Longing for God's House

841 How lovely are Your dwelling places , O Lord of hosts ! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord ; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God . 3 The bird also has found a house , And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young , Even Your altars , O Lord of hosts , My King and my God . 4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house ! They are ever praising You. Selah . 5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring ; The early rain also covers it with blessings . 7 They go from strength to strength , Every one of them appears before God in Zion .

8 O Lord God of hosts , hear my prayer ; Give ear , O God of Jacob ! Selah . 9 Behold our shield , O God , And look upon the face of Your anointed . 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness . 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield ; The Lord gives grace and glory ; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly . 12 O Lord of hosts , How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

A Prayer for God's Mercy on Israel

851 O Lord , You showed favor to Your land ; You restored the captivity of Jacob . 2 You forgave the iniquity of Your people ; You covered all their sin . Selah . 3 You withdrew all Your fury ; You turned away from Your burning anger . 4 Restore us, O God of our salvation , And cause Your indignation toward us to cease . 5 Will You be angry with us forever ? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations ? 6 Will You not Yourself revive us again , That Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your lovingkindness , O Lord , And grant us Your salvation .

8 I will hear what God the Lord will say ; For He will speak peace to His people , to His godly ones ; But let them not turn back to folly . 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land . 10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth springs from the earth , And righteousness looks down from heaven . 12 Indeed , the Lord will give what is good , And our land will yield its produce . 13 Righteousness will go before Him And will make His footsteps into a way .

A Prayer for God's Continued Mercy

861 Incline Your ear , O Lord , and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy . 2 Preserve my soul , for I am a godly man ; O You my God , save Your servant who trusts in You. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord , For to You I cry all day long. 4 Make glad the soul of Your servant , For to You, O Lord , I lift up my soul . 5 For You, Lord , are good , and ready to forgive , And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. 6 Give ear , O Lord , to my prayer ; And give heed to the voice of my supplications ! 7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me.

8 There is no one like You among the gods , O Lord , Nor are there any works like Yours. 9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord , And they shall glorify Your name . 10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds ; You alone are God . 11 Teach me Your way , O Lord ; I will walk in Your truth ; Unite my heart to fear Your name . 12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God , with all my heart , And will glorify Your name forever . 13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great , And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol . 14 O God , arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life , And they have not set You before them. 15 But You, O Lord , are a God merciful and gracious , Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth . 16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant , And save the son of Your handmaid . 17 Show me a sign for good , That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed , Because You, O Lord , have helped me and comforted me.

Exhortations for Christian Living

121 Therefore I urge you, brethren , by the mercies of God , to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice , acceptable to God , which is your spiritual service of worship . 2 And do not be conformed to this world , but be transformed by the renewing of your mind , so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect . 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think ; but to think so as to have sound judgment , as God has allotted to each a measure of faith . 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function , 5 so we, who are many , are one body in Christ , and individually e members one of another . 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy , according to the proportion of his faith ; 7 if service , in his serving ; or he who teaches , in his teaching ; 8 or he who exhorts , in his exhortation ; he who gives , with liberality ; he who leads , with diligence ; he who shows mercy , with cheerfulness . 9 Let love be without hypocrisy . Abhor what is evil ; cling to what is good . 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love ; give preference to one another in honor ; 11 not lagging behind in diligence , fervent in spirit , serving the Lord ; 12 rejoicing in hope , persevering in tribulation , devoted to prayer , 13 contributing to the needs of the saints , practicing hospitality . 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse . 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice , and weep with those who weep . 16 Be of the same mind toward one another ; do not be haughty in mind , but associate with the lowly . Do not be wise in your own estimation . 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone . Respect what is right in the sight of all men . 18 If possible , so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men . 19 Never take your own revenge , beloved , but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written , " VENGEANCE IS MINE , I WILL REPAY ," says the Lord . 20 " BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY , FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY , GIVE HIM A DRINK ; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD ." 21 Do not be overcome by evil , but overcome evil with good .