Lament and praise with Psalm 13

O LORD, how long
will this keep going on?
Are You going to forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?

How long must I keep talking to myself
with confusion and soul-sorrow every day?

How long will people of ill will beat me down?

O LORD God, please listen!
Please answer my prayers.
Give me light, or I might
sleep the sleep of death!

Rebellious people rejoice
and think they’ve won
with words that shake us!

But LORD, I trust Your love
and kindness.
I celebrate Your saving grace!

How good You are, O LORD!
With psalms, I sing Your praise.

Psalm 13 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, with translations from Bible Gateway.

…

Praising God with Psalm 8

Psalm 8

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your Name
in all the earth!

Above the heavens,
Your glory!

Out of the mouths of babes,
Your power
to overcome ills!

O look at Your heavens –
the moon and stars,
pointing
to the Your fingertips.

Who are we
to come
to Your mind?

Who are we
to be held close
in Your care?

You made us a little lower
than heavenly beings
and crowned us
with Your glory and honor.

You gave the work of Your hands
into our hands –
the animals, birds, fish,
the land and water.

O LORD, our Lord –
Your Name fills the earth
with majesty.

prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2016

...