On weekday mornings at A Rocha Brooksdale where my wife and I live we host a half hour of Contemplative Prayer for the staff, interns, off-site people as well as those staying at our Guest House. Three bells ring at 8:25am inviting all who can to join us for this time of self-offering that begins our day.
We have developed a very simple format for these prayer times using selected verses from the Psalms. We generally begin with a short homily on the chosen Psalm and then read the text twice slowly. We then enjoy 20 minutes of silence together. When this time is over we read the verse(s) a third time. Someone who has already been asked to do so will then offer a spoken prayer on behalf of us all to conclude our time.
In the hope that these Psalms we have selected for prayer might be of use to others in either your personal of corporate prayer times we have copied this selection below:
PSALMS FOR PRAYER
Psalms 1
2 Blessed is the person whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 3
4 To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
Psalm 4
1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
6 Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. 7 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when the grain and new wine abound. 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 5
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
11 Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 12 For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 9
9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 11
4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. 7 For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; those who are upright will see his face.
Psalm 13
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart will rejoice in your salvation.
Psalm 14
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of earth to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
Psalm 15
1 Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 One whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart 3 and has no slander on their tongue, who does their neighbor no wrong and cast no slur on their fellowman. 5 One who does these things will never be shaken.
Psalm16
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” 3 As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
5 Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 17
6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. 7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
15 In righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
Psalm 18
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
28 You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. 36 You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
Psalm 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple, 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
12 Who can discern their errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 22
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night and am not silent.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
5 You prepare a table before me. In the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 24
3 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 ONe who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up their soul to an idol or swear by what is false, 5 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
Psalm 25
4 Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Psalm 26
1 I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Test me, O Lord, and try me. Examine my heart and my mind; 3 for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.
Psalm 27
4 One thing I ask 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 gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
7 Hear my voice when I call, O Lord, be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 28
1 To you I call, O Lord my Rock do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Psalm 30
7 O Lord, when you favored me, you made my mountains stand firm; but when you hid your face I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy.
Psalm 31
1 In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
14 I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Psalm 32
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Psalm 33
13 From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all humankind; 14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on the earth – 15 he who forms the hearts of all, considers everything they do.
20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 34
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed are those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 36
5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low find refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Psalm 37
3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
23 If the Lord delights in one’s way, he makes their steps firm; 24 though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord upholds them with his hand.
Psalms 38
9 All my longings lie open before You, O Lord, My sighing is not hidden from you.
13 I am like a deaf person, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open their mouth; 14 I have become like a person who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply, 15 I wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God.
Psalms 40
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall;
10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 48
9 Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. 10 Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
12 Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, 13 consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. 14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 50
15 Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 55
6 Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest – 7 I would flee far away and stay in the desert; 8 I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.
Psalm 57
1 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.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.
7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
Psalm 61
1 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer. 2 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.
Psalm 62
5 Find rest, oh my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people, pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 63
1 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.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 65
1 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2 O you who hear prayer, to you all people will come.
4 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.
Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and makes his face shine upon us, 2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
Psalm 68
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 69
1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. 3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Psalm 70
4 May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”
5 I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 71
14 I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. 15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. 16
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
Psalm 73
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 75
2 “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. 3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those who walk in his ways.
Psalm 85
1 You have showed favor to your land, O Lord; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.
10 Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. 11Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
13Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.12 The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.
Psalm 86
1 Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you for you will answer me.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Psalm 87
3 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. 5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” 6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.”
7 As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”
Psalm 89
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. 16 They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.
Psalm 90
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 91
1 One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 God will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
14 “Because they loves me,” says the Lord, ‘I will rescue them; I will protect them, for they acknowledges my name. 15 They will call upon me, and I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will deliver them and honor them.
Psalm 92
12 The righteousness will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.
Psalm 94
12 Blessed are the ones you discipline, O Lord, those you teach from your law; 13 you grant them relief from days of trouble.
Psalm 95
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Psalm 96
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 97
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.
11 Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.
Psalm 100
3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 102
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.
Psalm 103
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
11 As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God’s love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 113
5 Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.
Psalm 116
6 The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
8 You, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
Psalm 118
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me? 7 The Lord is with me.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
Psalm 119
1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. 3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.
4 You have laid down the precepts that are to be fully obeyed. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! 6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.
10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.
18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. 19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.
57 You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words. 58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. 59
63 I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts. 64 The earth is filled with your love, O Lord; teach me your decrees.
65 Do good to your servant according to your word, O Lord. 66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.
73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. 74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.
165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
166 I wait for your salvation, O Lord, and I follow your commands. 167 I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. 168 I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.
Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 122
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: (or your own spiritual community). May those who love you be secure.7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. 8 For the sake of my brothers and sisters, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.
Psalm 123
1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. 2 As the eyes of the slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.
Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people.
Psalm 127
1 Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
Psalm 128
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; 2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 3 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Psalm 131
1 My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Psalm 133
1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Psalm 137
4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. 6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.
Psalm 138
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
6 Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day for darkness is as light to you.
13 You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; teach me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 141
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil.
Psalm 142
1 I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. 2 I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way.
Psalm 143
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 145
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9 the Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 10 All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.
14 The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 146
7 The Lord sets prisoners free, 8 the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.