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 Tue, Jun 30

Psalm 120-127

Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

1 I call on the Lord(A) in my distress,(B)
and he answers me.
2 Save me, Lord,
from lying lips(C)
and from deceitful tongues.(D)

3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,(E)
with burning coals of the broom bush.

5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!(F)
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.(H)

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches(I) over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over(J) you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun(K) will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm(L)—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.(M)

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love(N) you be secure.
7 May there be peace(O) within your walls
and security within your citadels.(P)”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.(Q)

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned(R) in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(S) our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say(T)—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood(U) would have engulfed us,
the torrent(V) would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.

6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;(W)
the snare has been broken,(X)
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name(Y) of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven(Z) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(AA)
which cannot be shaken(AB) but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(AC)
so the Lord surrounds(AD) his people
both now and forevermore.

3 The scepter(AE) of the wicked will not remain(AF)
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.(AG)

4 Lord, do good(AH) to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.(AI)
5 But those who turn(AJ) to crooked ways(AK)
the Lord will banish(AL) with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.(AM)

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

1 When the Lord restored(AN) the fortunes of[a] Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.[b]
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,(AO)
our tongues with songs of joy.(AP)
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things(AQ) for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things(AR) for us,
and we are filled with joy.(AS)

4 Restore our fortunes,[c](AT) Lord,
like streams in the Negev.(AU)
5 Those who sow with tears(AV)
will reap(AW) with songs of joy.(AX)
6 Those who go out weeping,(AY)
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds(AZ) the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches(BA) over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food(BB) to eat—
for he grants sleep(BC) to[d] those he loves.(BD)

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward(BE) from him.
4 Like arrows(BF) in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.(BG)
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents(BH) in court.(BI)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 126:1 Or Lord brought back the captives to
  2. Psalm 126:1 Or those restored to health
  3. Psalm 126:4 Or Bring back our captives
  4. Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 120:1 : S Ps 18:6
  2. Psalm 120:1 : S 2Sa 22:7; S Ps 118:5
  3. Psalm 120:2 : S Ps 31:18
  4. Psalm 120:2 : S Ps 52:4
  5. Psalm 120:4 : S Dt 32:23
  6. Psalm 120:5 : S Ge 25:13; Jer 2:10
  7. Psalm 121:2 : S Ge 1:1
  8. Psalm 121:2 : S Ps 104:5; Ps 115:15
  9. Psalm 121:4 : Ps 127:1
  10. Psalm 121:5 : S Ps 1:6
  11. Psalm 121:6 : Isa 49:10
  12. Psalm 121:7 : S Ps 9:9
  13. Psalm 121:8 : Dt 28:6
  14. Psalm 122:6 : S Ps 26:8
  15. Psalm 122:7 : S 1Sa 25:6
  16. Psalm 122:7 : S Ps 48:3
  17. Psalm 122:9 : Ps 128:5
  18. Psalm 123:1 : S Ps 68:5; Isa 6:1; 63:15
  19. Psalm 123:2 : S Ps 25:15
  20. Psalm 124:1 : Ps 129:1
  21. Psalm 124:4 : Ps 88:17
  22. Psalm 124:4 : S Ps 18:4
  23. Psalm 124:7 : S Ps 91:3
  24. Psalm 124:7 : Ps 25:15
  25. Psalm 124:8 : S 1Sa 17:45
  26. Psalm 124:8 : Ge 1:1; Ps 115:15; 121:2; 134:3
  27. Psalm 125:1 : Ps 48:12; Isa 33:20
  28. Psalm 125:1 : Ps 46:5; 48:2-5
  29. Psalm 125:2 : S 1Ch 21:15
  30. Psalm 125:2 : Ps 32:10; Zec 2:4-5
  31. Psalm 125:3 : S Est 4:11
  32. Psalm 125:3 : Ps 89:22; Pr 22:8; Isa 13:11; 14:5
  33. Psalm 125:3 : 1Sa 24:10
  34. Psalm 125:4 : S Ps 119:65
  35. Psalm 125:4 : S Ps 36:10
  36. Psalm 125:5 : S Job 23:11
  37. Psalm 125:5 : Pr 2:15; Isa 59:8
  38. Psalm 125:5 : Ps 92:7
  39. Psalm 125:5 : Ps 128:6; Gal 6:16
  40. Psalm 126:1 : Ezr 1:1-3; Ps 85:1; Hos 6:11
  41. Psalm 126:2 : S Ge 21:6
  42. Psalm 126:2 : S Job 8:21; S Ps 65:8
  43. Psalm 126:2 : S Dt 10:21; Ps 71:19; Lk 1:49
  44. Psalm 126:3 : Ps 106:21; Joel 2:21, 26
  45. Psalm 126:3 : S Ps 9:2; 16:11
  46. Psalm 126:4 : S Dt 30:3
  47. Psalm 126:4 : S Ps 107:35; Isa 43:19; 51:3
  48. Psalm 126:5 : Ps 6:6; 80:5; Jer 50:4
  49. Psalm 126:5 : Gal 6:9
  50. Psalm 126:5 : Ps 16:11; 20:5; 23:6; Isa 35:10; 51:11; 60:15; 61:7; Jer 31:6-7, 12
  51. Psalm 126:6 : S Nu 25:6; S Ps 30:5
  52. Psalm 127:1 : Ps 78:69
  53. Psalm 127:1 : Ps 121:4
  54. Psalm 127:2 : S Ge 3:17
  55. Psalm 127:2 : S Nu 6:26; S Job 11:18
  56. Psalm 127:2 : S Dt 33:12; Ecc 2:25
  57. Psalm 127:3 : S Ge 1:28
  58. Psalm 127:4 : Ps 112:2
  59. Psalm 127:5 : Ps 128:2-3
  60. Psalm 127:5 : S Ge 24:60
  61. Psalm 127:5 : S Ge 23:10
New International Version (NIV)

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Numbers 22:21-38

Balaam’s Donkey

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry(A) when he went, and the angel of the Lord(B) stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword(C) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it(D) to get it back on the road.

24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.

26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry(E) and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,(F) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?(G)”

29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.(H)”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.

31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,(I) and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now,(J) but I would have spared it.”

34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.(K) I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”

35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.

36 When Balak(L) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon(M) border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”

38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”(N)

Footnotes:

  1. Numbers 22:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

Cross references:

  1. Numbers 22:22 : S Ex 4:14
  2. Numbers 22:22 : S Ge 16:7; Jdg 13:3, 6, 13
  3. Numbers 22:23 : Jos 5:13
  4. Numbers 22:23 : ver 25, 27
  5. Numbers 22:27 : Nu 11:1; Jas 1:19
  6. Numbers 22:28 : 2Pe 2:16
  7. Numbers 22:28 : ver 32
  8. Numbers 22:29 : ver 33; Dt 25:4; Pr 12:10; 27:23-27; Mt 15:19
  9. Numbers 22:31 : Ge 21:19
  10. Numbers 22:33 : S ver 29
  11. Numbers 22:34 : Ge 39:9; Nu 14:40; 1Sa 15:24, 30; 2Sa 12:13; 24:10; Job 33:27; Ps 51:4
  12. Numbers 22:36 : ver 2
  13. Numbers 22:36 : S Nu 21:13
  14. Numbers 22:38 : Nu 23:5, 16, 26
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.

Romans 7:1-12

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters(A)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.(B) 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.(C) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law(D) through the body of Christ,(E) that you might belong to another,(F) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[a](G) the sinful passions aroused by the law(H) were at work in us,(I) so that we bore fruit for death.(J) 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law(K) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.(L)

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then?(M) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!(N) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.(O) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b](P) 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(Q) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.(R) 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life(S) actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(T) deceived me,(U) and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.(V)

Footnotes:

  1. Romans 7:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
  2. Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21

Cross references:

  1. Romans 7:1 : S Ac 1:16; S 22:5; Ro 1:13; 1Co 1:10; 5:11; 6:6; 14:20, 26; Gal 3:15; 6:18
  2. Romans 7:2 : 1Co 7:39
  3. Romans 7:3 : S Lk 16:18
  4. Romans 7:4 : ver 6; S Ro 6:6; 8:2; Gal 2:19; 3:23-25; 4:31; 5:1
  5. Romans 7:4 : Col 1:22
  6. Romans 7:4 : Gal 2:19, 20
  7. Romans 7:5 : S Gal 5:24
  8. Romans 7:5 : Ro 7:7-11
  9. Romans 7:5 : Ro 6:13
  10. Romans 7:5 : S Ro 6:23
  11. Romans 7:6 : S ver 4
  12. Romans 7:6 : Ro 2:29; 2Co 3:6
  13. Romans 7:7 : S Ro 8:31
  14. Romans 7:7 : S ver 12
  15. Romans 7:7 : S Ro 4:15
  16. Romans 7:7 : Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21
  17. Romans 7:8 : ver 11
  18. Romans 7:8 : S Ro 4:15
  19. Romans 7:10 : Lev 18:5; Lk 10:26-28; S Ro 10:5; Gal 3:12
  20. Romans 7:11 : ver 8
  21. Romans 7:11 : Ge 3:13
  22. Romans 7:12 : ver 7, 13, 14, 16; Ro 8:4; Gal 3:21; 1Ti 1:8; S Ro 4:15
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 21:23-32

The Authority of Jesus Questioned(A)

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority(B) are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”(C)

27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’(D)

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors(E) and the prostitutes(F) are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,(G) and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors(H) and the prostitutes(I) did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent(J) and believe him.

Cross references:

  1. Matthew 21:23 : 21:23-27pp — Mk 11:27-33; Lk 20:1-8
  2. Matthew 21:23 : Ac 4:7; 7:27
  3. Matthew 21:26 : S Mt 11:9
  4. Matthew 21:28 : ver 33; Mt 20:1
  5. Matthew 21:31 : Lk 7:29
  6. Matthew 21:31 : Lk 7:50
  7. Matthew 21:32 : Mt 3:1-12
  8. Matthew 21:32 : Lk 3:12, 13; 7:29
  9. Matthew 21:32 : Lk 7:36-50
  10. Matthew 21:32 : Lk 7:30
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.