Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 102
A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and let my cry come unto You.
2 Do not hide Your face from me
in the day when I am in trouble;
incline Your ear to me;
in the day when I call answer me quickly.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
and my bones are burned as a furnace.
4 My heart is struck down and withered like grass,
so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning
my bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like an owl of the wilderness,
like a screech owl of the desert.
7 I stay awake and am
as a sparrow alone upon the housetop.
8 My enemies reproach me all the day,
and those who taunt me curse my name.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread
and mixed my drink with weeping,
10 because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
for You have lifted me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are like an evening shadow that vanishes,
and I wither away like grass.
12 But You, O Lord, shall endure forever enthroned
and Your reputation to all generations.
13 You shall arise, and have mercy upon Zion,
for the time to favor her,
indeed, the appointed time has come.
14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
and have pity on her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the Lord shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute
and will not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be written for the generation to come,
that a people who shall be created shall praise the Lord.
19 For He has looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
from heaven the Lord looked down on the earth,
20 to hear the groaning of the prisoners
and to set free those who are appointed to death,
21 that they may declare the name of the Lord in Zion
and His praise in Jerusalem;
22 when the peoples are gathered together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
23 He has weakened my strength in my midlife;
He has shortened my days.
24 I said,
“O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days—
Your years endure throughout all generations.”
25 From before You have laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They shall perish, but You shall endure;
indeed, all of them shall wear out like a garment;
like a robe You shall change them,
and they shall pass away,
27 but You are the same,
and Your years shall have no end.
28 The children of Your servants shall be secure,
and their offspring shall be established before You.
Psalm 142
A Contemplative Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.
1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice;
with my voice I made my supplication unto the Lord.
2 I poured out my complaint before Him;
I declared to Him my trouble.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
then You knew my path.
In the way where I walk,
they have laid a snare for me.
4 I looked on my right and noticed,
but there was no one who would care for me;
there is no refuge for me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cried unto You, O Lord;
I said, “You are my refuge
and my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low;
deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are stronger than me.
7 Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may praise Your name;
the righteous shall surround me,
for You shall deal bountifully with me.
Psalm 143
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
give ear to my supplications;
in Your faithfulness answer me,
and in Your righteousness.
2 Enter not into judgment with Your servant,
for in Your sight no one living is righteous.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
he has crushed my life down to the ground;
he has made me to dwell in darkness,
as those who have been long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I consider the work of Your hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto You;
my soul thirsts after You as a thirsty land. Selah
7 Respond to me quickly, O Lord,
my spirit fails;
do not hide Your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
for in You I have my trust;
cause me to know the way I should walk,
for I lift up my soul unto You.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I flee unto You for my protection.
10 Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God;
may Your good spirit
lead me onto level ground.
11 Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake,
for Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies,
and destroy all them who afflict my soul,
for I am Your servant.
Jeremiah Dejected
7 O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived;
You are stronger than I and have prevailed.
I am held in derision daily;
everyone mocks me.
8 For each time I speak, I cry out;
I cry out, “Violence and devastation,”
because to me the word of the Lord has resulted
in reproach and derision daily.
9 But if I say, “I will not make mention of Him
nor speak any more in His name,”
then His word was in my heart
as a burning fire shut up in my bones;
and I was weary of forbearing it,
and I could not endure it.
10 For I heard the defaming of many,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him. Yes, denounce him!”
All my familiar friends
who watch for my fall, say,
“Perhaps he will be enticed
so that we can prevail against him,
and we will take our revenge on him.”
11 But the Lord is with me as a dread mighty One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their everlasting shame will never be forgotten.
14 So, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men. Judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Partaking of the Supper Unworthily
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread and drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and unhealthy among you, and many die. 31 If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, so that we would not be condemned with the world.
The Prayer of Jesus
17 When Jesus spoke these words, He lifted His eyes toward heaven and said:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may also glorify You. 2 As You have given Him authority over all flesh, He will give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.
6 “I have revealed Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they know that all things You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given them the words which You gave Me. They have received them and certainly know that I came from You, and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me. For they are Yours. 10 All that are Mine are Yours, and all that are Yours are Mine. And I am glorified in them. 11 I am to be no longer in the world, though these are in the world, for I am coming to You. Holy Father, through Your name keep those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are one. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. I have kept those whom You have given Me. And none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 “But now I am coming to You, and I say these things in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word. And the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You. May they also be one in Us, that the world may believe that You have sent Me. 22 I have given them the glory which You gave Me, that they may be one even as We are one: 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfect in unity, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may see My glory which You have given Me. For You loved Me before the creation of the world.
25 “O righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You, and these have known that You sent Me. 26 I have declared Your name to them, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.