Longing for God's House

841 To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, ever singing thy praise! [Selah] 5 Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 6 As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! [Selah] 9 Behold our shield, O God; look upon the face of thine anointed! 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in thee!

A Prayer for God's Mercy on Israel

851 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Lord, thou wast favorable to thy land; thou didst restore the fortunes of Jacob. 2 Thou didst forgive the iniquity of thy people; thou didst pardon all their sin. [Selah] 3 Thou didst withdraw all thy wrath; thou didst turn from thy hot anger. 4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away thy indignation toward us! 5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou prolong thy anger to all generations? 6 Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? 7 Show us thy steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 Yea, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way.

A Prayer for God's Continued Mercy

861 A Prayer of David. Incline thy ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save thy servant who trusts in thee. Thou art my God; 3 be gracious to me, O Lord, for to thee do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication. 7 In the day of my trouble I call on thee, for thou dost answer me.

8 There is none like thee among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like thine. 9 All the nations thou hast made shall come and bow down before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name. 10 For thou art great and doest wondrous things, thou alone art God. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name. 12 I give thanks to thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify thy name for ever. 13 For great is thy steadfast love toward me; thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seek my life, and they do not set thee before them. 15 But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 16 Turn to me and take pity on me; give thy strength to thy servant, and save the son of thy handmaid. 17 Show me a sign of thy favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because thou, Lord, hast helped me and comforted me.

Exhortations for Christian Living

121 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20 No, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.