Psalm and Prayer of the Day May 13, 2020

Posted on by

Psalm 99

Praise to God for His Holiness

1 The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble!
    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name.
    Holy is he!
4 Mighty King,[a] lover of justice,
    you have established equity;
you have executed justice
    and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Extol the Lord our God;
    worship at his footstool.
    Holy is he!

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
    Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
    They cried to the Lord, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
    they kept his decrees,
    and the statutes that he gave them.

8 O Lord our God, you answered them;
    you were a forgiving God to them,
    but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Extol the Lord our God,
    and worship at his holy mountain;
    for the Lord our God is holy.

(Spend a moment offering prayers of thanksgiving and intercession)

Eternal God, your hand shaped our lives by grace and your hand rescued us from sin by love. May your hand guide us through this day, shielding us from all evil, strengthening us to do justice and love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

(from Daily Prayers)

Posted in Uncategorized

Psalm and Prayer of the Day

Posted on by

Psalm 116

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
5
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6
The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9
I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10
I kept my faith, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11
I said in my consternation,
“Everyone is a liar.”
12
What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
13
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
16
O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

 

Prayer:
Attentive God, you hear our prayers when we offer them with joy and when we are lost in despair.  You hear our prayers when we are confused and angered and when we are strong and at peace.  Hear us today as we offer thanks for your attentiveness and for your understanding.  Hear us today as we lift up our world in all its turmoil.  We have so many questions, concerns, hopes, and fears.  You are with us through all of life, even when life is uncomfortable, inconvenient, dangerous, and unsure.  We cling to your presence in this time.  May your gift of faith anchor us, your gift of grace temper us, and your gift of peace accompany us.  In Christ we pray, Amen.

Posted in Uncategorized

Christian Ed Opportunity: Being In Relationship

Posted on by

There is a FREE online Christian education opportunity titled Being in Relationship starting soon. It is offered as a collaboration between Our Bible App and Auburn Seminary. (Auburn Seminary has a covenant agreement with PC(USA) for education of pastors and other leaders.) From their web site:

This program has been created for you if you have not been affirming or accepting of LGBTQ+ people. You recognize that LGBTQ+ people attend your church, your school and are even a part of your family. As a result, you would like to learn how to better understand, serve and be in community with them.

The class consists of four seminars that are scheduled every three weeks, starting May 14, 2020. This is an excellent opportunity if you would like to learn more, but are hesitant to discuss sensitive issues with people in our congregation or others who are close to you. If you have any questions, visit the program’s web site (https://www.ourbibleapp.com/bir) or contact Jonathan Kimball.

Posted in Uncategorized

Psalm and Prayer of the Day 5/8/20

Posted on by

Psalm 141

Prayer for Preservation from Evil

A Psalm of David.

1 I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me;
    give ear to my voice when I call to you.
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not turn my heart to any evil,
    to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with those who work iniquity;
    do not let me eat of their delicacies.

5 Let the righteous strike me;
    let the faithful correct me.
Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head,[a]
    for my prayer is continually[b]against their wicked deeds.
6 When they are given over to those who shall condemn them,
    then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.
7 Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land,
    so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.[c]

8 But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I alone escape.

Prayer:

This world can be troubling in so many ways. We lament and confess  the racism which leads to murder.  We lament and confess  the greed which leads to income disparity and abject poverty. We lament and confess selfishness which leads to self-righteous disregard for our fellow human beings.  We lament and confess our anxiety and fear which leads to ideologies affirming hatred and violence. Transform us. Change us. Reform us. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Posted in Uncategorized

Prayer and Psalm of the Day 5/7/20

Posted on by

Psalm 113

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
    praise the name of the Lord.

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time on and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

Prayer

To you, O God, we give up the burdens of this day, trusting in your love and mercy. To you, O God, we surrender ourselves, trusting our risen Lord to lead us always in the way of peace, today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.

Posted in Uncategorized

Psalm and Prayer of the Day 5/6/20

Posted on by

Psalm 9

God’s Power and Justice

To the leader: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
    I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turned back,
    they stumbled and perished before you.
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
    you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.

5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;
    you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
    their cities you have rooted out;
    the very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever,
    he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He judges the world with righteousness;
    he judges the peoples with equity.

9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
    Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
    he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be gracious to me, O Lord.
    See what I suffer from those who hate me;
    you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may recount all your praises,
    and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
    rejoice in your deliverance.

15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
    in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16 The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
    the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.Higgaion. Selah

17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
    all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
    nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

19 Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
    let the nations be judged before you.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord;
    let the nations know that they are only human.Selah

Prayer

Give is peace, O God, that we may rejoice in your goodness to us and to all your children, and be thankful for your love revealed in Jesus Christ. We thank you for surprises that have blessed us, people who share their gifts, who offer hospitality, who are true to you and your goodness. We pray for those who suffer from other’s selfishness, who feel defeated and hopeless, who are sick and discouraged. May we be confident in your care for us and all your children. May we know your peace in all times and in every way. Amen.

Posted in Uncategorized

Psalm and Prayer of the Day 5/5/2020

Posted on by

Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
    my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
    I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
    our God is merciful.
6 The Lord protects the simple;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest,
    for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the Lord
    in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my consternation,
    “Everyone is a liar.”

12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

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…

ministries of the church…

(additional 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…

people suffering from the Coronavirus and other illnesses…

healthcare workers who feel overwhelming strain…

those who are bereaved…

our nation’s leaders and citizens as we navigate through this time…

(additional prayers of intercession)

Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.  Amen

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Psalm and Prayer of the Day 5/4/2020

Posted on by

Psalm 115

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”

3 Our God is in the heavens;
    he does whatever he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    they make no sound in their throats.
8 Those who make them are like them;
    so are all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us;
    he will bless the house of Israel;
    he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord,
    both small and great.

14 May the Lord give you increase,
both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
    but the earth he has given to human beings.

17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
    nor do any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord
    from this time on and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!

Geeat God, You are the one who brings people together and makes us one in you. Bind up our wounds, heal our hearts, cure our ills. Bring hope and healing to the world as it struggles to contain a pandemic. Give wisdom to leaders who make decisions that affect us all. May we be the disciples you have called us to be even when we adapt to a changing world. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Posted in Uncategorized