Book of Common Prayer
A song for going up to worship.
132 O Lord, remember David and all the hardships he endured.
2 Remember how he swore an oath to the Lord
and made this vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not step inside my house,
4 get into my bed, shut my eyes, or close my eyelids
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Now, we have heard about the ark ⌞of the promise⌟ being in Ephrathah.
We have found it in Jaar.
7 Let’s go to his dwelling place.
Let’s worship at his footstool.
8 O Lord, arise, and come to your resting place
with the ark of your power.
9 Clothe your priests with righteousness.
Let your godly ones sing with joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David.
This is a truth he will not take back:
“I will set one of your own descendants on your throne.
12 If your sons are faithful to my promise [a]
and my written instructions that I will teach them,
then their descendants will also sit on your throne forever.”
13 The Lord has chosen Zion.
He wants it for his home.
14 “This will be my resting place forever.
Here I will sit enthroned because I want Zion.
15 I will certainly bless all that Zion needs.
I will satisfy its needy people with food.
16 I will clothe its priests with salvation.
Then its godly ones will sing joyfully.
17 There I will make a horn sprout up for David.
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but the crown on my anointed one will shine.”
The Lord’s People Pray for His Help
7 I will acknowledge the Lord’s acts of mercy,
and ⌞sing⌟ the praises of the Lord,
because of everything that the Lord has done for us.
He has done many good things for the nation of Israel
because of his compassion and his unlimited mercy.
8 He said, “They are my people,
children who will not lie to me.”
So he became their Savior.
9 In all their troubles he was troubled,
and he was the Messenger who saved them.
In his love and compassion he reclaimed them.
He always held them and carried them in the past.
10 But they rebelled and offended his Holy Spirit.
So he turned against them as their enemy; he fought against them.
11 Then his people remembered Moses and the distant past.
Where is the one who brought them out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit in them?
12 Where is the one who sent his powerful arm
to support the right hand of Moses?
Where is the one who divided the water in front of them
to make an everlasting name for himself?
13 Where is the one who led them through the deep water?
Like horses in the wilderness,
they didn’t stumble.
14 Like animals going down into a valley,
they were given rest by the Lord’s Spirit.
In this way you guided your people
to make an honored name for yourself.
15 Look down and see from heaven, from your holy and beautiful dwelling.
Where is your determination and might?
Where is the longing of your heart and your compassion?
Don’t hold back.
16 You are our Father.
Even though Abraham doesn’t know us
and Israel doesn’t pay attention to us,
O Lord, you are our Father.
Your name is our Defender From Everlasting.
The Virgin Birth of Jesus
18 The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: His mother Mary had been promised to Joseph in marriage. But before they were married, Mary realized that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph was an honorable man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the marriage agreement with her secretly.
20 Joseph had this in mind when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this happened so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: 23 “The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do. He took Mary to be his wife. 25 He did not have marital relations with her before she gave birth to a son. Joseph named the child Jesus.
By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.
34 I will thank the Lord at all times.
My mouth will always praise him.
2 My soul will boast about the Lord.
Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.
3 Praise the Lord’s greatness with me.
Let us highly honor his name together.
4 I went to the Lord for help.
He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.
5 All who look to him will be radiant.
Their faces will never be covered with shame.
6 Here is a poor man who called out.
The Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles.
7 The Messenger of the Lord camps around those who fear him,
and he rescues them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you holy people who belong to him.
Those who fear him are never in need.
10 Young lions go hungry and may starve,
but those who seek the Lord’s help have all the good things they need.
11 Come, children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Which of you wants a full life?
Who would like to live long enough to enjoy good things?
13 Keep your tongue from saying evil things
and your lips from speaking deceitful things.
14 Turn away from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it!
15 The Lord’s eyes are on righteous people.
His ears hear their cry for help.
16 The Lord confronts those who do evil
in order to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
17 ⌞Righteous people⌟ cry out.
The Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those whose hearts are humble.
He saves those whose spirits are crushed.
19 The righteous person has many troubles,
but the Lord rescues him from all of them.
20 The Lord guards all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will kill wicked people,
and those who hate righteous people will be condemned.
22 The Lord protects the souls of his servants.
All who take refuge in him will never be condemned.
Paul Prays That God Would Strengthen Christians
14 This is the reason I kneel in the presence of the Father 15 from whom all the family in heaven and on earth receives its name. 16 I’m asking God to give you a gift from the wealth of his glory. I pray that he would give you inner strength and power through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will live in you through faith. I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. 18 This way, with all of God’s people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is. 19 You will know Christ’s love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God.
20 Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. 21 Glory belongs to God in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time and eternity! Amen.
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