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 23

Psalm 66-67

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

¹Shout for joy to God, all the earth!^(A)
²Sing the glory of his name;^(B)
make his praise glorious.^(C)
³Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!^(D)
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe^(E) before you.
⁴All the earth bows down^(F) to you;
they sing praise^(G) to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”^[a]

⁵Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds^(H) for mankind!
⁶He turned the sea into dry land,^(I)
they passed through^(J) the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice^(K) in him.
⁷He rules forever^(L) by his power,
his eyes watch^(M) the nations—
let not the rebellious^(N) rise up against him.

⁸Praise^(O) our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹he has preserved our lives^(P)
and kept our feet from slipping.^(Q)
¹⁰For you, God, tested^(R) us;
you refined us like silver.^(S)
¹¹You brought us into prison^(T)
and laid burdens^(U) on our backs.
¹²You let people ride over our heads;^(V)
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.^(W)

¹³I will come to your temple with burnt offerings^(X)
and fulfill my vows^(Y) to you—
¹⁴vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
¹⁵I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.^(Z)

¹⁶Come and hear,^(AA) all you who fear God;
let me tell^(AB) you what he has done for me.
¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;^(AC)
¹⁹but God has surely listened
and has heard^(AD) my prayer.
²⁰Praise be to God,
who has not rejected^(AE) my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 67^[b]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

¹May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—^[c]^(AF)
²so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation^(AG) among all nations.^(AH)

³May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.^(AI)
⁴May the nations be glad and sing for joy,^(AJ)
for you rule the peoples with equity^(AK)
and guide the nations of the earth.^(AL)
⁵May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

⁶The land yields its harvest;^(AM)
God, our God, blesses us.^(AN)
⁷May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth^(AO) will fear him.^(AP)

Footnotes:

Psalm 66:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.
Psalm 67:1 In Hebrew texts 67:1-7 is numbered 67:2-8.
Psalm 67:1 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 4.

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 116-117

Psalm 116

¹I love the Lord,^(A) for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry^(B) for mercy.^(C)
²Because he turned his ear^(D) to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

³The cords of death^(E) entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
⁴Then I called on the name^(F) of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!^(G)”

⁵The Lord is gracious and righteous;^(H)
our God is full of compassion.^(I)
⁶The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low,^(J) he saved me.^(K)

⁷Return to your rest,^(L) my soul,
for the Lord has been good^(M) to you.

⁸For you, Lord, have delivered me^(N) from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
⁹that I may walk before the Lord^(O)
in the land of the living.^(P)

¹⁰I trusted^(Q) in the Lord when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;^(R)
¹¹in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”^(S)

¹²What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness^(T) to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name^(U) of the Lord.
¹⁴I will fulfill my vows^(V) to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight^(W) of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants.^(X)
¹⁶Truly I am your servant, Lord;^(Y)
I serve you just as my mother did;^(Z)
you have freed me from my chains.^(AA)

¹⁷I will sacrifice a thank offering^(AB) to you
and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸I will fulfill my vows^(AC) to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹in the courts^(AD) of the house of the Lord—
in your midst, Jerusalem.^(AE)

Praise the Lord.^[a]

Psalm 117

¹Praise the Lord,^(AF) all you nations;^(AG)
extol him, all you peoples.
²For great is his love^(AH) toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord^(AI) endures forever.

Praise the Lord.^[b]

Footnotes:

Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
Psalm 117:2 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:^(A)

“My heart rejoices^(B) in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn^[a]^(C) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts^(D) over my enemies,^(E)
for I delight in your deliverance.

²“There is no one holy^(F) like^(G) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock^(H) like our God.

³“Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,^(I)
for the Lord is a God who knows,^(J)
and by him deeds^(K) are weighed.^(L)

⁴“The bows of the warriors are broken,^(M)
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.^(N)
⁵Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry^(O) are hungry no more.
She who was barren^(P) has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶“The Lord brings death and makes alive;^(Q)
he brings down to the grave and raises up.^(R)
⁷The Lord sends poverty and wealth;^(S)
he humbles and he exalts.^(T)
⁸He raises^(U) the poor^(V) from the dust^(W)
and lifts the needy^(X) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.^(Y)

“For the foundations^(Z) of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
⁹He will guard the feet^(AA) of his faithful servants,^(AB)
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.^(AC)

“It is not by strength^(AD) that one prevails;
¹⁰those who oppose the Lord will be broken.^(AE)
The Most High will thunder^(AF) from heaven;
the Lord will judge^(AG) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength^(AH) to his king
and exalt the horn^(AI) of his anointed.”

Footnotes:

1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Titus 2:1-10

Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.^(A) ²Teach the older men^(B) to be temperate,^(C) worthy of respect, self-controlled,^(D) and sound in faith,^(E) in love and in endurance.

³Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers^(F) or addicted to much wine,^(G) but to teach what is good. ⁴Then they can urge the younger women^(H) to love their husbands and children, ⁵to be self-controlled^(I) and pure, to be busy at home,^(J) to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands,^(K) so that no one will malign the word of God.^(L)

⁶Similarly, encourage the young men^(M) to be self-controlled.^(N) ⁷In everything set them an example^(O) by doing what is good.^(P) In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.^(Q)

⁹Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything,^(R) to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior^(S) attractive.^(T)

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Luke 1:26-38

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel^(A) to Nazareth,^(B) a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,^(C) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^(D) Mary; you have found favor with God.^(E) ³¹You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^(F) ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(G) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^(H) ³³and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(I) will never end.”^(J)

³⁴“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,^(K) and the power of the Most High^(L) will overshadow you. So the holy one^(M) to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.^(N) ³⁶Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^(O) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷For no word from God will ever fail.”^(P)

³⁸“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Footnotes:

Luke 1:35 Or So the child to be born will be called holy,

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 12/21/2025

DAILY READINGS: December 21 - 28

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

MONDAY: Morning: Psalm 61,62; Evening: Psalm 112,115; Isaiah 11:1-9; Revelation 20:1-10; John 5:30-47

TUESDAY: Morning: Psalm 66,67; Evening: Psalm 116,117; Isaiah 11:10-16; Revelation 20:11-21:8; Luke 1:5-25

WEDNESDAY: Morning: Psalm 72; Evening: Psalm 111,113; Isaiah 28:9-22; Revelation 21:9-21; Luke 1:26-38

THURSDAY: Morning: Psalm 45,46; Evening: Psalm 89:1-29; Isaiah 35:1-10; Revelation 22:12-17,21; Luke 1:67-80

FRIDAY: Morning: Psalm 80; Evening: Psalm 146,147; Isaiah 29:13-24; Revelation 21:22-22:5; Luke 1:39-56

SATURDAY: Morning: Psalm 93, 96; Evening: Psalm 148,150; Isaiah 33:17-22; Revelation 22:6-11,18-20; Luke 1:57-66

SUNDAY: Morning: Psalm 93,96; Evening: Psalm 34; Isaiah 62:6-7,10-12; Hebrews 2: 10-18; Matthew 1:18-25

FOR THE WEEK: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25; 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 23

Psalm 66-67

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

Psalm 67[b]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 116-117

Psalm 116

Psalm 117

Footnotes:

Cross references:

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah’s Prayer

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Titus 2:1-10

Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

Cross references:

Luke 1:26-38

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 67^[b]