Prayer Book - Psalm 16

Keep me safe, O mighty God, I run for dear life to you, my Safe Place.

So I say to the Lord God, You are my Maker, my Mediator, and my Master.  You don't need my "goodness," for I have none apart from you.

And he said to me, "My holy lovers are wonderful, my majestic ones, my glorious ones, fulfilling all my desires."

Yet, there are those who yield to their weakness, and they will have troubles and sorrows unending.  I will never gather with such ones, nor give them honor in any way.

Lord, I have chosen you alone as my inheritance.  You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.  I leave my destiny and its timing in your hands.

Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.  I'm overwhelmed by the privileges that come from following you, for you have given me the best!

The way you counsel and correct me makes me praise you more; for your whispers in the night give me wisdom, showing me what to do next.

Because you are close to me and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment.

My heart and my soul explode with joy - full of glory!  Even my body will rest confident and secure.

For you will not abandon me to the realm of death, nor will you allow your holy one to experience corruption.

For you will bring me a continuous revelation of resurrection life, the path of bliss that brings me face-to-face with you.
-Psalm 16 (The Passion Translation)

The book of Psalms is the prayer book of the church. Psalm 16 is a prayer for today.  I hope that these words, translated in current English, by Brian Simmons, will touch your hearts and give you inspiration, as you pray today.

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I believe that the artwork above is by Claude Monet.