Psalms 143; Psalms 144; Psalms 145; 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

1 Listen to this prayer of mine, God; pay attention to what I'm asking. Answer me - you're famous for your answers! Do what's right for me.

2 But don't, please don't, haul me into court; not a person alive would be acquitted there.

3 The enemy hunted me down; he kicked me and stomped me within an inch of my life. He put me in a black hole, buried me like a corpse in that dungeon.

4 I sat there in despair, my spirit draining away, my heart heavy, like lead.

5 I remembered the old days, went over all you've done, pondered the ways you've worked,

6 Stretched out my hands to you, as thirsty for you as a desert thirsty for rain.

7 Hurry with your answer, God! I'm nearly at the end of my rope. Don't turn away; don't ignore me! That would be certain death.

8 If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice, I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you. Point out the road I must travel; I'm all ears, all eyes before you.

9 Save me from my enemies, God - you're my only hope!

10 Teach me how to live to please you, because you're my God. Lead me by your blessed Spirit into cleared and level pastureland.

11 Keep up your reputation, God - give me life! In your justice, get me out of this trouble!

12 In your great love, vanquish my enemies; make a clean sweep of those who harass me. And why? Because I'm your servant.

1 Blessed be God, my mountain, who trains me to fight fair and well.

2 He's the bedrock on which I stand, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight, The high crag where I run for dear life, while he lays my enemies low.

3 I wonder why you care, God - why do you bother with us at all?

4 All we are is a puff of air; we're like shadows in a campfire.

5 Step down out of heaven, God; ignite volcanoes in the hearts of the mountains.

6 Hurl your lightnings in every direction; shoot your arrows this way and that.

7 Reach all the way from sky to sea: pull me out of the ocean of hate, out of the grip of those barbarians

8 Who lie through their teeth, who shake your hand then knife you in the back.

9 O God, let me sing a new song to you, let me play it on a twelve-string guitar -

10 A song to the God who saved the king, the God who rescued David, his servant.

11 Rescue me from the enemy sword, release me from the grip of those barbarians Who lie through their teeth, who shake your hand then knife you in the back.

12 Make our sons in their prime like sturdy oak trees, Our daughters as shapely and bright as fields of wildflowers.

13 Fill our barns with great harvest, fill our fields with huge flocks;

14 Protect us from invasion and exile - eliminate the crime in our streets.

15 How blessed the people who have all this! How blessed the people who have God for God!

1 I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity.

2 I'll bless you every day, and keep it up from now to eternity.

3 God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.

4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts.

5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders.

6 Your marvelous doings are headline news; I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.

7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country; your righteousness is on everyone's lips.

8 God is all mercy and grace - not quick to anger, is rich in love.

9 God is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace.

10 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;

11 your holy people bless you. They talk about the glories of your rule, they exclaim over your splendor,

12 Letting the world know of your power for good, the lavish splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does.

14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.

15 All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them their meals on time.

16 Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures.

17 Everything God does is right - the trademark on all his works is love.

18 God's there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it.

19 He does what's best for those who fear him - hears them call out, and saves them.

20 God sticks by all who love him, but it's all over for those who don't.

21 My mouth is filled with God's praise. Let everything living bless him, bless his holy name from now to eternity!

21 It's written in Scripture that God said, In strange tongues and from the mouths of strangers I will preach to this people, but they'll neither listen nor believe.

22 So where does it get you, all this speaking in tongues no one understands? It doesn't help believers, and it only gives unbelievers something to gawk at. Plain truth-speaking, on the other hand, goes straight to the heart of believers and doesn't get in the way of unbelievers.

23 If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you're all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can?

24 But if some unbelieving outsiders walk in on a service where people are speaking out God's truth, the plain words will bring them up against the truth

25 and probe their hearts. Before you know it, they're going to be on their faces before God, recognizing that God is among you.

26 So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight.

27 If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three's the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you're saying.

28 Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself.

29 And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart.

30 Take your turn, no one person taking over.

31 Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other.

32 If you choose to speak, you're also responsible for how and when you speak.

33 When we worship the right way, God doesn't stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches - no exceptions.

34 Wives must not disrupt worship, talking when they should be listening,

35 asking questions that could more appropriately be asked of their husbands at home. God's Book of the law guides our manners and customs here. Wives have no license to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking.

36 Do you - both women and men - imagine that you're a sacred oracle determining what's right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you?

37 If any one of you thinks God has something for you to say or has inspired you to do something, pay close attention to what I have written. This is the way the Master wants it.

38 If you won't play by these rules, God can't use you. Sorry.

39 Three things, then, to sum this up: When you speak forth God's truth, speak your heart out. Don't tell people how they should or shouldn't pray when they're praying in tongues that you don't understand.

40 Be courteous and considerate in everything.