Showing posts with label King David. Show all posts
Showing posts with label King David. Show all posts

November 20, 2020

Talking with God

 Psalm 144 – a prayer of David

 

How blessed You are, my Lord, my Rock,

for You prepare me for every conflict

and strengthen me to take on whatever comes.

 

You are my fortress – loving and kind,

my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield,

and the One in Whom I take refuge

as You subdue everyone who’s against me.

 

O, Lord, who are we that You

take note of us?

 

What is humankind that You

give us any thought?

 

We’re like a mere breath

with our days like a passing shadow.

 

Come down from Your heavens, O Lord.

Touch the mountains. Flash forth lightning.

 

Scatter Your enemies. Send out arrows

and confuse them.

 

Stretch forth Your hand from on high.

 

Rescue me! Deliver me from deep waters,

from the hands of deceitful people.

I don’t know them or why they do what they do!

 

To You, I’ll sing a new song, O God.

 

With stringed instruments, I’ll sing praises to You –

Savior of leaders,

Rescuer of Your servants.

Rescue me now! Deliver me from the hands

of deceitful people, who behave falsely,

but let our young people be like growing plants,

like beautiful pillars fashioned for a palace.

 

Give us a plentiful harvest with every kind of produce.

Let our flocks multiple and cover our fields.

Let our cattle be healthy and free of mishaps.

Let there be no reason to cry in the streets!

 

How blessed are Your people!

How blessed are those whose God is You, Lord!

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations researched on Bible Gateway then paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019. If you prefer prayers from the King James Version, see the Book of KJV Prayers. 

 

October 8, 2020

Praying to hear and be heard

 

Many Psalms began as the personal prayers of King David, who consistently turned to God with his problems and praise. These prayers and others in the Bible still speak for us today.

 

Psalm 143:1, 7-8

from the King James Version

 

Hear my prayer, O Lord,

give ear to my supplications:

in thy faithfulness answer me,

and in thy righteousness.

 

Hear me speedily, O Lord:

my spirit faileth:

hide not thy face from me,

lest I be like unto them

that go down into the pit.

 

Cause me to hear

thy loving kindness in the morning;

for in thee do I trust:

cause me to know the way

wherein I should walk;

for I lift up my soul unto thee.

 

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

 

 

Psalm 143:1, 7-8

paraphrased into everyday English

 

Hear my prayer, O Lord.

Bring Your ear close.

Answer me in Your righteousness,

Your faithfulness.

 

Answer me quickly,

for my spirit languishes!

If You hide Your face from me,

I’d be in the dark – in a pit!

 

Let me hear Your loving kindness

in the morning, Lord,

for I trust – oh, I trust –

in You!

 

Teach me the way in which

I should walk, for to You

I lift up my soul, my life.

For to You, I lift up my soul.

 

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

 

 

September 12, 2020

Praying for God to protect

King David, a strong man of God, found strength in praying for God’s protection. Many of his Bible prayers in the book of Psalms provide a pattern of praying for God to protect us in frightening times that threaten our safety.

Psalm 140:1, 7 – a prayer of David
from the King James Version

Deliver me, O Lord,
from the evil man:
preserve me
from the violent man;

O God the Lord,
the strength of my salvation,
thou hast covered my head
in the day of battle.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

 

Psalm 140:1, 7 – a prayer of David
in everyday English

Deliver me from evil, Lord!
Protect me from violence.

O Lord, my God,
my mighty Savior,
You have covered
my head for the battle.

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

 

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February 5, 2018

A Psalm to pray, to sing


Psalm 18:1-2

A psalm of David:
The servant of the Lord
sang this song to the Lord
on the day the Lord rescued him
from his enemies.


I love you, my Lord
You are my strength.
my rock,
my fortress,
my deliverer.

You are solid rock
in Whom
I find protection.
You are my shield,
the power Who saves me.

You are my
safe place.


Prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2018, with scriptures from Bible Gateway.

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