Category Archives: Psalms

All Powerful / King of All, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

When You Feel Overwhelmed, Turn to God

Have you ever felt overwhelmed because of a difficult situation you face? Has there been a time when you felt that there was no way you can resolve the situation by yourself? I sure have. I believe most of us have felt that way at one time or another. To whom shall we go for help when we feel like the situation is bigger than we can handle on our own? Turn to God. He is at the same time our loving Father and our all-powerful Creator.  He wants to help and He wants us to ask Him for help.

Psalm 35

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

     1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.

      2Take hold of buckler and shield
And rise up for my help.

      3Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

      4Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.

      5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the LORD driving them on.

      6Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

      7For without cause they hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

      8Let destruction come upon him unawares,
And let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.

      9And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall exult in His salvation.

      10All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

      11Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.

      12They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.

      13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting,
And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

      14I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

      15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing.

      16Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.

      17Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
My only life from the lions.

      18I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise You among a mighty throng.

      19Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.

      20For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

      21They opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

      22You have seen it, O LORD, do not keep silent;
O Lord, do not be far from me.

      23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

      24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me.

      25Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

      26Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

      27Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

      28And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.

I am always inspired by David in that he praises God even while he is still in the middle of difficult circumstances… still facing what seems like an overwhelming number of enemies.

What situations are you facing that you feel are too much for you to solve on your own? Have you asked God for His help yet? He wants to hear from His children and He wants to help. Bring your concerns no matter how big before God and ask Him to help you.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Psalms

Praise God in Difficult Times: Find Strength and Joy

What shall I do in difficult times? Same thing you should do in good times… praise God! Our loving Creator is worthy of praise in good times and in bad. Too often, we come to Him for help in bad times, and then ignore Him in good times. Let us instead praise Him at all times!

Psalm 34

The LORD, a Provider and Deliverer.

A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

     1I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

      2My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.

      3O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

      4I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

      5They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.

      6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.

      7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

      8O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

      9O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.

      10The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

      11Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

      12Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?

      13Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.

      14Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

      15The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.

      16The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

      17The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.

      18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

      19Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

      20He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.

      21Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

      22The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

How beautiful an ending, “None of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”

To “take refuge in” indicates true faith that His saving power is real and will redeem us as He says… else, why would we seek refuge in Him. It is much more than simply saying His name and believing He is God. Even Satan believes Jesus is God. We seek refuge in Him from all those that would harm us. We trust Him. We rely on Him. We recognize we can not stand without Him against the enemy. He will always keep His promises. What good reason would we as His followers have to hold back praise?

Take a step of faith to show love to God… praise Him even when you don’t feel like it. Praise Him even when things are going badly for you. If you can not find your own words as you struggle through difficult times, turn to Psalms and use the words of David. Praise God, even if it is simply an act of will at first. Then continue until it becomes almost habit. Before you know it you will find joy from within even in hard times.

Praise Him also when things go well. Thank Him. Remember Him at all times that we do not grow too high an opinion of ourselves when things are going our way. Make a habit of praising God in all situations.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms, Thankfulness

Let Our Hearts Rejoice As We Trust In His Holy Name

Take some time today to simply rejoice in our loving Creator. Praise Him as you reflect on who He is and how He demonstrates love for those who choose to obey Him.

Psalm 33

Praise to the Creator and Preserver.

1Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.

      2Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

      3Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

      4For the word of the LORD is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.

      5He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.

      6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

      7He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

      8Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

      9For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

      10The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.

      11The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

      12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

      13The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;

      14From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,

      15He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.

      16The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.

      17A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

      18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

      19To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.

      20Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.

      21For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.

      22Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.

We can trust in our Lord. We can rejoice in Him regardless of our circumstances.

Are there areas in your life where you have neglected to give thanks and praise to God? Are there areas about which you are worried? Seek comfort and peace by remembering who God is and that we can trust in Him regardless of our circumstances.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

How Blessed Is He Whose Sin Is Covered!

How natural is it for a child to try to deny that they have done wrong? They are focused solely on avoiding correction and discipline and it that approach can get in the way of learning and growing. As a child, I once wrote on the back dash of our family car in orange crayon. When it was discovered by my parents and they asked about it… I denied it was me. I had written my name. Needless to say they figured it out easily. I had compounded my mistakes by adding lying to the original drawing on the dashboard.

As foolish as this sounds, it is much like that when we try to hide our sins from God. He already knows what we did. It is just as foolish to rationalize to God (and ourselves) to justify our wrong actions. He already knows our motives.

Just like a loving father, He wants us to repent for our wrong actions, ask forgiveness and turn about to start doing the right things. He wants us to be brought back to right relationship with Him. God already made a way for us to be forgiven! We just need to accept the offer of forgiveness by grace through faith that God extends to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!

Psalm 32

Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.

     1How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!

      2How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

      3When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.

      4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

Selah.

      5I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

Selah.

      6Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

      7You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah.

      8I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

      9Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.

      10Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.

      11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Rejoice indeed all who are upright in heart! Our loving Father made a way to forgive us and allow us to remain in close relationship with Him. We do not need to live forever under the guilt of the wrong things we have done and the wrong motivations we have felt. We turn away from wrong, ask forgiveness and start doing things God’s way. Jesus came to set us free from our own sin!

Reflect on your life and consider some of the mistakes you have made. Praise God that all of those have already been forgiven if you have turned from that wrong behavior, asked Jesus to forgive you, and started doing things God’s way. You no longer carry that guilt. Jesus carried it for you… to the cross.

Are there areas in which you have not yet turned away from wrong behavior and asked forgiveness… where you have not yet started doing things God’s way? Come humbly before God right now. Do not wait for later today or tomorrow.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

Sustained by Faith: Finding Joy in God’s Presence Amidst Adversity

Wherever you are in your walk with the Lord today, there is no doubt in my mind that you (and everyone else) have personally experienced suffering in this world. You have found yourself at times feeling overwhelmed with how to deal with the problems and people that oppose you and try to do harm to you. Let us cry out to God in faith… seek refuge in Him… and never be ashamed of Him for He will deliver us.

Psalm 31

      1In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.

      2Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.

      3For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

      4You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.

      5Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.

      6I hate those who regard vain idols,
But I trust in the LORD.

      7I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,

      8And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.

      9Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.

      10For my life is spent with sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.

      11Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.

      12I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.

      13For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.

      14But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say, “You are my God.”

      15My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.

      16Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.

      17Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.

      18Let the lying lips be mute,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

      19How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!

      20You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

      21Blessed be the LORD,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.

      22As for me, I said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried to You.

      23O love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.

      24Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the LORD.

The older I get, and the more difficulties I face… the more I find joy in reading, studying, and praying the Psalms. David truly strikes an important note in verses 7-8.

      7I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,

      8And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;

David rejoices and praises God for His lovingkindness even when his situation has not been resolved yet. David rejoices in that God has seen his affliction and knows what he is going through… that God sustains him through the difficulty.

This can be really difficult to do in our lives. Even in the midst of hard times, rejoice in God… rejoice in knowing that He is with us and understands what we face and that He can sustain us and deliver us.  What a powerful demonstration of faith to give glory to God while still in a difficult situation! I pray God would lead me to do the same as I encounter difficult situations in this fallen world. May I give Him praise and honor even as I lean on Him to sustain me through suffering and hardship.

What situations are you facing in your life  that you may find encouragement and joy in remembering that God is with you and understands what you are experiencing? He can sustain you and deliver you.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms, Suffering / Adversity, Thankfulness

You Have Turned My Mourning Into Dancing

We all face difficult times, and they do not always turn out the way we expect. We can always turn to God for help. He loves us and wants the best for us, even when we do not recognize what is best for us. Come to God for help. Trust in Him. Sing praise to Him as He answers your prayers, even if it is not in the way you wanted. He knows best.

Psalm 30

1I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

2O LORD my God,
I cried to You for help, and You healed me.

3O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol;
You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.

4Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.

5For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

6Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will never be moved.”

7O LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;  You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

8To You, O LORD, I called,
And to the Lord I made supplication:

9“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?

10“Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me;
O LORD, be my helper.”

11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

12That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

God has truly been gracious to me. He has turned mourning in my life into dancing and joy more than once to be sure. Reflect for a few moments… how has God turned mourning and sadness into dancing in your life? Take time to thank Him right now. Are you in a season of suffering and mourning right now? Come to God humbly and ask for His help and trust Him in how we helps you… even if it is not exactly how you wanted.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Worship the LORD and Give Him Glory

In good times and in times of suffering and struggles, we do well to remember the power and glory of our Lord… He sits as King of Kings forever. He is above all and has authority over all. Praise Him! Accept and celebrate the peace He offers!

Psalm 29

      1Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

      2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in holy array.

      3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The LORD is over many waters.

      4The voice of the LORD is powerful,
The voice of the LORD is majestic.

      5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

      6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.

      7The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.

      8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

      9The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

      10The LORD sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.

      11The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Take comfort in trusting the Lord. He is in control. We can trust Him whether or not things are going the way we want or expect. We can find peace in Him and in no one else throughout our lives in every situation through our faith in our God!

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Hope, Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

Trusting in the Unseen: David’s Unwavering Confidence in God’s Response

How often do we turn to God for help, not really confident that He will answer us? Many of the Psalms that David wrote demonstrate something much more… hope and faith that God will answer even before the answer is delivered! David prays to ask God for help and then follows up by thanking and praising God for the answer that he knows will come.

Psalm 28

A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.

A Psalm of David.

 1To You, O LORD, I call;
My rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You are silent to me,
I will become like those who go down to the pit.

2Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

3Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity,
Who speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.

4Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their recompense.

5Because they do not regard the works of the LORD
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.

6Blessed be the LORD,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.

7The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.

8The LORD is their strength,
And He is a saving defense to His anointed.

9Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

Praise to You, God, for we know that you hear the prayers of Your people even before you answer them. I pray You would strengthen me in my faith as You did David. I pray I would come to You in prayer filled with hope and faith that You hear and will answer. Glory to God, creator of all things, who loves His people enough to listen whenever we seek Him!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

Trust In God Fearlessly, No Matter What You Face

When we put our trust in people, organizations, or things of this world we will most assuredly be let down. However, do not be downhearted! Rejoice that we can learn to put our full trust in God, no matter what situation or enemy we face. We can trust Him fearlessly.

Psalm 27

A Psalm of David.

1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?

2When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

3Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

4One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall 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 meditate in His temple.

5For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.

6And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.

8When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”

9Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!

10For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the LORD will take me up.

11Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.

12Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.

13I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.

Developing a strong relationship with God, as David had, requires commitment to study scripture and pray on a consistent basis. We must seek Him in order to find Him. As we grow in our relationship with God, we will also learn to trust Him more and more no matter what we face. The outcome may or may not be what we ask for or expect, but we can trust God… knowing that He is in control and that we serve Him in this life and we can enjoy the hope of looking forward to spending eternity with Him after we die.

1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Learning To Pray Effectively, Psalms, Seeking God

Examine Me, O Lord, And Try Me

For those of us who are striving to live according to God’s word, truly applying it to our lives in how we live, Psalm 26 is a wonderful prayer with which to come before our wonderful Creator.

Psalm 26

Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.

A Psalm of David.

     1Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity,
And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

      2Examine me, O LORD, and try me;
Test my mind and my heart.

      3For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.

      4I do not sit with deceitful men,
Nor will I go with pretenders.

      5I hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.

      6I shall wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about Your altar, O LORD,

      7That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving
And declare all Your wonders.

      8O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house
And the place where Your glory dwells.

      9Do not take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

      10In whose hands is a wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.

      11But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.

      12My foot stands on a level place;
In the congregations I shall bless the LORD.

As you pray, ask God to show you in what areas of your life and relationships you need to change to more fully submit to Him.