things which weigh heavy on our hearts.  Especially we pray for….
Amen.

³ You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to my servant David:
⁴ ‘I will establish your descendants forever,
    and build your throne for all generations.’”Selah

⁵ Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
⁷ a God feared in the council of the holy ones,
    great and awesome^[b] above all that are around him?
⁸ O Lord God of hosts,
    who is as mighty as you, O Lord?
    Your faithfulness surrounds you.
⁹ You rule the raging of the sea;
    when its waves rise, you still them.
¹⁰ You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
    you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
¹¹ The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;
    the world and all that is in it—you have founded them.
¹² The north and the south^[c]—you created them;
    Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
¹³ You have a mighty arm;
    strong is your hand, high your right hand.
¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
¹⁵ Happy are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance;
¹⁶ they exult in your name all day long,
    and extol^[d] your righteousness.
¹⁷ For you are the glory of their strength;
    by your favor our horn is exalted.
¹⁸ For our shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Prayer:
Eternal God, you never fail to give us each day all that we ever need, and even more.  Give us such joy in living and such peace in serving Christ, that we may gratefully make use of all your blessings, and joyfully seek our risen Lord in every one we meet.  In Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen.

³ For my days pass away like smoke,
    and my bones burn like a furnace.
⁴ My heart is stricken and withered like grass;
    I am too wasted to eat my bread.
⁵ Because of my loud groaning
    my bones cling to my skin.
⁶ I am like an owl of the wilderness,
    like a little owl of the waste places.
⁷ I lie awake;
    I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
⁸ All day long my enemies taunt me;
    those who deride me use my name for a curse.
⁹ For I eat ashes like bread,
    and mingle tears with my drink,
¹⁰ because of your indignation and anger;
    for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.
¹¹ My days are like an evening shadow;
    I wither away like grass.

¹² But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
    your name endures to all generations.
¹³ You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
    for it is time to favor it;
    the appointed time has come.
¹⁴ For your servants hold its stones dear,
    and have pity on its dust.
¹⁵ The nations will fear the name of the Lord,
    and all the kings of the earth your glory.
¹⁶ For the Lord will build up Zion;
    he will appear in his glory.
¹⁷ He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
    and will not despise their prayer.

¹⁸ Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
    so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
¹⁹ that he looked down from his holy height,
    from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
²⁰ to hear the groans of the prisoners,
    to set free those who were doomed to die;
²¹ so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion,
    and his praise in Jerusalem,
²² when peoples gather together,
    and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

²³ He has broken my strength in midcourse;
    he has shortened my days.
²⁴ “O my God,” I say, “do not take me away
    at the midpoint of my life,
you whose years endure
    throughout all generations.”

²⁵ Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
²⁶ They will perish, but you endure;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away;
²⁷     but you are the same, and your years have no end.
²⁸ The children of your servants shall live secure;
    their offspring shall be established in your presence.

Prayer:
Eternal God, we thank you for being with us today, and for every sign of your truth and love in Jesus Christ.  Especially we thank you for the gift of peace in Christ…
reconciliation in our relationships…
each new insight into your love…
energy and courage to share your love…
the ministries of the church…
(other prayers of thanksgiving)…
Gracious God, we remember in our own hearts the needs of others that we may reach up to claim your love for them, and reach out to give your love in the name of Christ.
Especially we pray for
racial harmony and justice…
those who are imprisoned…
strangers we have met or will meet today…
friends who are bereaved…
(other prayers of intercession)…
AMEN.

⁴ For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil will not sojourn with you.
⁵ The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
    you hate all evildoers.
⁶ You destroy those who speak lies;
    the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.

⁷ But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in awe of you.
⁸ Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.

⁹ For there is no truth in their mouths;
    their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
    they flatter with their tongues.
¹⁰ Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
    so that those who love your name may exult in you.
¹² For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you cover them with favor as with a shield.

Prayer:  For the prayer today, make a list of your own thanksgivings and your concerns.  As you pray, claim the promises of God and lift your concerns.

⁴ Happy are those who make
    the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after false gods.
⁵ You have multiplied, O Lordmy God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
    they would be more than can be counted.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
    but you have given me an open ear.^[b]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me.^[c]
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.
¹⁰ I have not hidden your saving help within my heart,
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

¹¹ Do not, O Lord, withhold
    your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    keep me safe forever.
¹² For evils have encompassed me
    without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails me.

¹³ Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
    O Lord, make haste to help me.
¹⁴ Let all those be put to shame and confusion
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who desire my hurt.
¹⁵ Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

¹⁶ But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
¹⁷ As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God.