MON,  JULY 1

Prayer from Sheltering Mercy (Smith/Wilt)

"Covenant Keeper"

Inspired by Psalm 31

Psalm 119:10–18 (ESV)10 With our whole heart we seek you; let us not wander from your commandments! 11 We have stored up your word in our hearts, that we might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach us your statutes! 13 With our lips we declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies we delight as much as in all riches. 15 We will meditate on your precepts and fix our eyes on your ways. 16 We will delight in your statutes; we will not forget your word. 17 Deal bountifully with your servants, that we may live and keep your word. 18 Open our eyes, that we may behold wondrous things out of your law.

Lectio Divina (Divine Reading):

1. Read

2. Reflect

3. Respond

4. Rest

Scripture Reading: Psalm 31 (English Standard Version)

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. ¹ In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! ² Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! ³ For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; ⁴ you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. ⁵ Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. ⁶ I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. ⁷ I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, ⁸ and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. ⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. ¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. ¹¹ Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. ¹² I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. ¹³ For I hear the whispering of many— terror on every side!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. ¹⁴ But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” ¹⁵ My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! ¹⁶ Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! ¹⁷ O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. ¹⁸ Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. ¹⁹ Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! ²⁰ In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues. ²¹ Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. ²² I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. ²³ Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. ²⁴ Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

Reflect

Scripture Reading: Psalm 31 (New Jerusalem Bible)

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David ¹ In you, Yahweh, I have taken refuge, let me never be put to shame, in your saving justice deliver me, rescue me, ² turn your ear to me, make haste. Be for me a rock-fastness, a fortified citadel to save me. ³ You are my rock, my rampart; true to your name, lead me and guide me! ⁴ Draw me out of the net they have spread for me, for you are my refuge; ⁵ to your hands I commit my spirit, by you have I been redeemed. God of truth, ⁶ you hate those who serve useless idols; but my trust is in Yahweh: ⁷ I will delight and rejoice in your faithful love! You, who have seen my misery, and witnessed the miseries of my soul, ⁸ have not handed me over to the enemy, but have given me freedom to roam at large. ⁹ Take pity on me, Yahweh, for I am in trouble. Vexation is gnawing away my eyes, my soul deep within me. ¹⁰ For my life is worn out with sorrow, and my years with sighs. My strength gives way under my misery, and my bones are all wasted away. ¹¹ The sheer number of my enemies makes me contemptible, loathsome to my neighbours, and my friends shrink from me in horror. When people see me in the street they take to their heels. ¹² I have no more place in their hearts than a corpse, or something lost. ¹³ All I hear is slander —terror wherever I turn— as they plot together against me, scheming to take my life. ¹⁴ But my trust is in you, Yahweh; I say, ‘You are my God,’ ¹⁵ every moment of my life is in your hands, rescue me from the clutches of my foes who pursue me; ¹⁶ let your face shine on your servant, save me in your faithful love. ¹⁷ I call on you, Yahweh, so let disgrace fall not on me, but on the wicked. Let them go down to Sheol in silence, ¹⁸ muzzles on their lying mouths, which speak arrogantly against the upright in pride and contempt. ¹⁹ Yahweh, what quantities of good things you have in store for those who fear you, and bestow on those who make you their refuge, for all humanity to see. ²⁰ Safe in your presence you hide them, far from human plotting, shielding them in your tent, far from contentious tongues. ²¹ Blessed be Yahweh who works for me miracles of his faithful love (in a fortified city)! ²² In a state of terror I cried, ‘I have been cut off from your sight!’ Yet you heard my plea for help when I cried out to you. ²³ Love Yahweh, all his faithful: Yahweh protects his loyal servants, but he repays the arrogant with interest. ²⁴ Be brave, take heart, all who put your hope in Yahweh.

Reflect

Scripture Reading: Psalm 31 (New Living Translation)

For the choir director: A psalm of David. ¹ O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. ² Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. ³ You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. ⁴ Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. ⁵ I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God. ⁶ I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the Lord. ⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. ⁸ You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place. ⁹ Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. ¹⁰ I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within. ¹¹ I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors— even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way. ¹² I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot. ¹³ I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life. ¹⁴ But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” ¹⁵ My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. ¹⁶ Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. ¹⁷ Don’t let me be disgraced, O Lord, for I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave. ¹⁸ Silence their lying lips— those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly. ¹⁹ How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. ²⁰ You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues. ²¹ Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. ²² In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. ²³ Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. ²⁴ So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Respond

Prayer

"Blessed Lord, You have caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Your holy word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which You have given us in our Savour Jesus Christ. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer (1552)

Lord’s Prayer (Pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray)

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name;

your kingdom come;

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom, and the power,

and the glory, forever. Amen.