Bible Verses used in the topical study on Prayer
Luke 11:1 reads, “(Jesus) was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’”
“When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial” (Luke 11:2-4, NRSVUE).
The man brought his son to Jesus’ disciples, yet they could not cast out the evil spirit. The father begs Jesus “if you are able to do anything, please help.” Jesus looks at the man and asks “IF?” and then tells the father, “All things can be done for the one who believes.” The man then cries out to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Later when the disciples were alone with Jesus they asked, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus said to them, “This kind can come out only through prayer.” (Mark 9:23-24, 28-29; NRSVUE)
Matthew 18:19 reads, “… truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 21:22 reads, “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”
John 15:7 reads, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Luke 18:1 reads, “Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.”
Mark 1:35 reads, “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.”
Luke 3:21 reads, “Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened…”
Luke 5:16 reads, “Meanwhile, he (Jesus) would slip away to deserted places and pray.”
Luke 6:12 reads, “Now during those days he (Jesus) went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.”
Luke 9:28 reads, “Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.”
Psalm 37:7 reads, “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for (God)”
Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still, and know that I am God!” (That is my favorite verse for meditation/prayer)
Zechariah 2:13 reads, “Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”
James 4:3 reads, “You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures” (NSRVUE).
1 Chronicles 16:4 reads, “(King David) appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 reads, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
2 Chronicles 5:13 reads, “It was the duty of the trumpeters and singers together to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord…”
Psalm 7:17 reads, “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”
Psalm 24:10 reads, “Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.”
Psalm 84:8 reads, “O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer…”
Psalm 89:8 reads, “O Lord God of hosts, who is as mighty as you, O Lord? Your faithfulness surrounds you.”
Philippians 4:6 reads, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Revelation 4:8 reads, “Day and night without ceasing they sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’”
Revelation 11:17 reads, “We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”
2 Chronicles 30:8 reads, “Do not now be stiff-necked as your ancestors were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God…”
Job 11:13 reads, “If you direct your heart rightly, you will stretch out your hands toward him.”
Job 22:21 reads, “Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.”
Psalm 4:3 reads, “…know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.”
Lamentations 3:41 reads, “Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven.”
James 4:7 reads, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Luke 10:17 reads, “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’”
Peter healed a lame beggar by the power of Jesus’ name. Acts 3:6 reads, “Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’”
Paul drove a demon out of a woman in Jesus’ name. Acts 16:18 reads, “Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.”
Acts 19:13, 15-16 reads, “Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ … But the evil spirit said to them in reply, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?’ Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.”
2 Corinthians 6:18 reads, “I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Romans 8:15 reads, “…you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”
Ephesians 1:13-14 reads, “In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.”
Colossians 1:11-12 reads, “May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
1 Peter 1:3-4 reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…”
Psalm 7:17 reads, “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”
Psalm 9:1 reads, “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 18:46 reads, “The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation…”
Psalm 21:13 reads, “Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.”
Psalm 30:1 reads, “I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and did not let my foes rejoice over me.”
Psalm 34:3 reads, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
Psalm 40:16 reads, “…may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’”
Psalm 63:3 reads, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”
Psalm 69:30 reads, “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”
“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23).
Psalm 51:1-4 reads, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.”
Isaiah 30:15 reads, “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Jeremiah 15:19 reads, “Therefore thus says the Lord: If you turn back, I will take you back, and you shall stand before me.”
Ezekiel 18:32 reads, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.”
Matthew 4:17 reads, “Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”
Luke 5:32 reads, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 15:7, 10 reads, “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance… Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Romans 8:1 reads, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 1:8 reads, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world.”
1 Corinthians 1:4 reads, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus…”
2 Corinthians 4:15 reads, “Indeed, everything is for your sake, so that grace, when it has extended to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”
Ephesians 1:15-16 reads, “I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers…”
Philippians 1:3 reads, “I thank my God for every remembrance of you…”
Colossians 1:3 reads, “In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
1 Thessalonians 1:2 reads, “We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly…”
1 Timothy 2:1 reads, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone…”
1 Timothy 4:4 reads, “…everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving…”
Philemon 1:4 reads, “I thank my God always when I mention you in my prayers…”
Ephesians 5:20 reads, “…(give) thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
1 Corinthians 15:57 reads, “…thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Colossians 2:6-7 reads, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
Ephesians 1:16-19 reads, “I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.”
Ephesians 3:16-19 reads, “I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Colossians 1:9-12 reads, “For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
Matthew 7:7 reads, “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”
John 4:10 reads, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
Romans 8:26 reads, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.”
James 15:16 reads, “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”
Romans 12:4-5 reads, “For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”
Matthew 5:43-45 reads, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven…”
Read Psalms 1 & 2
Psalm 2:4 reads, “He who sits in the heavens laughs…”
Psalm 2:11 reads, “Serve the Lord with fear…”
2 Timothy 4:3 reads, “For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires.”
Psalm 3:1 reads, “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me…”
Romans 8:26 reads, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.”
Matthew 6:7 has Jesus saying, “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.”
“Look up to the bare heights and see! Where have you not been lain with? By the waysides you sat waiting for lovers, like a nomad in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitutions and wickedness.Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come, yet you have the forehead of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed. Have you not just now called to me, “My Father, you are the friend of my youth — will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?” This is how you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could.”
Matthew 18:2-4 reads, “He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”
Matthew 19:13-15 reads, “Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.”
Psalm 8:2 reads, “You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength” (NLT).
Psalm 103:13 reads, “As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.”
Psalm 3:1-2 reads, “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying to me, ‘There is no help for you in God.” (here is that musical notation “Selah”)”
Psalm 3:3-4: “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill.” (Selah)
Psalm 3:5-6 reads, “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the Lord sustains me. I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”
Psalms 3:7 reads, “Rise up, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.”
Psalm 3:8 reads, “Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people! (Selah)” [Selah is an unknown musical annotation]
Mark 14:36 reads, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me, yet not what I want but what you want.”
Jeremiah 11:15-16 reads, “What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done vile deeds? Can vows and sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult? The Lord once called you, ‘A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit,’ but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed.”
Matthew 6:7-8 (The Message) reads, “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.”
Listen to some examples of psalms from specific (titles) incidents in King David’s life:
Psalm 3: When David fled from Absolon his son.
Psalm 7: King David sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.
Psalm 18: A song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered David from
the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
Psalm 34: When David feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove
him out, and he went away.
Psalm 51: when the prophet Nathan came to David, after he had gone in to
(have sex with) Bathsheba.
Psalm 52: when Doeg the Edomite came to Saul and said to him, “David has
come to the house of Ahimelech (hiding).”
Psalm 54: when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “David is in hiding among
us.”
Psalm 56: when the Philistines seized David in Gath.
Psalm 57: when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
Psalm 59: when Saul ordered David’s house to be watched in order to kill
him.
Psalm 60: when David struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah,
and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand Edomites in
the Valley of Salt.
Psalm 63: when David was in the Wilderness of Judah.
Psalm 142: When David was in the cave. A Prayer.
At the end of Psalm 41:13 we read, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”
Psalm 72:20 reads, “The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.”
Psalm 89:52 reads, “Blessed be the Lord forever. Amen and Amen.”
Psalm 106:48 reads, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 150 reads, Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Listen to Genesis 1. What did you hear?
God said, “Let there be light.”
And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”
And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.”
And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky”
And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”
And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds”
And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Psalm 33:9 reads, “for he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
Psalm 4 reads, “Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer. How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!” You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound. I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.”
Psalm 5 reads, “Listen to my words, O Lord; attend to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you. The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues. Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions, cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.”
Verse 5 reads “Offer right sacrifices…” and part two reads, “put your trust in the Lord.”
Psalm 5:3 reads, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
Psalm 4:5 reads, “Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.”
Romans 12:1-2 reads (from The Message), “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
Psalm 5:3 reads, “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch.” (NRSV)
Luke 18:11 reads, “The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.’”
Genesis 1:31 reads, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
Luke 19:40 reads, “‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’”
1 John 1:1 reads, “We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”
Jesus, according to the bible was “embarrassingly” ordinary.
Luke 4:22 reads, “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’”
Matthew 9:11 reads, “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’”
Jesus slammed the door hard against all spiritual elitism. Jesus in continuity with the Psalms, also taught us to prayer in metaphor.
Luke 11:2 reads, “So he said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come.’”
Psalm 114:4 reads, “The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.”
Isaiah 55:12 reads, “…the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Jesus said, “…where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20)
Psalm 100:1 reads, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord.”
Ephesians 6:12 reads, “…against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Psalm 137 (The Message) reads, “Alongside Babylon’s rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried, remembering the good old days in Zion. Alongside the quaking aspens we stacked our unplayed harps; That’s where our captors demanded songs, sarcastic and mocking: “Sing us a happy Zion song!” Oh, how could we ever sing God’s song in this wasteland? If I ever forget you, Jerusalem, let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves. Let my tongue swell and turn black if I fail to remember you, If I fail, O dear Jerusalem, to honor you as my greatest. God, remember those Edomites, and remember the ruin of Jerusalem, That day they yelled out, “Wreck it, smash it to bits!” And you, Babylonians—ravagers! A reward to whoever gets back at you for all you’ve done to us; Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies and smashes their heads on the rocks!”
Other Bible verses that use “hate” language: (All NIV)
Deuteronomy 7:25 reads, “The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 12:30-31 reads, “…be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.’ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”
Proverbs 6:16-19 reads, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
Proverbs 20:10, 23 read, “Differing weights and differing measures—the Lord detests them both… The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.”
Here are some other psalms/verses with similar raw language:
Psalm 10:15 reads, “Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.”
Psalm 11:6 reads, “On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.”
Psalm 21:12 reads, “You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.”
Psalm 53:5 reads, “There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them.”
Psalm 58:6 reads, “Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!”
Psalm 69:28 reads, “May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.”
Psalm 83:15 reads, “Pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm.”
Psalm 109:18 reads, “He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.”
Psalm 110:6 reads, “He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.”
Psalm 139:22 reads, “I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.”
Some examples of Jesus’ harsher language (all NIV):
Matthew 16:23 reads, “Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’”
Matthew 23:15 reads, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.”
Matthew 23:27 reads, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
Matthew 23:33 reads,“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”
Luke 6:24-26 reads, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”
Luke 19:41-44 reads, “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.’”
Just a few more words about enemies (NIV):
Luke 6:27-31 reads, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Genesis 1:27 reads, “God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Father Richard Rohr explains it this way: “Centuries of Christian theology confirm that the “image” described in Genesis refers to our eternal essence in God which cannot be increased or decreased. It is the soul’s objective union with God.”
Psalm 8:1, 9 reads, “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
Genesis 2:19 reads, “So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.”
Psalm 6:6 reads, “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.”
Penitential Psalms with the opening annotations:
Psalm 6 – Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness
To the leader: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
3 My soul also is struck with terror,
while you, O Lord—how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eyes waste away because of grief;
they grow weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
they shall turn back and in a moment be put to shame.
Psalm 32 – The Joy of Forgiveness
Of David. A Maskil.
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 While I kept silent, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up[a] as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress,[b] the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Psalm 38 – A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.
5 My wounds grow foul and fester
because of my foolishness;
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all day long I go around mourning.
7 For my loins are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am utterly spent and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9 O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me;
as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and my neighbors stand far off.
12 Those who seek my life lay their snares;
those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin
and meditate on treachery all day long.
13 But I am like the deaf; I do not hear;
like the mute, who cannot speak.
14 Truly, I am like one who does not hear
and in whose mouth is no retort.
15 But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16 For I pray, “Only do not let them rejoice over me,
those who boast against me when my foot slips.”
17 For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
19 Those who are my foes without cause[a] are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20 Those who render me evil for good
are my adversaries because I follow after good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me;
22 make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.
Psalm 51 – Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon
To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy,
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being;[a]
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right[b] spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing[c] spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God[d] is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then you will delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 102 – Prayer to the Eternal King for Help
A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call.
3 For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass;
I am too wasted to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning,
my bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like a desert owl[a] of the wilderness,
like a little owl of the waste places.
7 I lie awake;
I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9 Indeed, I eat ashes like bread
and mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger,
for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like a lengthening shadow;
I wither away like grass.
12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
your name endures to all generations.
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to favor it;
the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold its stones dear
and have pity on its dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord
and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For the Lord will build up Zion;
he will appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute
and will not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
19 that he looked down from his holy height,
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
21 so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” I say, “do not take me away
at the midpoint of my life,
you whose years endure
throughout all generations.”
25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away,
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall live secure;
their offspring shall be established in your presence.
Psalm 130 – Waiting for Divine Redemption
A Song of Ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
5 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Psalm 143 – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;
answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing my life to the ground,
making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 I remember the days of old;
I think about all your deeds;
I meditate on the works of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, O Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Save me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I have fled to you for refuge.[a]
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
on a level path.
11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life.
In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
12 In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,
and destroy all my adversaries,
for I am your servant.
John 3:16 reads, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”
Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live[a]
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers who do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm 139:1-18 – The Inescapable God
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and night wraps itself around me,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
Psalm 150 – Praise for God’s Surpassing Greatness
1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty
firmament!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing
greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 13 – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I bear pain in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 145 – The Greatness and the Goodness of God Praise Of David.
1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall extol your works to another and shall declare your
mighty acts.
5 They will recount the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your
wondrous works I will meditate.
6 They will proclaim the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare
your greatness.
7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing
aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast
love.
9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall
bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor
of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures
throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and
gracious in all his deeds.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed
down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways and kind in all his doings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves
them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless his holy
name forever and ever.