May God be gracious to us and bless us

Portion for reading : Psalms 67-69

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us, Selah

that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.

As smoke is blown away by the wind,
may you blow them away;
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.

But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

the earth shook,
the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.

Even while you sleep among the campfires,
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold."

The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains;
rugged are the mountains of Bashan.

The chariots of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.

When you ascended on high,
you led captives in your train;
you received gifts from men,
even from the rebellious—
that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.

Your procession has come into view, O God,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

Praise God in the great congregation;
praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.

Summon your power, O God;
show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.

You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!

Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.

I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.

I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.

Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.

You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from you.

May those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me,
O Lord, the LORD Almighty;
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me,
O God of Israel.

But I pray to you, O LORD,
in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.

Come near and rescue me;
redeem me because of my foes.

You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.

Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.

Pour out your wrath on them;
let your fierce anger overtake them.

May their place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

for God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;

the children of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will dwell there.

Souce : Biblegateway.com, Picture : wallpaperdave.com

Praise be to God

Portion for reading : Psalms 64-66

Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim their words like deadly arrows.

They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;
they say, "Who will see them?"

He will turn their own tongues against them
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD
and take refuge in him;
let all the upright in heart praise him!

Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.

Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,

You drench its furrows
and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
and bless its crops.

You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.

The grasslands of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name." Selah

He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.

He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah

You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.

I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.

If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;

but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.

Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

Source : BibleGateway.com / Picture Source - imagesource.allposters.com

Find Rest O My Soul In God Alone

Portion for reading : Psalms 61-63

Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.

I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah

May he be enthroned in God's presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

They fully intend to topple him
from his lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse. Selah

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. Selah

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.

But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Source : BibleGateway.com, Picture Source - Click

Deliver me from my enemies, O God

Portion For Reading Psalm 58-60
Psalm 58
Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge uprightly among men?

No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.

Then men will say,
"Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth."

Psalm 59
Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.

See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire against me
for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD.

See what they spew from their mouths—
they spew out swords from their lips,
and they say, "Who can hear us?"

But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
you scoff at all those nations.

O my Strength, I watch for you;
you, O God, are my fortress, 10 my loving God.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

But do not kill them, O Lord our shield,
or my people will forget.
In your might make them wander about,
and bring them down.

But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Psalm 60

You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us;
you have been angry-now restore us!

You have shaken the land and torn it open;
mend its fractures, for it is quaking.

Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.

God has spoken from his sanctuary:
"In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Succoth

Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?

Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?

Give us aid against the enemy,
for the help of man is worthless.

With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.

Source:biblegateway.com

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But I call to God,and the LORD saves me.

Portion for reading Psalms 55-57

Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;

hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death assail me.

Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.

I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest-

I would flee far away
and stay in the desert; Selah

Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.

Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.

If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were raising himself against me,
I could hide from him.

But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,

with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

But I call to God,
and the LORD saves me.

Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

But you, O God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of corruption;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.

Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;
all day long they press their attack.

When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

All day long they twist my words;
they are always plotting to harm me.

They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
eager to take my life.

On no account let them escape;
in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise-

in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

I am under vows to you, O God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.

For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.

I am in the midst of lions;
I lie among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

Source : BibleGateway.com

I Will Praise You O LORD

Portion for reading Psalms 52-54

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

Your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor,
you who practice deceit.

You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah

You love every harmful word,
O you deceitful tongue!

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at him, saying,

"Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!"

But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love
for ever and ever.

The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.

Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.

Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.

Strangers are attacking me;
ruthless men seek my life—
men without regard for God. Selah

Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.

For he has delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Source : BibleGateway.com

Pure Heart And A Steadfast Spirit

Portions for reading Psalms 49-51

Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,

both low and high,
rich and poor alike:

My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me-

those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him-

the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough-

that he should live on forever
and not see decay.

But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah

But God will redeem my life from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself. Selah

Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;

The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to the place where it set.

Our God comes and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.

He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:

"Gather to me my consecrated ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

"Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.

I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.

If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?

Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,

and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.

"Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:

He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way
so that I may show him the salvation of God."

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Source : BibleGateway.com