Praying the Psalms: Wed, 21 Nov – Psalm 124 ~ What if the Lord had not been on our side?

Praying the Psalms

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

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 124 (NLT) – A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

What if the Lord had not been on our side?

Let all Israel repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?

They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger.
The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.

Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: Were it not for you, we would be lost –

+ for you delivered us from calamity…
+ for you delivered us from evil…
+ for you delivered us from bondage…
+ for you delivered us from temptation…

O Lord our God: Blessed be your holy Name; you are for us, not against us. We are forgiven and set free through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
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“Psalm 124” – UNC Wilmington’s concert choir / written by UNCW music student Kyle Miller

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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.

Praying the Psalms: Tue, 20 Nov – Psalm 123 ~ Lord have mercy.

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 123 (NLT) – A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.

We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt. We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant.
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: We look to you in our times of trouble; have mercy on us –

+ for you judge the earth in righteousness and truth…
+ for you are the hope of the downtrodden and oppressed…
+ for you are the refuge of the suffering and afflicted…
+ for you are the redeemer of our sin-sick souls…
+ for you are the giver of life, satisfying and eternal…

O Lord our God: We look to you in our times of trouble; have mercy on us, and be gracious to us – through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives in unity with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.
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“Psalms 123” (Unto You I Lift Up My Eyes) – Zion’s Sake

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

Praying the Psalms: Mon, 19 Nov – Psalm 122 ~ Pray for peace in Jerusalem.

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 122 (NLT) – A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached. All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel. Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David.

Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: You have chosen old Jerusalem as the locus of your saving activity among us. Fill us with the joy of pilgrimage –

+ that we may delight in its holy places in spirit and in truth…
+ that we may wonder at its restoration after forfeiting its glory…
+ that we may worship with other believers from around the world…
+ that we may rest in the shadow of your justice and mercy…
+ that we may pray for its peace, and the prosperity of its people…

O Lord our God: You have chosen new Jerusalem as the locus of your return in glory. Fill us with the joy of heavenly citizenship, and prepare us to welcome our coming King, Jesus Christ – in whose name we pray. Amen.
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“Psalm 122” (Sha’alu shelom Yerushalayim) – Waltraud Rennebaum

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

Praying the Psalms: Sat, 17 Nov – Psalm 121 ~ My help comes from the Lord

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 121 (NLT) – A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: You are our ever-present help in our times of trouble –

+ thank you for your covenant faithfulness to us…
+ thank you for your providential care for us…
+ thank you for the preservation of our souls…
+ thank you for the perspective of eternity…
+ thank you for working for our good in all things…

O Lord our God: You are our ever-present help in our times of trouble. Fill us with the peace and joy of our salvation through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives in unity with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.
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“Psalm 121” (A PSALM FOR HELP) – Heather Sorenson

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

Praying the Psalms: Fri, 16 Nov – Psalm 120 ~ Rescue us from deceitful liars.

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 120 (NLT) – A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer. Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people.

O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you? How will he increase your punishment? You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals.

How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar. I am tired of living among people who hate peace. I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, they want war!
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: Rescue us from the deceitful liars all around us –

+ deliver the godly from the false, the treacherous, and the cruel…
+ sustain the godly, especially the powerless, by the power of your Spirit…

O Lord our God: Judge our neighbors with righteousness and truth…

+ bless those who bless the godly…
+ curse those who curse the godly…

O Lord our God: We live as strangers in alien and hostile environments. Pour out your Spirit – that we might live blamelessly, exhibiting love, joy, and peace, while we await your coming in power to judge the living and the dead – through Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.
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“Psalm 120” (I Am A Man of Peace) – Jason Coghill