Today's Scripture & Prayer

Daily Bible Reading & Praying with the Church

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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, Apr 8

Psalm 146-149

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the Lord,(A) my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;(B)
I will sing praise(C) to my God as long as I live.(D)
Do not put your trust in princes,(E)
in human beings,(F) who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;(G)
on that very day their plans come to nothing.(H)
Blessed are those(I) whose help(J) is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven(K) and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful(L) forever.
He upholds(M) the cause of the oppressed(N)
and gives food to the hungry.(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(P)
the Lord gives sight(Q) to the blind,(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,(S)
the Lord loves the righteous.(T)
The Lord watches over the foreigner(U)
and sustains the fatherless(V) and the widow,(W)
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns(X) forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.[b]

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant(Y) and fitting to praise him!(Z)

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;(AA)
he gathers the exiles(AB) of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted(AC)
and binds up their wounds.(AD)
He determines the number of the stars(AE)
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord(AF) and mighty in power;(AG)
his understanding has no limit.(AH)
The Lord sustains the humble(AI)
but casts the wicked(AJ) to the ground.

Sing to the Lord(AK) with grateful praise;(AL)
make music(AM) to our God on the harp.(AN)

He covers the sky with clouds;(AO)
he supplies the earth with rain(AP)
and makes grass grow(AQ) on the hills.
He provides food(AR) for the cattle
and for the young ravens(AS) when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength(AT) of the horse,(AU)
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights(AV) in those who fear him,(AW)
who put their hope(AX) in his unfailing love.(AY)

12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;(AZ)
praise your God, Zion.

13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(BA)
and blesses your people(BB) within you.
14 He grants peace(BC) to your borders
and satisfies you(BD) with the finest of wheat.(BE)

15 He sends his command(BF) to the earth;
his word runs(BG) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(BH) like wool
and scatters the frost(BI) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(BJ) like pebbles.
Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(BK) and melts them;
he stirs up his breezes,(BL) and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed his word(BM) to Jacob,(BN)
his laws and decrees(BO) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(BP)
they do not know(BQ) his laws.[c]

Praise the Lord.(BR)

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[d](BS)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(BT)
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(BU)
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(BV)
Praise him, sun(BW) and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(BX)
and you waters above the skies.(BY)

Let them praise the name(BZ) of the Lord,
for at his command(CA) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree(CB) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(CC) from the earth,
you great sea creatures(CD) and all ocean depths,(CE)
lightning and hail,(CF) snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,(CG)
you mountains and all hills,(CH)
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(CI) and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(CJ) of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(CK)
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor(CL) is above the earth and the heavens.(CM)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[e](CN)
the praise(CO) of all his faithful servants,(CP)
of Israel, the people close to his heart.(CQ)

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord.[f](CR)

Sing to the Lord a new song,(CS)
his praise in the assembly(CT) of his faithful people.

Let Israel rejoice(CU) in their Maker;(CV)
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.(CW)
Let them praise his name with dancing(CX)
and make music to him with timbrel and harp.(CY)
For the Lord takes delight(CZ) in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.(DA)
Let his faithful people rejoice(DB) in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.(DC)

May the praise of God be in their mouths(DD)
and a double-edged(DE) sword in their hands,(DF)
to inflict vengeance(DG) on the nations
and punishment(DH) on the peoples,
to bind their kings with fetters,(DI)
their nobles with shackles of iron,(DJ)
to carry out the sentence written against them—(DK)
this is the glory of all his faithful people.(DL)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10
  2. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20
  3. Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them
  4. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  5. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  6. Psalm 149:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 146:1 : Ps 103:1; 104:1
  2. Psalm 146:2 : Ps 104:33
  3. Psalm 146:2 : S Ps 105:2
  4. Psalm 146:2 : S Ps 63:4
  5. Psalm 146:3 : Ps 118:9
  6. Psalm 146:3 : Ps 60:11; S 108:12; Isa 2:22
  7. Psalm 146:4 : S Ge 3:19; S Job 7:21; Ps 103:14; Ecc 12:7
  8. Psalm 146:4 : Ps 33:10; 1Co 2:6
  9. Psalm 146:5 : Ps 33:18; 37:9; 119:43; 144:15; Jer 17:7
  10. Psalm 146:5 : Ps 70:5; 71:5; 121:2
  11. Psalm 146:6 : S 2Ch 2:12; Ps 115:15; Ac 14:15; S Rev 10:6
  12. Psalm 146:6 : S Dt 7:9; S Ps 18:25; 108:4; 117:2
  13. Psalm 146:7 : S Ps 37:17
  14. Psalm 146:7 : Ps 103:6
  15. Psalm 146:7 : Ps 107:9; 145:15
  16. Psalm 146:7 : S Ps 66:11; S 68:6
  17. Psalm 146:8 : Pr 20:12; Isa 29:18; 32:3; 35:5; 42:7, 18-19; 43:8; Mt 11:5
  18. Psalm 146:8 : S Ex 4:11
  19. Psalm 146:8 : S Ps 38:6
  20. Psalm 146:8 : S Dt 7:13; S Job 23:10
  21. Psalm 146:9 : S Lev 19:34
  22. Psalm 146:9 : S Ps 10:18
  23. Psalm 146:9 : S Ex 22:22; Jas 1:27
  24. Psalm 146:10 : S Ge 21:33; S 1Ch 16:31; Ps 93:1; 99:1; Rev 11:15
  25. Psalm 147:1 : S Ps 135:3
  26. Psalm 147:1 : Ps 33:1
  27. Psalm 147:2 : S Ps 51:18
  28. Psalm 147:2 : S Ps 106:47
  29. Psalm 147:3 : S Ps 34:18
  30. Psalm 147:3 : S Nu 12:13; S Job 5:18; Isa 1:6; Eze 34:16
  31. Psalm 147:4 : S Ge 15:5
  32. Psalm 147:5 : S Ps 48:1
  33. Psalm 147:5 : S Ex 14:31
  34. Psalm 147:5 : Ps 145:3; Isa 40:28
  35. Psalm 147:6 : S 2Ch 33:23; Ps 146:8-9
  36. Psalm 147:6 : Ps 37:9-10; 145:20
  37. Psalm 147:7 : Ps 30:4; 33:3
  38. Psalm 147:7 : S Ps 42:4
  39. Psalm 147:7 : S Ps 27:6
  40. Psalm 147:7 : S Ps 98:5
  41. Psalm 147:8 : S Job 26:8
  42. Psalm 147:8 : S Dt 11:14; S 32:2; S 2Sa 1:21; S Job 5:10
  43. Psalm 147:8 : S Job 28:26; S Ps 104:14
  44. Psalm 147:9 : S Ge 1:30; Ps 104:27-28; S Mt 6:26
  45. Psalm 147:9 : S Ge 8:7
  46. Psalm 147:10 : S 1Sa 16:7
  47. Psalm 147:10 : S Job 39:11; Ps 33:16-17
  48. Psalm 147:11 : S Ps 35:27
  49. Psalm 147:11 : Ps 33:18; 103:11
  50. Psalm 147:11 : Ps 119:43
  51. Psalm 147:11 : Ps 6:4
  52. Psalm 147:12 : Ps 48:1
  53. Psalm 147:13 : S Dt 33:25
  54. Psalm 147:13 : S Lev 25:21; Ps 128:5; 134:3
  55. Psalm 147:14 : S Lev 26:6; S 2Sa 7:10; S Isa 48:18
  56. Psalm 147:14 : S Ps 132:15
  57. Psalm 147:14 : S Dt 32:14
  58. Psalm 147:15 : Job 37:12; Ps 33:9; 148:5
  59. Psalm 147:15 : Isa 55:11
  60. Psalm 147:16 : Ps 148:8
  61. Psalm 147:16 : S Job 37:12; 38:29
  62. Psalm 147:17 : Ex 9:22-23; S Job 38:22; S Ps 78:47
  63. Psalm 147:18 : ver 15; Ps 33:9; 107:20
  64. Psalm 147:18 : S Ps 50:3
  65. Psalm 147:19 : S Ex 20:1; Ro 3:2
  66. Psalm 147:19 : Ps 78:5
  67. Psalm 147:19 : S Dt 33:4; Jos 1:8; 2Ki 22:8; Mal 4:4; Ro 9:4
  68. Psalm 147:20 : Dt 4:7-8, 32-34
  69. Psalm 147:20 : S Ps 79:6
  70. Psalm 147:20 : Ps 33:2; 103:1
  71. Psalm 148:1 : Ps 33:2; 103:1
  72. Psalm 148:1 : Ps 19:1; 69:34; 150:1
  73. Psalm 148:2 : Ps 103:20
  74. Psalm 148:2 : S 1Ki 22:19
  75. Psalm 148:3 : S Ps 19:1
  76. Psalm 148:4 : S Dt 10:14
  77. Psalm 148:4 : S Ge 1:7
  78. Psalm 148:5 : Ps 145:21
  79. Psalm 148:5 : S Ps 147:15
  80. Psalm 148:6 : Jer 31:35-36; 33:25
  81. Psalm 148:7 : Ps 33:2
  82. Psalm 148:7 : S Ge 1:21; Ps 74:13-14
  83. Psalm 148:7 : S Dt 33:13
  84. Psalm 148:8 : S Ex 9:18; S Jos 10:11
  85. Psalm 148:8 : Job 37:11-12; S Ps 103:20; 147:15-18
  86. Psalm 148:9 : Isa 44:23; 49:13; 55:12
  87. Psalm 148:10 : Isa 43:20; Hos 2:18
  88. Psalm 148:11 : S Ps 102:15
  89. Psalm 148:13 : S Ps 113:2; 138:4
  90. Psalm 148:13 : S Ps 145:5
  91. Psalm 148:13 : S Ps 8:1
  92. Psalm 148:14 : S 1Sa 2:1
  93. Psalm 148:14 : S Ex 15:2; Ps 22:3
  94. Psalm 148:14 : S Ps 145:10
  95. Psalm 148:14 : S Dt 26:19
  96. Psalm 149:1 : Ps 33:2; 103:1
  97. Psalm 149:1 : S Ps 28:7; S 96:1; Rev 5:9
  98. Psalm 149:1 : S Ps 1:5
  99. Psalm 149:2 : Isa 13:3; Jer 51:48
  100. Psalm 149:2 : S Job 10:3; Ps 95:6; Isa 44:2; 45:11; 54:5
  101. Psalm 149:2 : Ps 10:16; 47:6; Isa 32:1; Zec 9:9
  102. Psalm 149:3 : S Ex 15:20
  103. Psalm 149:3 : S Ps 57:8
  104. Psalm 149:4 : Ps 35:27; 147:11
  105. Psalm 149:4 : Ps 132:16
  106. Psalm 149:5 : S Ps 132:16
  107. Psalm 149:5 : Job 35:10; Ps 42:8
  108. Psalm 149:6 : Ps 66:17
  109. Psalm 149:6 : Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16
  110. Psalm 149:6 : Ne 4:17
  111. Psalm 149:7 : S Nu 31:3; S Dt 32:41
  112. Psalm 149:7 : Ps 81:15
  113. Psalm 149:8 : S 2Sa 3:34; S Isa 14:1-2
  114. Psalm 149:8 : 2Ch 33:11
  115. Psalm 149:9 : Dt 7:1; Eze 28:26
  116. Psalm 149:9 : S Ps 145:10
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Exodus 13:3-10

Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,(A) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.(B) Eat nothing containing yeast.(C) Today, in the month of Aviv,(D) you are leaving. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,(E) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites(F)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey(G)—you are to observe this ceremony(H) in this month: For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival(I) to the Lord. Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. On that day tell your son,(J) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand(K) and a reminder on your forehead(L) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.(M) 10 You must keep this ordinance(N) at the appointed time(O) year after year.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

1 Corinthians 15:41-50

41 The sun has one kind of splendor,(A) the moon another and the stars another;(B) and star differs from star in splendor.

42 So will it be(C) with the resurrection of the dead.(D) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;(E) 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;(F) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.(G)

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”[a];(H) the last Adam,(I) a life-giving spirit.(J) 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.(K) 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth;(L) the second man is of heaven.(M) 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.(N) 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,(O) so shall we[b] bear the image of the heavenly man.(P)

50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood(Q) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,(R) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.(S)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:45 Gen. 2:7
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:49 Some early manuscripts so let us
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Matthew 28:16-20

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.(A) 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.(B) 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,(C) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,(D) 20 and teaching(E) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you(F) always, to the very end of the age.”(G)

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.