Today's Scripture & Prayer

Daily Bible Reading & Praying with the Church

The congregation of Countryside is encouraged to not only read ahead in the texts we will be sharing and studying together during our services, but also to personally read the Scriptures together as a congregation. Here you will find Scripture for the day (a Psalm for each morning (always at least the first Psalm) and night, and selections from the Old Testament, New Testament and Gospels), as well as weekly and daily prayers. Together we read through the New Testament once a year, and the Old Testament every two years. The Scripture selections, and the prayers, are from common sources used by most Christians throughout the world.

The historic church found expression in the same rhythms of worship and devotion that were evident in the early church, and among the Hebrews, God's people, before that. Our hope is that the regular reminder will be of encouragement to us all to join the people of God in reading the Scriptures and praying. Both are meant to go together with our daily prayer and communion service.

Reading for Wed, Jan 7

Psalm 103

Of David.

¹Praise the Lord,^(A) my soul;^(B)
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.^(C)
²Praise the Lord,^(D) my soul,
and forget not^(E) all his benefits—
³who forgives all your sins^(F)
and heals^(G) all your diseases,
⁴who redeems your life^(H) from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,^(I)
⁵who satisfies^(J) your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed^(K) like the eagle’s.^(L)

⁶The Lord works righteousness^(M)
and justice for all the oppressed.^(N)

⁷He made known^(O) his ways^(P) to Moses,
his deeds^(Q) to the people of Israel:
⁸The Lord is compassionate and gracious,^(R)
slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;^(S)
¹⁰he does not treat us as our sins deserve^(T)
or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love^(U) for those who fear him;^(V)
¹²as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions^(W) from us.

¹³As a father has compassion^(X) on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴for he knows how we are formed,^(Y)
he remembers that we are dust.^(Z)
¹⁵The life of mortals is like grass,^(AA)
they flourish like a flower^(AB) of the field;
¹⁶the wind blows^(AC) over it and it is gone,
and its place^(AD) remembers it no more.
¹⁷But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children^(AE)—
¹⁸with those who keep his covenant^(AF)
and remember^(AG) to obey his precepts.^(AH)

¹⁹The Lord has established his throne^(AI) in heaven,
and his kingdom rules^(AJ) over all.

²⁰Praise the Lord,^(AK) you his angels,^(AL)
you mighty ones^(AM) who do his bidding,^(AN)
who obey his word.
²¹Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,^(AO)
you his servants^(AP) who do his will.
²²Praise the Lord, all his works^(AQ)
everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.^(AR)

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 114-115

Psalm 114

¹When Israel came out of Egypt,^(A)
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
²Judah^(B) became God’s sanctuary,^(C)
Israel his dominion.

³The sea looked and fled,^(D)
the Jordan turned back;^(E)
⁴the mountains leaped^(F) like rams,
the hills like lambs.

⁵Why was it, sea, that you fled?^(G)
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
⁶Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, earth,^(H) at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.^(I)

Psalm 115^(J)

¹Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,^(K)
because of your love and faithfulness.^(L)

²Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”^(M)
³Our God is in heaven;^(N)
he does whatever pleases him.^(O)
⁴But their idols are silver and gold,^(P)
made by human hands.^(Q)
⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak,^(R)
eyes, but cannot see.
⁶They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
⁷They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

⁹All you Israelites, trust^(S) in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
¹⁰House of Aaron,^(T) trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
¹¹You who fear him,^(U) trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.

¹²The Lord remembers^(V) us and will bless us:^(W)
He will bless his people Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³he will bless those who fear^(X) the Lord—
small and great alike.

¹⁴May the Lord cause you to flourish,^(Y)
both you and your children.
¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven^(Z) and earth.

¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the Lord,^(AA)
but the earth he has given^(AB) to mankind.
¹⁷It is not the dead^(AC) who praise the Lord,
those who go down to the place of silence;
¹⁸it is we who extol the Lord,^(AD)
both now and forevermore.^(AE)

Praise the Lord.^[a]^(AF)

Footnotes:

Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

Cross references:

Psalm 114:1 : S Ex 13:3; S 29:46
Psalm 114:2 : Ps 76:1
Psalm 114:2 : S Ex 15:17; Ps 78:68-69
Psalm 114:3 : Ex 14:21; Ps 77:16
Psalm 114:3 : S Ex 15:8; S Jos 3:16
Psalm 114:4 : S Jdg 5:5
Psalm 114:5 : S Ex 14:21
Psalm 114:7 : S Ex 15:14; S 1Ch 16:30
Psalm 114:8 : S Ex 17:6; S Nu 20:11
Psalm 115:1 : 115:4-11pp — Ps 135:15-20
Psalm 115:1 : Ps 29:2; 66:2; 96:8
Psalm 115:1 : S Ex 34:6
Psalm 115:2 : S Ps 42:3
Psalm 115:3 : Ezr 5:11; Ne 1:4; Ps 103:19; 136:26; Mt 6:9
Psalm 115:3 : Ps 135:6
Psalm 115:4 : Rev 9:20
Psalm 115:4 : S 2Ki 19:18; S 2Ch 32:19; Jer 10:3-5; Ac 19:26
Psalm 115:5 : Jer 10:5
Psalm 115:9 : Ps 37:3; 62:8
Psalm 115:10 : Ex 30:30; Ps 118:3
Psalm 115:11 : Ps 22:23; 103:11; 118:4
Psalm 115:12 : S 1Ch 16:15
Psalm 115:12 : S Ge 12:2
Psalm 115:13 : S Ps 112:1
Psalm 115:14 : Dt 1:11
Psalm 115:15 : S Ge 1:1; Ac 14:15; S Rev 10:6
Psalm 115:16 : S Ps 89:11
Psalm 115:16 : S Ge 1:28; Ps 8:6-8
Psalm 115:17 : Ps 88:10-12
Psalm 115:18 : S Ps 111:1
Psalm 115:18 : S Ps 113:2
Psalm 115:18 : Ps 28:6; 33:2; 103:1

New International Version (NIV)

Deuteronomy 8:1-3

Do Not Forget the Lord

8 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live^(A) and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors.^(B) ²Remember how the Lord your God led^(C) you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test^(D) you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³He humbled^(E) you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna,^(F) which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach^(G) you that man does not live on bread^(H) alone but on every word that comes from the mouth^(I) of the Lord.^(J)

New International Version (NIV)

Colossians 1:1-14

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) and Timothy^(C) our brother,

²To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters^[a] in Christ:

Grace^(D) and peace to you from God our Father.^[b]^(E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³We always thank God,^(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love^(G) you have for all God’s people^(H)— ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope^(I) stored up for you in heaven^(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message^(K) of the gospel ⁶that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit^(L) and growing throughout the whole world^(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras,^(N) our dear fellow servant,^[c] who is a faithful minister^(O) of Christ on our^[d] behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.^(P)

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you,^(Q) we have not stopped praying for you.^(R) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will^(S) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^[e]^(T) ¹⁰so that you may live a life worthy^(U) of the Lord and please him^(V) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,^(W) ¹¹being strengthened with all power^(X) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,^(Y) ¹²and giving joyful thanks to the Father,^(Z) who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance^(AA) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.^(AB) ¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(AC) and brought us into the kingdom^(AD) of the Son he loves,^(AE) ¹⁴in whom we have redemption,^(AF) the forgiveness of sins.^(AG)

Footnotes:

Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:7 Or slave
Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us

Cross references:

Colossians 1:1 : S 1Co 1:1
Colossians 1:1 : S 2Co 1:1
Colossians 1:1 : S Ac 16:1
Colossians 1:2 : Col 4:18
Colossians 1:2 : S Ro 1:7
Colossians 1:3 : S Ro 1:8
Colossians 1:4 : Gal 5:6
Colossians 1:4 : S Ac 9:13; Eph 1:15; Phm 5
Colossians 1:5 : ver 23; 1Th 5:8; Tit 1:2
Colossians 1:5 : 1Pe 1:4
Colossians 1:5 : S 2Ti 2:15
Colossians 1:6 : Jn 15:16
Colossians 1:6 : ver 23; S Ro 10:18
Colossians 1:7 : Col 4:12; Phm 23
Colossians 1:7 : Col 4:7
Colossians 1:8 : Ro 15:30
Colossians 1:9 : ver 4; Eph 1:15
Colossians 1:9 : S Ro 1:10
Colossians 1:9 : S Eph 5:17
Colossians 1:9 : S Eph 1:17
Colossians 1:10 : S Eph 4:1
Colossians 1:10 : S 2Co 5:9
Colossians 1:10 : ver 6
Colossians 1:11 : S Php 4:13
Colossians 1:11 : Eph 4:2
Colossians 1:12 : Eph 5:20
Colossians 1:12 : S Ac 20:32
Colossians 1:12 : S Ac 26:18
Colossians 1:13 : S Ac 26:18
Colossians 1:13 : 2Pe 1:11
Colossians 1:13 : Mt 3:17
Colossians 1:14 : S Ro 3:24
Colossians 1:14 : Eph 1:7

New International Version (NIV)

John 6:30-33

³⁰So they asked him, “What sign^(A) then will you give that we may see it and believe you?^(B) What will you do? ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna^(C) in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[a]”^(D)

³²Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven^(E) and gives life to the world.”

Footnotes:

John 6:31 Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25

Cross references:

John 6:30 : S Jn 2:11
John 6:30 : S Mt 12:38
John 6:31 : Nu 11:7-9
John 6:31 : Ex 16:4, 15; Ne 9:15; Ps 78:24; 105:40
John 6:33 : ver 50; Jn 3:13, 31

New International Version (NIV)

John 6:48-51

⁴⁸I am the bread of life.^(A) ⁴⁹Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^(B) ⁵⁰But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(C) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹I am the living bread^(D) that came down from heaven.^(E) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(F)

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

For Today's Prayers click here

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Greatest Commandment

"‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” [Mark 12:29-31]

Daily Scripture 01 04 2026

DAILY READINGS: January 4 - 11

SUNDAY: Morning: Psalm 85,87; Evening: Psalm 89:1-29 [**]; Exodus 3:1-12; Hebrews 11:23-31; John 14:6-14

MONDAY: Morning: Psalm 2, 110:1-7; Evening: Psalm 29,98; Hebrews 11:32-12:2; Joshua 1:1-9; John 15:1-16

TUESDAY: Morning: Psalm 46, 97; Evening: Psalm 96,100; Isaiah 52:7-10; Revelation 21:22-27; Matthew 12:14-21

WEDNESDAY: Morning: Psalm 103; Evening: Psalm 114, 115; Isaiah 52:3-6; Revelation 2:1-7; John 2:1-11

THURSDAY: Morning: Psalm 117, 118; Evening: Psalm 112, 113; Isaiah 59:15-21; Revelation 2:8-17; John 4:46-54

FRIDAY: Morning: Psalm 121, 122, 123; Evening: Psalm 131, 132; Isaiah 63:1-5; Revelation 2:18-29; John 5:1-15

SATURDAY: Morning: Psalm 138, 139:1-23; Evening: Psalm 147; Isaiah 65:1-9; Revelation 3:1-6; John 6:1-14

SUNDAY: Morning: Psalm 148, 150; Evening: Psalm 91,92; Isaiah 65:13-16; Revelation 3:7-13; John 6:15-27

FOR THE WEEK: Psalm 147:12-20; Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:1-18; Luke 19

Today's Scripture & Prayer

Daily Bible Reading & Praying with the Church

Today's Scripture & Prayer

Daily Bible Reading & Praying with the Church

Reading for Wed, Jan 7

Psalm 103

Psalm 103

Of David.

Cross references:

Psalm 114-115

Psalm 114

Psalm 115(J)

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Deuteronomy 8:1-3

Do Not Forget the Lord

Cross references:

Colossians 1:1-14

Thanksgiving and Prayer

Footnotes:

Cross references:

John 6:30-33

Footnotes:

Cross references:

John 6:48-51

Cross references:

Psalm 115^(J)