Psalm 47

Why do we fear?
Are we not the children of Yahweh Shalom,
The Lord is Peace?
We stand before a Holy God,
yet we need not be afraid.
He is a God of peace,
who loves to lavish compassion on His own.

Come to Yahweh Shalom!
Let Him lift the shadow from you.
He will not deride and chide.
He will give you His open hand,
His nail-scarred hand.
Take what is offered to you,
sense the peace in your Lord's intimate touch.

Psalm 46

Lord, my soul is disturbed.
I feel lost, alone.
My emotions slip under the surface;
no one seems to notice.
A well of tears is waiting,
threatening to pour out of my soul.
Comfort me.
Remind me of your presence even now.
I am not alone.
You are with me.
You always see me.
You hear my pain.
You catch my tears.
O Comforter, bring comfort!
I lean on you!

Psalm 45

God, you are Yahweh Elohe Yisrael,
the Lord God of Israel.
You chose the children of Israel;
you lifted them above other nations.
You did not choose them
because of their greatness.
You chose them in your grace.

Why did you separate Israel to your Name?
You did so to demonstrate your glory.
Through Israel you declared your truth.
Your relationship with your chosen children
is an example of truth for us.
May we learn from Israel;
may we take to heart the lessons of history.

O Lord! What have you taught us?
You have shown us your unending mercy
as you were faithful to Israel in its unfaithfulness.
You have declared your purposes to stand
as you brought prophecy to fruition.
You have demonstrated that your choice is sovereign
as you set up kings and deposed them.

What more have you given us through your chosen people?
A Savior!
Your Son was born into the nation of Israel.
He grew up among the Jews,
with compassion on your people.
He fulfilled the prophecies
spoken in the Old Testament.

O Lord, what you promised to Abraham is fulfilled!
I have come to you because you blessed his seed.
Through Israel comes truth and salvation.
Lord, thank you for choosing a nation as your own.
Thank you for showing me who you are through Israel.
Yes, you are Yahweh Elohe Yisrael,
and through Israel your glory has shone.

What a Psalm Is and How to Write One

I thought I'd take a break to explain what a psalm is, specifically, how it is different from English poetry, and to also give people direction on how they can write their own psalms. The neat thing is that writing psalms is fairly easy. I encourage people to pick up their pens and write psalms to God. You'd be amazed how having to think through a psalm draws you closer to God!

First, a psalm is a song that is written according to Hebrew poetry (you don't have to put your psalms to music, though some people like to do this). This means it is different from English poetry. English poetry uses rhyme and meter. Hebrew poetry does not (No, the poems in Psalms really don't rhyme, even in Hebrew, if you ever wondered :-D). Hebrew poetry uses parallelism, rhythm and sometimes, structure. The good news is, if you want to write psalms, you only really need to understand parallelism. Rhythm all depends on how you want the psalm to sound to the ear. The ear likes repetitive syllables.

So, to parallelism we go. Hebrew poetry is mainly written in couplets, two lines that have some kind of relation with each other. Below are the kinds of couplets:

1. Synonymous Identical: The idea in the couplet is the same, although it uses different words. Here's an example: "Pay attention, my people, to my teaching,/Be attentive to the words of my mouth" (Psalm 78:1). The idea is exactly the same: pay attention to what I am going to teach you.

2. Synonymous Similar: The idea in the couplet is similar, but not identical. Example: "When the Almighty was yet with me,/And my children were around me" (Job 29:5). In the first line, the Almighty is with Job and in the second, his children are. Same idea, different people.

3. Antithetical: The idea in the lines of the couplets are opposites. Example: "A wise son heeds his father's instruction,/but a mocker does not listen to rebuke" (Proverbs 13:1). The first line presents a wise son that listens and the second presents a mocker who refuses to listen. This kind of parallelism you'll find mainly in Proverbs in the Bible, which makes sense since it is a book that teaches how you should live versus how you should not live.

4. Climactic: This is a couplet where one part of the first line is repeated in the second and finishes the thought of the first line. Example: "Accredit to Yahweh, O Heavenly Ones,/
Accredit to Yahweh glory and strength" (Psalm 29:1). Accredit to Yahweh is repeated and the second line tells us what to accredit to Yahweh.

5. Emblematic: The first line illustrates the second line. Example: "As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,/So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion" (Proverbs 11:22). The first line uses the illustration of a ring in a pig snout to describe a beautiful woman without discretion.

6. Synthetic Reason: The second line gives a reason for the first line. Example: "Do not answer a fool according to his folly,/Lest you also be like him" (Proverbs 26:4). I always say synthetic reason answers a why question: Why don't you answer a fool in the same way he approaches you? Because you'll be a fool just like him.

7. Synthetic Completion: This is a parallelism you find in rhythm alone, thus the two lines may not have a relation between their ideas.

Hebrew poetry also uses several literary devices: metaphor (comparison not using like or as), simile (comparison using like or as), metonymy (substituting one noun for another noun, i.e. "dogs have surrounded me, a band of evil men has encircled me"), personification (representing an object or concept as if it were a person, i.e. Wisdom in Proverbs is described as a woman calling out to people) to name some common ones.

The most fun thing about writing psalms is that you can write almost anything you want. For the rhyme challenged, you don't have to rhyme! All you need is a thought of praise and you can compose a psalm. Think of a concept, write it down, then write another line that relates to your first line in some way like the parallelism above. And yes, lines can stand on their own as well. If you want to give it a try, take the above parallelisms and try each out in a psalm. Here's one I've composed below to give you an example (of course, you don't need to identify the parallelism. I only did that as a help):

O Lord, you never leave me;
you do not forsake me. (Synonymous Identical)
You lavish on me your mercy;
You pour forth your peace. (Synonymous Similar)
Children of God hear your voice;
the lost refuse to listen. (Antithetical)
O hear the Lord, O Man,
O hear what the Lord has to say. (Climactic)
As fragrant oil poured over your head
are the Lord's spoken words. (Emblematic)
Hearken to the Lord's words,
by them will you be saved. (Synthetic Reason)
Yes, the Lord seeks you,
Yes, the Lord wants you. (Synthetic Completion)
Be a solid rock;
stand strong for the Lord. (Metaphor)
Like a mighty tower
is the one who trusts in God. (Simile)
Blessed are those who hold to the Lord,
the sparrows who rest in His hand. (Metonymy)
O, love is calling out to you,
imploring you, "Hear and trust the Lord!" (Personification)

Of course, you don't have to use all forms of parallelism or literary devices in a psalm. You can play around with the different parallelisms. Use what you want. Have fun; choose a theme, then go for it and write a psalm. I hope you enjoy writing psalms as much as I do and that they bring you closer to your God!

Psalm 44

Adonai, my Lord and Master,
You are true servant leader.
You rule with a gentle hand.
You show your wrath,
yet it is always paired with mercy.
You are not a harsh overseer,
demanding and disparaging.
No, you support us
and you lead us.
Your compassion reigns.

We can trust Adonai.
To live under Him is to be free.
We throw off other masters;
sin, wealth, idolatry are banished.
We cling to the Master who died,
the Lord who suffered in our place.
Who else is worthy of our full devotion
but this sacrificial Master?
Let Adonai reign over you
and you will be truly free!

Psalm 43

The Lord is Yahweh Nissi,
The Lord is My Banner.
I will declare the works of God.
I will declare the praise of His triumphs.

The Lord has done great things for me.
The Lord has answered my prayers.
The Lord has protected my travels.
The Lord has opened closed doors.

O Yahweh Nissi!
You blessed me with a family,
with a loving husband,
with a precious daughter.

Why do I ever doubt your power?
Make me remember all you have done.
Make me know you are my banner.
I rest under your shadow.

Psalm 42

Yahweh Yireh, The Lord Will Provide:
When we need you, O Lord,
you are there.
When we think we are abandoned,
it is not so.
You walk beside us;
you are present in every step.

The Lord is Provider.
He gives us all we need.
He sends food and shelter.
He sends clothes and medicine.
He wants to give us
good out of His hand.

God alone knows our true needs,
even those that cannot be seen.
When our hearts cry,
He answers with comfort.
When we don't understand,
He calls us to trust.

Trust your Provider!
There is no circumstance
He cannot conquer.
Turn to Him in your day of need.
He is Yahweh Yireh;
He listens to your prayer.

Psalm 41

Praise to El Shaddai, God Almighty!
No one holds the power of our God.
He is not restrained;
He is never held back.
His word is fulfilled;
His purposes come to fruition.

Who can stand against El Shaddai?
No one! He rules above all.
None can thwart
the power in His hand.
God Almighty subdues
all under His authority.

See the works of God Almighty!
He parts seas;
He throws back the winds;
He calms frothing oceans;
He speaks in fire;
He shakes mountains.

What can men do but bow
in the presence of God Almighty?
Fear your God, O Man,
your God of power.
Know that He reigns supreme,
He alone possesses control.

How blessed are the
children of God!
They need not fear man;
they do not fear the tempests.
They know that God Almighty is on their side;
El Shaddai is guard over their lives.

Psalm 40

El Roi, God Who Sees:
You oversee all your creation.
You care for even the
lilies of the field,
the sparrows of the air.
What you have made
is precious in your sight.
You do not make and abandon.
You watch and you provide.

O how beloved is your highest creation, man!
You discern his every thought and way.
You seek out man to draw him to yourself.
You speak into man words of life.
You see us, El Roi, beyond outward appearance;
you penetrate into the heart.
Your desire is to guide us in your way,
to show us what you see.

O El Roi, open our eyes!
Let us answer your gaze
with true hearts of faith.
May we take comfort
in a God who sees us.
May we feel your
presence day in and out.
May we never forget
that you watch over us,
our All-Seeing God.

Psalm 39

(FYI, I plan on getting back to my names of God psalms next psalm.)

O Lord, the hindrances!
Why is it so easy to give up?
Why do I let busyness
tear me away from you?
You are my life!
Everything I have,
everything I am,
comes from you.
Can I not preserve time for you?
Lord, motivate me
to make the time!
May my passion for you
overwhelm my desire for
mindlessly entertaining myself.
Throw off the fetters of
exhaustion from my mind.
Give me a clarity
that pulls me into
meditation of you.
Lord, recapture my time!

Psalm 38--An Easter Psalm

What do you require of us, O God?
Must we work our way to please you?
Must I struggle to find you?
Do you hide from me until I am good enough?
No! The Lord stands with open arms!

O Lord, I praise you that repentance is all you ask.
Salvation is not in penance.
You do not offer a gift and then ask for payment.
You give the gift of your son freely.
Your forgiveness does not force us to suffer.

Lord, your mercy is astounding.
What can I do but be still in awe?
You are all my hope each day.
Covered in Christ's righteousness, my soul is at peace.
Praise to you, Lord, who makes the way for your children.

Psalm 37

El Elyon, God Most High:
There is no god like you.
You are above all earthly powers,
you reign over the supernatural realm.
No one can thwart your authority;
your might exceeds the strength of all others.

You are outside the universe,
external to space and time.
You are not bound by your creation.
You are boundless, infinite,
the always existent eternal.
There is no one like you.

Yet you choose to know your creation.
You enter time and space
to know us, to speak to us.
We are blessed at your appearance,
your appearance among us.
Your special revelation draws us to you.

There is nothing in life more sacred than you.
Who can be fully trusted but He who is above all?
It is you who holds time and place in your hands.
I will trust in my highest God.
He will be my absolute guide.
Glory to El Elyon, God Most High!

Psalm 36

Yahweh, the personal Lord:
You come to us, O Lord.
You seek us out.
We reject you,
yet you pursue.

Yahweh, you desire relationship.
You come down to your people;
you descend so we may ascend.
You have no need of us,
yet you choose us.

Your compassion saves us;
your love compels us.
Without your mercy,
without your grace,
life is a wasteland.

Your faithfulness astounds us;
your commitment is irreversible.
You are slow to anger,
patient with our failures,
a guide to our way.

O Yahweh, O Personal Lord!
Your hand reaching down to me
overwhelms me.
Teach me to ever reach back;
make me your faithful child.

Psalm 35

For the next nineteen psalms, I've decided to praise the names of God. I wanted to understand my God better and was inspired to write psalms to His names.

My God, My Elohim.
Your might is supreme
and your power overwhelming.
You speak and you act;
you promise and you fulfill.

Who can move the mind of Elohim?
No one. God moves His own mind.
Elohim is final authority;
His way is absolute.

Who do you fight, O man?
You cannot bend God to your will;
His decrees are assured.

Rest in your God, O believer.
He controls your time, your destiny.
He will bring your hope to fruition;
the path of your life to fulfillment.

Who is mighty, who is powerful?
My God, My Elohim.

Psalm 34

Your Tabernacle, O Lord, brings revelation to us!
In the courtyard, we remember:
The white garments, our sin covering.
The sacrifices, our sin offering.
The laver, our cleansing from sin.

In the Holy Place, we remember:
The lampstand, the light of your presence.
The shew bread, the sustenance of your presence.
The altar of incense, our prayers in your presence.

In the Holy of Holies, we remember:
The veil, cover of your mercy.
The Ark of the Covenant, your law, your reality.
The Mercy Seat, your atonement for man.

Lord, may we come in from the courtyard!
May we remember your son's sacrifice,
that which covers us in pure righteousness,
that which cleanses us as water cleanses hands.

Lord, may we move through the Holy Place,
Seeing the glorious light of who you are,
tasting the sustaining flesh of your Son,
smelling the sweetness of our answered prayers.

Lord, may we enter the Holy of Holies,
as the veil torn leads us to forgiveness,
as we learn you are completely pure, holy,
and you speak our depravity fallen under grace!

Your Tabernacle! Your symbol!
Your visual aid created to teach us!
May we learn your lesson well
and always praise you for your revealing Tabernacle!

I wrote this Psalm as a response to and reflection on The Tabernacle Experience. My husband, daughter and I went to this experience, where you move through a life size replica of the Tabernacle. A narrator, via an MP3 player, guides you through the Tabernacle. Not only do you walk through it, but you also interact with it: You carry white linen with you, reminding you of the priests who wore white linen to represent a covering for sin. You throw wood on the altar to represent your own sacrifice for sin. You wash your hands in the laver, a symbol of cleansing. You light the lamp stand, remembering God's light. You eat the bread dipped in wine, a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice. You take the incense from the altar and enter the Holy of Holies, representing your prayers to God. And you stand in front of the Ark of the Covenant, awed by the Mercy Seat of God that covers the law we can never keep. It was a breathtaking experience. It brought the Tabernacle to life and put an indelible memory into my mind of what God meant the Tabernacle to be: a representation of Christ who was to come and be the final sacrifice through whom we obtain mercy and are covered in God's holiness. Wow! I think one of the neatest experiences was moving from the outer courtyard into the Holy Place. Just even the act of moving from this bright sunlight into a darker place gave me a sense of awe and holy seriousness, and also a feeling of comfort. Then moving into the Holy of Holies, an even darker place, holding the incense and smelling it and seeing the Ark...it's hard to put into words. I think I got just a glimpse of what it was like for the High Priest. How holy that time was for him and how awesome.

Psalm 33

You have sustained me, my God.
I have made it through.
Though I stumbled, though I struggled,
you never abandoned me.

O my God! You are my rock.
When all else is turbulent,
when oceans engulf me,
you steady my hand.

Without you as my Captain,
I would falter and drown.
It is your mighty care
that keeps me afloat.

Thank you, my Lord,
for standing next to me,
guiding the wheel of my ship.
protecting me from the shoals.

The Lord, my Captain,
my rock, my protector.
All praise be given to He
who is Master of my life.

Psalm 32

Lord, you have blessed me
with both a job and ministry.
Keep me ever mindful
that my employment is a blessing.
Even with its challenges,
even when I'm so busy,
let me be thankful.
I thank you for what you have made me,
how you use my talents and gifts.
My work is for you, O Lord,
and this should sustain me.
May the work of my mind and my hands
be pleasing in your sight.

Psalm 31

Thank you, Lord, for a good day.
Thank you for family.
Thank you for my baby.
Thank you for a helpful husband.
Thank you for rest.
Thank you for forgiveness.
Thank you for your Son.
Lord, there is so much to thank you for.
Help me to always remember
that everyday I live is a day to be thankful.

Psalm 30

Lord, what can I say?
I am exhausted;
my body wastes away
and my mind is tired.

Lord, give me stamina.
Help me to maintain
in the midst of sickness.
Heal me.

O Lord, I depend on you.
No matter what,
you are my sustainer.
Sustain me, now, my Provider God.

Psalm 29

Lord, I am tired.
I feel stressed, worried,
burdens weighing upon me.
Give me peace,
give me calm.
Keep my focus on you
instead of on my circumstances.
Lord, open the way to times
with a clearer mind.

Psalm 28

I praise you, O God, for this beautiful day!
Sunshine fills my spirit with joy!
O thank you for light and warmth,
for energy in the air.
Glorious is the day in your sight,
the day that you give to man.
Lord, thank you for a time to feel life,
to know that Spring is coming.
Praise to the Lord of seasons,
who changes them in due time with His hand.
You, O Lord, are our Magnificent Creator!

Psalm 27

Lord, comfort my tired body.
Give me good rest tonight.
Let your hand of peace
be my guide in the night.

Psalm 26

Lord, protect my nights.
Worries and fears interrupt me;
my mind is afraid.
Lord, make my trust strong,
make my trust steadfast.
When worry creeps in,
when fear appears,
remind me of your faithfulness.
May my mind rest in your promises,
the truth that your love is everlasting.
Banish disturbing thoughts
and put my mind at peace.
Lord, you are my Almighty God;
in you I will ever trust.

Psalm 25

Thank you, Father, for rest,
for time to relax and rejuvenate.
Thank you for time with family,
for time with no pressure.
Lord, it is a blessing
to rest, to feel no worries.
Thank you for your gift this day,
for a simple, precious respite
from the labors of the week.

Psalm 24

O Lord, calm my frustrations;
bring peace to my heart.
When anger arises, keep me focused
on your truth and presence.

Lord, emotions are strong;
at times they dominate me.
Spirit, help me to control
the feelings within.

Like reigns on a horse,
may my passions be mastered by me;
May I not be commanded by
my overwhelming passions.

I praise you, Lord, for your serenity;
this is what brings me back to sanity.
Lord, my Almighty Guide, keep me always
under your precious sovereignty.

Psalm 23

To those who are hurting,
who are sick or depressed,
cling to the Lord your God!
The Lord is ever present;
His promise to be with us stands.
If you cannot feel Him,
then know He is with you
and rest in this knowledge.
The Lord has His arms around you;
He carries you as His own.
The Lord is faithful to His children;
He never abandons them to fate.
Yes, the Lord is carrying you even now;
hold tightly to Him!
He will see you through
for He has a plan for you
and you will fulfill His plan.
Oh may you make the Lord your covering
and shield as He fights for you!

Psalm 22

The grace of the Lord is precious.
The Lord's unconditional love
expresses the truth of His grace.
The Lord pardons those who fail
through His own sacrifice.
Without the Lord, I would despair,
a sinner lost in my sin,
with no hope of freedom.
Praise to the One who frees me!
He has opened the door for me,
the door of liberty, to live holy.
What can I do but respond,
respond with a desire to serve?
Yes, I will serve my savior.
I must use this freedom freely given
wisely and with responsibility.
Guide me, O Spirit, so that my life
is lived well, a life pursuing and expressing
the love I have for my Savior God.

Psalm 21

How precious are the children of the Lord!
The Lord gives His love to them unconditionally;
He seeks their good at all times.
The Lord guides their ways;
He watches over their steps.
What people are more cared for than the Lord's?
He is a shepherd, guarding them against wolves.
He is a captain, steering through their storms.
He is a general, fighting for their cause.
The Lord's lovingkindness reaches higher than the skies.
Praise the Lord, you His children!
Praise the Father for His care!

Psalm 20

My mind calls out to you, God,
in the depths of the night.
How thankful I am that you
rule both day and night.
I am not alone, even in darkness,
for you, O God, are ever present.

As God's presence in the shadow,
so is His comfort in struggle.
Dark days may cover our paths,
but the Lord always walks alongside us.
Call to the Lord Almighty in your trouble,
for He upholds us in our trials.

Psalm 19

God's glorious hand is seen in His world.
God uses His creation for His people.
The rain falls, causing growth.
The sun shines, producing light to see.
Greenery grows, bringing forth
both food and beauty.
Living creatures do as they were created,
providing companionship, usefulness,
provision and proclamation of God's creativity.

And oh, the glory of man!
God's highest creation cries out His own image,
as he uses his intellect, his mind, his will
as a reflection of His very Lord.
As man feels and moves and breathes
he shows he is designed of a Creator higher than he.

God is Almighty Creator!
Worship the Lord who has made
both you and your world!
To God be the glory for beautiful design!

Psalm 18

Children are a gift from the Lord.
It is He who creates their being,
who fashions their personalities.
Give thanks to the Lord
for the children that are yours.
God has brought them into this world
to learn His ways and live for Him.
Pray for the children that are yours.
Make your prayers daily, continually,
imploring God's will in their lives.
Guide the children that are yours.
Be a blessing to your little ones,
shaping them through God's truth for
children are a gift from the Lord.

Psalm 17

Time seems an enemy to me, O Lord.
My schedule fills, my life is busy.
I complain of never enough time in a day.

Lord, is this dilemma truly displaced priority?
Show me, O God, where my time should lie.
Keep me from falling into this trap.
I desire to serve you and to use the gifts given to me.
Direct my efforts to what you have planned.
Change time from my enemy to my friend,
time as an agent of your purposes.
May my time bring glory to your name!

Psalm 16

A new day has dawned.
The Lord brings forth the daylight.
As the sun spreads its warmth,
so the Lord bathes His children in light.
The Lord is light and truth.
When He speaks, darkness is banished.
Hearken to the Lord's words!
The words of the Lord are perfect,
shining into the shadows.
The words of the Lord are flawless,
illuminating His will.
Come to the Lord, you who seek truth
and take hold of the Lord's light!

Psalm 15

The love of the Lord is eternal.
He gives it to His children freely
and extravagantly.
The Lord takes joy as He lavishes
His lovingkindness on His followers.

Praise to the love of the Lord!
The Lord seeks a relationship,
a relationship of intimacy,
a relationship rooted in love.
The Lord pursues His beloved,
pursues them to the ends of the earth.

Praise to the love of the Lord!
It is given unconditionally;
it is a gift waiting to be claimed.
O Man, accept the Lord's gift.
Take fellowship with the Lord
as it is offered before you!

Praise to the love of the Lord!
Through His love we find peace;
through His love we find forgiveness.
Let the Lord's love rule your life.
Open your heart to God's truth
and let your true Father reign!

The love of the Lord is eternal.
He gives it with an open hand.
Let all men seek the Lord
and experience divine favor.
Praise to the love of the Lord!

Psalm 14

Thank you for my family, O Lord!
I had my own plans for my future,
but I am so grateful you saw farther than I.
My path was so clear to me,
but you were to be the lamp.

Thank you, my God, for lighting my way,
for showing me your will and not mine.
Without you, I would not be who I am now.
I would be following a road determined by me
and it would be a road not suited for me.

Lord, you see our futures.
You know the journeys you have determined.
I praise you for my husband and daughter,
for turning me to them when I wanted to go astray.
Thank you, my Lord, my Lamplighter God!

Psalm 13

God is my protection.
He is a strong tower about me,
a shield covering me.
Though darkness should come,
though trials should buffet,
God is a steadfast guard over my life.
Praise to the One who fights for his children!
Like a shepherd facing the wolf is my God.
He defends the cause of His loved ones
and is the refuge that they find.
Our God is our Protector God!
Hold on to the One who is your defender!

Psalm 12

What beauty descends from the sky!
Your creation floats downward, O Lord,
the delicacy of exquisite creativity.
What mind could conceive of such elegance?
Tiny white flakes, mistaken by the human eye
for simple nebulous forms of snow.
Yet, take a closer look and the minuscule shapes
reveal intricate design from the mind of the Maker.
Who could mold such fragile, definite structure
unless it be the Lord of all creation himself?
There is truth in the snowflake;
this glorious pure substance itself
cries out the praise of its Creator!

Psalm 11

Be the Master of my Soul, O Lord!
I sense the wandering of my heart.
When troubles come or when life crowds in,
my spirit drifts.

Command my vessel, my Captain God!
I want to sail in your path.
When the waters are rough and stormy,
keep my hand on the prow.

If left on my own,
my ship will fall off course.
Steer me onward, God Almighty,
to shores of your own making!

Psalm 10

I am weary, O Lord.
Come to my aid.
Sustain me as the candle
sustains the flame.
Prosper my days and nights.
Keep my success in your hands.
Come to my aid, my Almighty,
for my weariness is waxing!

Psalm 9

God has sustained me this day.
To Him alone I give the glory.
When I feel like I will fail,
the Lord himself works in me.
If the Almighty were not with me
my life would drone on meaningless.

Who assigns substance to my existence?
The Lord God, Yahweh, Almighty Creator!
All I am is founded in the work of the Lord.
I could not be who I am without my God.
Ascribe to the Lord praise for His love of man!
Ascribe to the Lord the praise due His name!

Psalm 8

The Lord looks down from on high;
He looks down on the men he has made.
The Lord is their sustainer;
The Lord is their provider.

How does man continue to live?
Only through the Lord's blessing.
Give praise to the Lord, the Holy One,
who loves the men made in His image!

Psalm 7

Bless the work of my hands, my God!
My toil is for your glory--
Keep me ever mindful of this truth.

Train my mind to work for you
and teach my spirit to rely on you.
You alone bring fruition to my labor.

Production is a gift from the Lord!
May I be a trusted steward
of the tasks God has placed upon me.

Psalm 6

Your hand has created man, O God,
and he is beautiful in your sight.
You chose to give him your image;
he is above all other creations.
In him you have placed eternal soul;
in him is creativity and design.

O praise the Lord's forming of man!
In the womb He weaves flesh and personality.
From two single cells He brings forth a child.
The child grows in his mother's belly,
nurtured by the Lord above.
The Lord oversees precious development.

See through eyes, created to view God's wonders!
Hear through ears, designed to capture sound!
Touch through hands, formed to explore sensation!
Smell through a nose, fashioned to sustain and enjoy!
Taste through a tongue, shaped to speak and to savor!
Yes, this is the Lord's blueprint for man brought to fruition.

And what more can I say?
Do I have time to laud the creation of a heart,
beating a continual pulse or
to extol the synapses of the brain,
the willful center of the human body?
What of the muscles, the skeleton, hair and mouth?

All of man's flesh is evidence of our God!
Who can escape His perfect design?
Yes, and more--through Him comes man's skills, gifts, abilities.
To sing, dance, write, play, heal, teach,
to learn, connect, analyze and judge.
These are God's works in man.

To speak further of God's marvels,
consider man who loves with passion,
man who communicates his thoughts,
who creates from his mind new invention
and conceives things yet to be seen.
These, too, are the Lord's doing in man.

O Man, how precious you are to the Lord!
Do not abandon He who has beget you as you are!
It is to Him you owe your life, your blessings, your soul!
Bow before your Creator and acknowledge His work on your behalf.
His loyal love reaches for you whom He shaped.
Reach back, O Man, for your Author waits!

Psalm 5

Change my heart, O God!
Like a reed swayed in the wind
so my heart wavers in this world.
Sin seeks to entangle what I know to be true.

Your Word alone is truth.
Your commands are precious.
Your statutes bring blessing.
Teach my heart to obey your words.

Psalm 4

The Lord waters the earth.
He brings forth the rain
to refresh the dry land.
Through the Lord's hand
comes renewal to the earth.

As the rain falls from the sky
so the Lord showers blessings upon us.
He refreshes the dry and weary in spirit.
Through the work of His hand
comes renewal of strength.

Call to the Lord!
Let Him breathe new life into your tired soul.
Let the Lord wash you anew.
Come to the Lord with a heart open,
ready for His cleansing hand.
Call to the Lord!

Psalm 3

At night, I come before my God.
You, O Lord, rule both day and night.
The day brings to light the works of your hands.
The night ushers in the quiet beauty of stillness.
I rest in your stillness; I listen and wait.

Speak to me, O Yahweh!
As I lie in my bed, as my eyes search the darkness,
Make yourself known.
Tell me truths to fill my soul and quiet my mind.
As the moon lights the darkness, light my spirit at night.

I cherish precious time with You.
Night lacks distraction, pointing me to you.
Prayers pour forth from my lips;
I lift holy hands to you, making the night yours.
Speak to me, my Lord.
Let me hear the peaceful words of my God.

Psalm 2

Great Healer, you have answered.
We proclaim praise to your name;
We declare you are the true God,
the compassionate Lord,
who listened to our prayer
and answered us in our distress.

You have given our daughter her health--
You alone are to be praised.
In your hand is skill.
In your mind is wisdom.
When men fail to heal,
it is you who changes the body of man.

There is no God like our god.
He is truth and love.
He is healer almighty.
To our God belongs all glory.
To our God belongs all praise.
Glory to the name of our God!

Psalm 1

Hear our prayer, O God!
Bring healing to our daughter.
You alone are the Great Healer.
You alone bring the balm of healing.

May your hands move
through the hands of men.
May your wisdom be found
in the minds of men.
Be the guide to those
whose skill comes from you.

We pray for a miracle,
for your intervention,
for a change wrought
only through you.

We thank you for your care,
for the care you show to man:
your compassion, your love.
We know you hear us.
Without you, we would despair.
Praise be to Him whose eye is on man!