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.
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With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am, I praise his holy name! With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been.
The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.
For all who are mistreated, the Lord brings justice. He taught his Law to Moses and showed all Israel what he could do.
The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails. The Lord won’t always be angry and point out our sins; he doesn’t punish us as our sins deserve.
How great is God’s love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth! How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west!
Just as parents are kind to their children, the Lord is kind to all who worship him, because he knows we are made of dust. We humans are like grass or wildflowers that quickly bloom. But a scorching wind blows, and they quickly wither to be forever forgotten. The Lord is always kind to those who worship him, and he keeps his promises to their descendants who faithfully obey him.
God has set up his kingdom in heaven, and he rules the whole creation. All of you mighty angels, who obey God’s commands, come and praise your Lord! All of you thousands who serve and obey God, come and praise your Lord! All of God’s creation and all that he rules, come and praise your Lord! With all my heart I praise the Lord!
You are kind and patient. Your love never fails.
Psalm 103:8
Here is today’s prayer from Psalm 103:
God. Abba. Father.
With all our hearts, we praise you today. From deep within our souls, we offer only thanksgiving to you, the great I Am. For you have blessed us far beyond what we deserve or even expect. You have forgiven our every sin. You ultimately heal every disease. Yes, through the grace of Jesus you have redeemed our very lives from being separated from you, oh God. You surround us with goodness and love. You have renewed our very bodies to be as that of a young and vibrant soul – like an eagle that soars majestically high above the earth.
You make everything right. You work for justice for all. Yes, in your mysterious ways, all who are guilty or those who have been mistreated are declared “innocent.” You are kind and patient. Your love never fails.
You are compassionate to all. You are slow to anger. You are rich in love — which you give freely to all of us. Yet if we were to honestly look at our own actions, our own sin, we would say your love is unmerited. But you don’t see our sin. Thanks to the action of Jesus on the cross, you do not pay us back for our wrongs. No, you have great love for those who worship you. You have even removed our sins as far as the sunrise is from the sunset.
Oh, Lord. You have great compassion for us — such love as a father or mother has for their very own children. You know everything about us. You know our hearts, our desires, our thoughts, and motives. And you still love us! We know that, in the scope of all eternity, our time on earth is but a vapor, like that of a flower which blooms for just a few days. Even still, you are always kind to us. And you will keep your promises to us and to our children and our children’s children.
Your throne is firmly established! You rule both heaven and earth. You are our great King! So, we join with the angels and praise your holy name! With our hearts we praise you. With our lips we praise you. We lift our hands to honor you and the unconditional love you have for us. Yes, with all that we are we praise your name!
And we thank you for Jesus!
Amen.
(c) 2021. Rich Ronald.
RichRonald.com 