Praying the Psalms

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
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Morning Reading: Psalm 144 (NLT) – A psalm of David.

Praise the Lord, who is my rock.

• He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.
• He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer.
• He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
• He makes the nations submit to me.

O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow.

Open the heavens, Lord, and come down.

• Touch the mountains so they billow smoke.
• Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies!
• Shoot your arrows and confuse them!
• Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies.

Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp. For you grant victory to kings! You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword. Save me! Rescue me from the power of my enemies.

Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace. May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands, and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares. Yes, joyful are those who live like this!

Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: We rely on your grace and mercy in the struggle for our souls –

+ for you are our strength in times of conflict…
+ for your are our righteousness in the turmoil of warfare…
+ for you are our fortress against assaults on our integrity…
+ for you are our shield and the defender of our souls…

O Lord our God: We rely on your grace and mercy in the struggle for our souls –

+ give us power in our battle against the spiritual forces of darkness…
+ give us victory over the wiles and schemes of the evil one…

O Lord our God: Thank you for the victory already won through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. Protect us by the power of your Spirit that we might live in peace, and our children might prosper. We ask through Jesus Christ, our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Psalm 144” (Praise the Lord Who Arms Me for the Fight) – Ian White

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.