Psalm 145

[1] I will extol you, my God and King,            and bless your name forever and ever.   

[2] Every day I will bless you,   

         and praise your name forever and ever.   

[3] Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;   

         his greatness is unsearchable.

[4] One generation shall laud your works to another,   

         and shall declare your mighty acts.   

[5] On the glorious splendor of your majesty,   

         and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.   

[6] The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,   

         and I will declare your greatness.   

[7] They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,   

         and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

[8] The Lord is gracious and merciful,   

         slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.   

[9] The Lord is good to all,   

         and his compassion is over all that he has made.

[10] All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,   

         and all your faithful shall bless you.   

[11] They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,   

         and tell of your power,   

[12] to make known to all people your mighty deeds,   

         and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.   

[13] Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,   

         and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

    The Lord is faithful in all his words,   

         and gracious in all his deeds.   

[14] The Lord upholds all who are falling,   

         and raises up all who are bowed down.   

[15] The eyes of all look to you,   

         and you give them their food in due season.   

[16] You open your hand,   

         satisfying the desire of every living thing.   

[17] The Lord is just in all his ways,   

         and kind in all his doings.   

[18] The Lord is near to all who call on him,   

         to all who call on him in truth.   

[19] He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;   

         he also hears their cry, and saves them.   

[20] The Lord watches over all who love him,   

         but all the wicked he will destroy.

[21] My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,   

         and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

  

Luke 18:9-14

[9] He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' [13] But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' [14] I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." 

Luke 18:1-8

[1] Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. [2] He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. [3] In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' [4] For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" [6] And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? [8] I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" 

  

Psalm 65

[1] Praise is due to you,   

         O God, in Zion;   

    and to you shall vows be performed,   

[2] O you who answer prayer!   

    To you all flesh shall come.   

[3] When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,   

         you forgive our transgressions.   

[4] Happy are those whom you choose and bring near   

         to live in your courts.   

    We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,   

         your holy temple.

[5] By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,   

         O God of our salvation;   

    you are the hope of all the ends of the earth   

         and of the farthest seas.   

[6] By your strength you established the mountains;   

         you are girded with might.   

[7] You silence the roaring of the seas,   

         the roaring of their waves,   

         the tumult of the peoples.   

[8] Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;   

         you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

[9] You visit the earth and water it,   

         you greatly enrich it;   

    the river of God is full of water;   

         you provide the people with grain,   

         for so you have prepared it.   

[10] You water its furrows abundantly,   

         settling its ridges,   

    softening it with showers,   

         and blessing its growth.   

[11] You crown the year with your bounty;   

         your wagon tracks overflow with richness.   

[12] The pastures of the wilderness overflow,   

         the hills gird themselves with joy,   

[13] the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,   

         the valleys deck themselves with grain,   

         they shout and sing together for joy.

Luke 17:11-19

[11]On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. [12]As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, [13]they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" [14]When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. [15]Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. [16]He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. [17]Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? [18]Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this

foreigner?" [19]Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith

has made you well." 

 

Psalm 57

[1] Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,   

         for in you my soul takes refuge;   

    in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,   

         until the destroying storms pass by.   

[2] I cry to God Most High,   

         to God who fulfills his purpose for me.   

[3 ]He will send from heaven and save me,   

         he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah   

    God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

[4] I lie down among lions   

         that greedily devour human prey;   

    their teeth are spears and arrows,   

         their tongues sharp swords.

[5] Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.   

         Let your glory be over all the earth.

[6] They set a net for my steps;   

         my soul was bowed down.   

    They dug a pit in my path,   

         but they have fallen into it themselves.                        

Selah   

[7] My heart is steadfast, O God,   

         my heart is steadfast.   

    I will sing and make melody.   

[8] Awake, my soul!   

    Awake, O harp and lyre!   

         I will awake the dawn.   

[9] I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;   

         I will sing praises to you among the nations.   

[10] For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;   

         your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

[11] Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.   

    Let your glory be over all the earth.

 

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10

[13]But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture-"I believed, and so I spoke"-we also believe, and so we speak, [14]because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. [15]Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 

[16]So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. [17]For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, [18]because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. 

[1]For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [2]For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling-[3]if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. [4]For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. [5]He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 

[6]So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-[7]for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8]Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. [9]So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. [10]For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.