Read | Psalm 51:1–19
For the choir director. A psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.
Be gracious to me, God,
according to your faithful love;
according to your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
Completely wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you—you alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.
So you are right when you pass sentence;
you are blameless when you judge.
Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.
God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God—
God of my salvation—
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
LORD, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
you are not pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.
In your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;
build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
What stands out to you from David’s prayer of confession? How is it similar to or different from how you pray when you’re asking God for forgiveness?
Focus
Listen to this song which takes the words, themes, and ideas from this passage and its broader book and makes them like a prayer put to music: Poor Bishop Hooper - Psalm 51 (Live)
The Kansas City-based Christian music group, Poor Bishop Hooper, has created a song meditating on each psalm in the Bible as an exploration of how God connects with us through the entire range of human emotions and experiences. Find more about their project and listen to their EveryPsalm project here. This is a great resource to engage with as you practice using Scripture in prayer.
Pray
Craft your own prayer based on today’s Scripture passage, and what you’ve learned about praying Scripture this week and from the song today. Consider reading the passage out loud, then pause and pray, putting this Scripture into your own words.
Using Scripture to pray can vocalize what’s in our hearts when words are hard to find. It can help us pray about the experiences we often avoid talking about but the Bible doesn’t. Using the words of Scripture in prayer can align our minds, hearts, and wills with God.
Going Deeper
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.
