We’re reading through, and with intentionality, praying through the Psalms during this school year. There are 150 Psalms, divided into 180 different readings. See this post for more info.
Here is today’s prayer, preceded by the text from the Contemporary English Version, copyright 1995, by the America Bible Society.
Our Lord, in all generations
you have been our home.
2 You have always been God—
long before the birth
of the mountains,
even before you created
the earth and the world.
3 At your command we die
and turn back to dust,
4 but a thousand years
mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
or a few hours in the night.
5 You bring our lives to an end
just like a dream.
We are merely tender grass
6 that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
but dries up by evening.
7 Your furious anger frightens
and destroys us,
8 and you know all of our sins,
even those we do in secret.
9 Your anger is a burden
each day we live,
then life ends like a sigh.
10 We can expect seventy years,
or maybe eighty,
if we are healthy,
but even our best years
bring trouble and sorrow.
Suddenly our time is up,
and we disappear.
11 No one knows the full power
of your furious anger,
but it is as great as the fear
that we owe to you.
12 Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.
13 Help us, Lord! Don’t wait!
Pity your servants.
14 When morning comes,
let your love satisfy
all our needs.
Then we can celebrate
and be glad for what time
we have left.
15 Make us happy for as long
as you caused us trouble
and sorrow.
16 Do wonderful things for us,
your servants,
and show your mighty power
to our children.
17 Our Lord and our God,
treat us with kindness
and let all go well for us.
Please let all go well!
Teach us to make every day count. Let us celebrate you each morning with great joy. Let us count our blessings today.
Here is today’s prayer:
Psalm 90
God. Abba. Father.
We rejoice for you have always been our shelter, our home. Before time began, you were and you are the One True God. We worship you today.
Time is so different for you, compared to our life’s journey. To you, a single day and a thousand years are the same. You have numbered our days. We are born. We die. In the days before you gave the world your son, those who walked the earth then feared your anger each day of their lives. Today, thanks to your favor, we know that our life is an eternal life… our time on earth is just the beginning of forever for each one of us.
Teach us to make every day count. Let us celebrate you each morning with great joy! Let us count our blessings today. Let us look with gratitude on the days we have lived. Like the ocean waves that never cease, let us remember your great love — extended to us through our life experiences, our family and friends, to our times of worship to you, our great King; your faithfulness will extend throughout all eternity. We confess that it’s difficult for us to get our head around that, but we trust you and we look forward to an endless season in your presence.
We ask that you give us happiness and true joy today, and for the rest of our days on earth, as we trust in you. We pray you will show us your power and your unfailing love. Treat us with kindness. May the work of our hands bring you glory. Give us your peace.
Through Jesus we pray.
Amen.
(c) 2021. Rich Ronald.
RichRonald.com 