Praying Through: Psalm 139

The Psalm

Psalm 139 (CSB)
For the choir director. A psalm of David.

¹ LORD, you have searched me and known me.

² You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away.

³ You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways.

⁴ Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, LORD.

⁵ You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me.

⁶ This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

⁷ Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

⁹ If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits,

¹⁰ even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me.

¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”—

¹² even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.

¹³ For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.

¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶ Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

¹⁷ God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!

¹⁸ If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you.

¹⁹ God, if only you would kill the wicked— you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me—

²⁰ who invoke you deceitfully. Your enemies swear by you falsely.

²¹ LORD, don’t I hate those who hate you, and detest those who rebel against you?

²² I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies.

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.

²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

The Prayer

Thank you for loving me and giving me all of your affections.

And I know I have your love because I have your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, my only Savior and Lord.

Amen.