The Blessedness of Forgiveness

321 Happy is he who has forgiveness for his wrongdoing, and whose sin is covered. 2 Happy is the man in whom the Lord sees no evil, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept my mouth shut, my bones were wasted, because of my crying all through the day. 4 For the weight of your hand was on me day and night; my body became dry like the earth in summer. (Selah.) 5 I made my wrongdoing clear to you, and did not keep back my sin. I said, I will put it all before the Lord; and you took away my wrongdoing and my sin. (Selah.) 6 For this cause let every saint make his prayer to you at a time when you are near: then the overflowing of the great waters will not overtake him.

7 You are my safe and secret place; you will keep me from trouble; you will put songs of salvation on the lips of those who are round me. (Selah.) 8 I will give you knowledge, teaching you the way to go; my eye will be your guide. 9 Do not be like the horse or the ass, without sense; ... 10 The sinner will be full of trouble; but mercy will be round the man who has faith in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord with joy, you upright men; give cries of joy, all you whose hearts are true.

A Prayer for Cleansing

511 Have pity on me, O God, in your mercy; out of a full heart, take away my sin. 2 Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil. 3 For I am conscious of my error; my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I done wrong, working that which is evil in your eyes; so that your words may be seen to be right, and you may be clear when you are judging. 5 Truly, I was formed in evil, and in sin did my mother give me birth. 6 Your desire is for what is true in the inner parts: in the secrets of my soul you will give me knowledge of wisdom.

7 Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow. 8 Make me full of joy and rapture; so that the bones which have been broken may be glad. 9 Let your face be turned from my wrongdoing, and take away all my sins. 10 Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again. 11 Do not put me away from before you, or take your holy spirit from me. 12 Give me back the joy of your salvation; let a free spirit be my support. 13 Then will I make your ways clear to wrongdoers; and sinners will be turned to you.

14 Be my saviour from violent death, O God, the God of my salvation; and my tongue will give praise to your righteousness. 15 O Lord, let my lips be open, so that my mouth may make clear your praise. 16 You have no desire for an offering or I would give it; you have no delight in burned offerings. 17 The offerings of God are a broken spirit; a broken and sorrowing heart, O God, you will not put from you. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure, building up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will have delight in the offerings of righteousness, in burned offerings and offerings of beasts; then they will make offerings of oxen on your altar.

A Prayer for God's Continued Mercy

861 Let your ears be open to my voice, O Lord, and give me an answer; for I am poor and in need. 2 Keep my soul, for I am true to you; O my God, give salvation to your servant, whose hope is in you. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord; for my cry goes up to you all the day. 4 Make glad the soul of your servant; for it is lifted up to you, O Lord. 5 You are good, O Lord, and full of forgiveness; your mercy is great to all who make their cry to you. 6 O Lord, give ear to my prayer; and take note of the sound of my requests. 7 In the day of my trouble I send up my cry to you; for you will give me an answer.

8 There is no god like you, O Lord; there are no works like your works. 9 Let all the nations whom you have made come and give worship to you, O Lord, giving glory to your name. 10 For you are great, and do great works of wonder; you only are God. 11 Make your way clear to me, O Lord; I will go on my way in your faith: let my heart be glad in the fear of your name. 12 I will give you praise, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will give glory to your name for ever. 13 For your mercy to me is great; you have taken my soul up from the deep places of the underworld. 14 O God, men of pride have come up against me, and the army of violent men would take my life; they have not put you before them. 15 But you, O Lord, are a God full of pity and forgiveness, slow to get angry, great in mercy and wisdom. 16 O be turned to me and have mercy on me: give your strength to your servant, and your salvation to the son of her who is your servant. 17 Give me a sign for good; so that my haters may see it and be shamed; because you, Lord, have been my help and comfort.

A Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

1221 I was glad because they said to me, We will go into the house of the Lord. 2 At last our feet were inside your doors, O Jerusalem. 3 O Jerusalem, you are like a town which is well joined together; 4 To which the tribes went up, even the tribes of the Lord, for a witness to Israel, to give praise to the name of the Lord. 5 For there seats for the judges were placed, even the rulers' seats of the line of David.

6 O make prayers for the peace of Jerusalem; may they whose love is given to you do well. 7 May peace be inside your walls, and wealth in your noble houses. 8 Because of my brothers and friends, I will now say, Let peace be with you. 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will be working for your good.