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 Tue, Dec 16

Psalm 45

Psalm 45^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b] A wedding song.^(A)

¹My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

²You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,^(B)
since God has blessed you forever.^(C)

³Gird your sword^(D) on your side, you mighty one;^(E)
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.^(F)
⁴In your majesty ride forth victoriously^(G)
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;^(H)
let your right hand^(I) achieve awesome deeds.^(J)
⁵Let your sharp arrows^(K) pierce the hearts^(L) of the king’s enemies;^(M)
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶Your throne, O God,^[c] will last for ever and ever;^(N)
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁷You love righteousness^(O) and hate wickedness;^(P)
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing^(Q) you with the oil of joy.^(R)
⁸All your robes are fragrant^(S) with myrrh^(T) and aloes^(U) and cassia;^(V)
from palaces adorned with ivory^(W)
the music of the strings^(X) makes you glad.
⁹Daughters of kings^(Y) are among your honored women;
at your right hand^(Z) is the royal bride^(AA) in gold of Ophir.^(AB)

¹⁰Listen, daughter,^(AC) and pay careful attention:^(AD)
Forget your people^(AE) and your father’s house.
¹¹Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;^(AF)
honor^(AG) him, for he is your lord.^(AH)
¹²The city of Tyre^(AI) will come with a gift,^[d]^(AJ)
people of wealth will seek your favor.
¹³All glorious^(AK) is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.^(AL)
¹⁴In embroidered garments^(AM) she is led to the king;^(AN)
her virgin companions^(AO) follow her—
those brought to be with her.
¹⁵Led in with joy and gladness,^(AP)
they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes^(AQ) throughout the land.

¹⁷I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;^(AR)
therefore the nations will praise you^(AS) for ever and ever.^(AT)

Footnotes:

Psalm 45:1 In Hebrew texts 45:1-17 is numbered 45:2-18.
Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 45:6 Here the king is addressed as God’s representative.
Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts

Cross references:

Psalm 45:1 : SS 1:1
Psalm 45:2 : Lk 4:22
Psalm 45:2 : Ps 21:6
Psalm 45:3 : S Dt 32:41; Ps 149:6; Rev 1:16
Psalm 45:3 : S 2Sa 1:19
Psalm 45:3 : S Job 40:10; S Ps 21:5
Psalm 45:4 : Rev 6:2
Psalm 45:4 : Zep 2:3
Psalm 45:4 : Ps 21:8
Psalm 45:4 : S Dt 4:34; Ps 65:5; 66:3
Psalm 45:5 : S Dt 32:23
Psalm 45:5 : S Nu 24:8
Psalm 45:5 : Ps 9:13; 92:9
Psalm 45:6 : S Ge 21:33; La 5:19
Psalm 45:7 : Ps 33:5
Psalm 45:7 : S Ps 11:5
Psalm 45:7 : Ps 2:2; Isa 45:1; 61:1; Zec 4:14
Psalm 45:7 : S Ps 23:5; Heb 1:8-9*
Psalm 45:8 : Pr 27:9; SS 1:3; 4:10
Psalm 45:8 : S Ge 37:25
Psalm 45:8 : S Nu 24:6; Jn 19:39
Psalm 45:8 : S Ex 30:24
Psalm 45:8 : S 1Ki 22:39
Psalm 45:8 : Ps 144:9; 150:4; Isa 38:20
Psalm 45:9 : SS 6:8
Psalm 45:9 : 1Ki 2:19
Psalm 45:9 : Isa 62:5
Psalm 45:9 : S Ge 10:29
Psalm 45:10 : Ru 1:11
Psalm 45:10 : Jer 5:1
Psalm 45:10 : Ru 1:16
Psalm 45:11 : S Est 1:11; S La 2:15
Psalm 45:11 : Eph 5:33
Psalm 45:11 : 1Pe 3:6
Psalm 45:12 : S Jos 19:29
Psalm 45:12 : S 1Ki 9:16; S 2Ch 9:24
Psalm 45:13 : Isa 61:10
Psalm 45:13 : Ex 39:3
Psalm 45:14 : S Jdg 5:30
Psalm 45:14 : Est 2:15
Psalm 45:14 : SS 1:3
Psalm 45:15 : S Est 8:17
Psalm 45:16 : 1Sa 2:8; Ps 68:27; 113:8
Psalm 45:17 : S Ex 3:15; Ps 33:11; 119:90; 135:13
Psalm 45:17 : Ps 138:4
Psalm 45:17 : S Ps 21:4; Rev 22:5

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 47-48

Psalm 47^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹Clap your hands,^(A) all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.^(B)

²For the Lord Most High^(C) is awesome,^(D)
the great King^(E) over all the earth.
³He subdued^(F) nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
⁴He chose our inheritance^(G) for us,
the pride of Jacob,^(H) whom he loved.^[b]

⁵God has ascended^(I) amid shouts of joy,^(J)
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.^(K)
⁶Sing praises^(L) to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
⁷For God is the King of all the earth;^(M)
sing to him a psalm^(N) of praise.

⁸God reigns^(O) over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.^(P)
⁹The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings^[c] of the earth belong to God;^(Q)
he is greatly exalted.^(R)

Psalm 48^[d]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

¹Great is the Lord,^(S) and most worthy of praise,^(T)
in the city of our God,^(U) his holy mountain.^(V)

²Beautiful^(W) in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon^[e]^(X) is Mount Zion,^(Y)
the city of the Great King.^(Z)
³God is in her citadels;^(AA)
he has shown himself to be her fortress.^(AB)

⁴When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,^(AC)
⁵they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.^(AD)
⁶Trembling seized^(AE) them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.^(AF)
⁷You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish^(AG)
shattered by an east wind.^(AH)

⁸As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
forever.^[f]^(AI)

⁹Within your temple, O God,
we meditate^(AJ) on your unfailing love.^(AK)
¹⁰Like your name,^(AL) O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;^(AM)
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.^(AN)

¹²Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,^(AO)
¹³consider well her ramparts,^(AP)
view her citadels,^(AQ)
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.^(AR)

¹⁴For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide^(AS) even to the end.

Footnotes:

Psalm 47:1 In Hebrew texts 47:1-9 is numbered 47:2-10.
Psalm 47:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 47:9 Or shields
Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Zechariah 2

A Man With a Measuring Line

2 ^[a]Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. ²I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”^(A)

³While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him ⁴and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls^(B) because of the great number^(C) of people and animals in it.^(D) ⁵And I myself will be a wall^(E) of fire^(F) around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory^(G) within.’^(H)

⁶“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered^(I) you to the four winds of heaven,”^(J) declares the Lord.^(K)

⁷“Come, Zion! Escape,^(L) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”^(M) ⁸For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye^(N)— ⁹I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.^[b]^(O) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.^(P)

¹⁰“Shout^(Q) and be glad, Daughter Zion.^(R) For I am coming,^(S) and I will live among you,”^(T) declares the Lord.^(U) ¹¹“Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.^(V) I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.^(W) ¹²The Lord will inherit^(X) Judah^(Y) as his portion in the holy land and will again choose^(Z) Jerusalem. ¹³Be still^(AA) before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.^(AB)”

Footnotes:

Zechariah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:5-17.
Zechariah 2:9 Or says after … eye: ⁹“I … plunder them.”

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Revelation 3:14-22

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴“To the angel of the church in Laodicea^(A) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,^(B) the ruler of God’s creation.^(C) ¹⁵I know your deeds,^(D) that you are neither cold nor hot.^(E) I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’^(F) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.^(G) ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,^(H) so you can become rich; and white clothes^(I) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;^(J) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.^(K) So be earnest and repent.^(L) ²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door^(M) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,^(N) I will come in^(O) and eat with that person, and they with me.

²¹To the one who is victorious,^(P) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,^(Q) just as I was victorious^(R) and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²Whoever has ears, let them hear^(S) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

New International Version (NIV)

Matthew 24:32-44

³²“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ³³Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it^[a] is near, right at the door.^(A) ³⁴Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.^(B) ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.^(C)

The Day and Hour Unknown^(D)^(E)

³⁶“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[b] but only the Father.^(F) ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah,^(G) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,^(H) up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.^(I) ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.^(J) ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.^(K)

⁴²“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.^(L) ⁴³But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,^(M) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴So you also must be ready,^(N) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Footnotes:

Matthew 24:33 Or he
Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son.

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 12/14/2025

DAILY READINGS: December 14 - 21

SUNDAY: Morning: Psalm 63:1-11,98; Evening: Psalm 103; Isaiah 13:6-13; Hebrews 12:18-29; John 3:22-30

MONDAY: Morning: Psalm 41,52; Evening: Psalm 44; Isaiah 8:16-9:1; 2 Peter 1:1-11; Luke 22:39-53

TUESDAY: Morning: Psalm 45; Evening: Psalm 47,48; Isaiah 9:1-7; 2 Peter 1:12-21; Luke 22:54-69

WEDNESDAY: Morning: Psalm 119:49-72; Evening: Psalm 49,[53]; Isaiah 9:8-17; 2 Peter 2:1-10a; Mark 1:1-8

THURSDAY: Morning: Psalm 50; Evening: Psalm [59,60] *or* 33; Isaiah 9:18-10:4; 2 Peter 2:10b-16; Matthew 3:1-12

FRIDAY: Morning: Psalm 40,54; Evening: Psalm 51; Isaiah 10:5-19; 2 Peter 2:17-22; Matthew 11:2-15

SATURDAY: Morning: Psalm 55; Evening: Psalm 138,139:1-23; Isaiah 10:20-27; Jude 17-25; Luke 3:19

SUNDAY: Morning: Psalm 24,29; Evening: Psalm 8,84; Isaiah 42:1-12; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 3:16-21

FOR THE WEEK: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11; 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 Tue, Dec 16

Psalm 45

Psalm 45[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b] A wedding song.(A)

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 47-48

Psalm 47[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Psalm 48[d]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Zechariah 2

A Man With a Measuring Line

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Revelation 3:14-22

To the Church in Laodicea

Cross references:

Matthew 24:32-44

The Day and Hour Unknown(D)(E)

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 45^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b] A wedding song.^(A)

Psalm 47^[a]

Psalm 48^[d]

The Day and Hour Unknown^(D)^(E)