Praying Through: Psalm 50

The Psalm

Psalm 50 (CSB)
A psalm of Asaph.

1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks; he summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God appears in radiance.

3 Our God is coming; he will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes him, and a storm rages around him.

4 On high, he summons heaven and earth in order to judge his people:

5 “Gather my faithful ones to me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God is the Judge. Selah

7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel. I am God, your God.

8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or for your burnt offerings, which are continually before me.

9 I will not take a bull from your household or male goats from your pens,

10 for every animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it is mine.

13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God, and pay your vows to the Most High.

15 Call on me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”

16 But God says to the wicked: “What right do you have to recite my statutes and to take my covenant on your lips?

17 You hate instruction and fling my words behind you.

18 When you see a thief, you make friends with him, and you associate with adulterers.

19 You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue for deceit.

20 You sit, maligning your brother, slandering your mother’s son.

21 You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you.

22 “Understand this, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to rescue you.

23 Whoever offers a thanksgiving sacrifice honors me, and whoever orders his conduct, I will show him the salvation of God.”

The Prayer

You Are My Judge

My sins before you

  • can stretch to the furthest galaxies
  • can fill the oceans
  • can corrupt my soul
  • can tangle my flesh
  • can rot my mind
  • can breaks my heart
  • can steal any love I have in me.

At one time

  • you counted me wicked
  • because I was wicked
  • I was treasonous
  • because I made war against you
  • with my mind
  • my heart
  • and my desires.

But you, O God

  • in your great mercies
  • and your lavish grace
  • gave me your Son
  • to live and die
  • in my place
  • for my sins.

You granted me a new heart

  • your Spirit
  • new desires
  • for you.

You have given me faith

  • to exalt you
  • to worship you
  • to run to you
  • to lay at your feet
  • to hope in you
  • to trust in you
  • to obey your every word.

Keep your love on me

  • Do not let me stray
  • I do not want to lose you love
  • you are all that I have
  • I have nothing else
  • where else can I go.

Be exalted, my Lord.

Amen.