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 Fri, Jun 5

Psalm 40

Psalm 40^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹I waited patiently^(B) for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.^(C)
²He lifted me out of the slimy pit,^(D)
out of the mud^(E) and mire;^(F)
he set my feet^(G) on a rock^(H)
and gave me a firm place to stand.
³He put a new song^(I) in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord^(J)
and put their trust^(K) in him.

⁴Blessed is the one^(L)
who trusts in the Lord,^(M)
who does not look to the proud,^(N)
to those who turn aside to false gods.^[b]^(O)
⁵Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders^(P) you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare^(Q) with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many^(R) to declare.

⁶Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—^(S)
but my ears you have opened^[c]—^(T)
burnt offerings^(U) and sin offerings^[d] you did not require.
⁷Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.^[e]^(V)
⁸I desire to do your will,^(W) my God;^(X)
your law is within my heart.”^(Y)

⁹I proclaim your saving acts^(Z) in the great assembly;^(AA)
I do not seal my lips, Lord,
as you know.^(AB)
¹⁰I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness^(AC) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.^(AD)

¹¹Do not withhold your mercy^(AE) from me, Lord;
may your love^(AF) and faithfulness^(AG) always protect^(AH) me.
¹²For troubles^(AI) without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.^(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,^(AK)
and my heart fails^(AL) within me.
¹³Be pleased to save me, Lord;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.^(AM)

¹⁴May all who want to take my life^(AN)
be put to shame and confusion;^(AO)
may all who desire my ruin^(AP)
be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”^(AQ)
be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶But may all who seek you^(AR)
rejoice and be glad^(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”^(AT)

¹⁷But as for me, I am poor and needy;^(AU)
may the Lord think^(AV) of me.
You are my help^(AW) and my deliverer;^(AX)
you are my God, do not delay.^(AY)

Footnotes:

Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me

Cross references:

Psalm 40:1 : 40:13-17pp — Ps 70:1-5
Psalm 40:1 : S Ps 37:7
Psalm 40:1 : Ps 6:9; S 31:22; 34:15; 116:1; 145:19
Psalm 40:2 : S Job 9:31; S Ps 7:15
Psalm 40:2 : S Job 30:19
Psalm 40:2 : Ps 69:14
Psalm 40:2 : Ps 31:8
Psalm 40:2 : Ps 27:5
Psalm 40:3 : S Ps 28:7; S 96:1; Rev 5:9
Psalm 40:3 : Ps 52:6; 64:9
Psalm 40:3 : S Ex 14:31
Psalm 40:4 : Ps 34:8
Psalm 40:4 : Ps 84:12
Psalm 40:4 : Ps 101:5; 138:6; Pr 3:34; 16:5; Isa 65:5; 1Pe 5:5
Psalm 40:4 : S Dt 31:20; S Ps 4:2; S 26:1
Psalm 40:5 : S Dt 4:34; Ps 75:1; 105:5; 136:4
Psalm 40:5 : Ps 139:18
Psalm 40:5 : Ps 71:15; 139:17
Psalm 40:6 : S 1Sa 15:22; Jer 6:20; Am 5:22
Psalm 40:6 : Ex 21:6
Psalm 40:6 : Ps 50:8; 51:16; Isa 1:11; Hos 6:6
Psalm 40:7 : Job 19:23; Jer 36:2; 45:1; Eze 2:9; Zec 5:1
Psalm 40:8 : S Mt 26:39
Psalm 40:8 : Heb 10:5-7*
Psalm 40:8 : S Dt 6:6; S Job 22:22; Ro 7:22
Psalm 40:9 : S Ps 22:31
Psalm 40:9 : S Ps 22:25
Psalm 40:9 : S Jos 22:22
Psalm 40:10 : Ps 89:1
Psalm 40:10 : S Ps 22:22
Psalm 40:11 : Zec 1:12
Psalm 40:11 : Pr 20:28
Psalm 40:11 : S Ps 26:3
Psalm 40:11 : Ps 61:7
Psalm 40:12 : S Ps 25:17
Psalm 40:12 : Ps 38:4; 65:3
Psalm 40:12 : Ps 69:4
Psalm 40:12 : Ps 73:26
Psalm 40:13 : Ps 22:19; 38:22
Psalm 40:14 : S 1Sa 20:1
Psalm 40:14 : S Est 9:2; Ps 35:26
Psalm 40:14 : S Ps 35:4
Psalm 40:15 : S Ps 35:21
Psalm 40:16 : Dt 4:29; 1Ch 28:9; Ps 9:10; 119:2
Psalm 40:16 : Ps 9:2
Psalm 40:16 : Ps 35:27
Psalm 40:17 : Ps 86:1; 109:22
Psalm 40:17 : Ps 144:3
Psalm 40:17 : S Ps 20:2
Psalm 40:17 : S Ps 18:2
Psalm 40:17 : Ps 119:60

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 54

Psalm 54^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[b] of David. When the Ziphites^(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

¹Save me^(B), O God, by your name;^(C)
vindicate me by your might.^(D)
²Hear my prayer, O God;^(E)
listen to the words of my mouth.

³Arrogant foes are attacking me;^(F)
ruthless people^(G) are trying to kill me^(H)—
people without regard for God.^[c]^(I)

⁴Surely God is my help;^(J)
the Lord is the one who sustains me.^(K)

⁵Let evil recoil^(L) on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness^(M) destroy them.

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering^(N) to you;
I will praise^(O) your name, Lord, for it is good.^(P)
⁷You have delivered me^(Q) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^(R)

Footnotes:

Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 51

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

¹Have mercy^(B) on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;^(C)
according to your great compassion^(D)
blot out^(E) my transgressions.^(F)
²Wash away^(G) all my iniquity
and cleanse^(H) me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.^(I)
⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned^(J)
and done what is evil in your sight;^(K)
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.^(L)
⁵Surely I was sinful^(M) at birth,^(N)
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom^(O) in that secret place.^(P)

⁷Cleanse^(Q) me with hyssop,^(R) and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.^(S)
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;^(T)
let the bones^(U) you have crushed rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins^(V)
and blot out^(W) all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart,^(X) O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.^(Y)
¹¹Do not cast me^(Z) from your presence^(AA)
or take your Holy Spirit^(AB) from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation^(AC)
and grant me a willing spirit,^(AD) to sustain me.^(AE)

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,^(AF)
so that sinners^(AG) will turn back to you.^(AH)
¹⁴Deliver me^(AI) from the guilt of bloodshed,^(AJ) O God,
you who are God my Savior,^(AK)
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.^(AL)
¹⁵Open my lips, Lord,^(AM)
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice,^(AN) or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷My sacrifice,^(AO) O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart^(AP)
you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸May it please you to prosper Zion,^(AQ)
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.^(AR)
¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,^(AS)
in burnt offerings^(AT) offered whole;
then bulls^(AU) will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes:

Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Fulfill Your Vow to God

5 ^[a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

²Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.^(A)
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.^(B)
³A dream^(C) comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool.^(D)

⁴When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.^(E) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.^(F) ⁵It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.^(G) ⁶Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.^(H)

Footnotes:

Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.

Cross references:

New International Version (NIV)

Galatians 3:15-22

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵Brothers and sisters,^(A) let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.^(B) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[a]^(C) meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years^(D) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;^(E) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions^(F) until the Seed^(G) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(H) and entrusted to a mediator.^(I) ²⁰A mediator,^(J) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

²¹Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!^(K) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.^(L) ²²But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,^(M) so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Footnotes:

Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7

New International Version (NIV)

Matthew 14:22-36

Jesus Walks on the Water^(A)^(B)

²²Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.^(C) Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,”^(D) they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage!^(E) It is I. Don’t be afraid.”^(F)

²⁸“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,”^(G) he said, “why did you doubt?”

³²And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”^(H)

³⁴When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him ³⁶and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak,^(I) and all who touched it were healed.

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 5/31/2026

DAILY READINGS: May 31- June 7

SUNDAY: Morning: Psalm 63:1-11,98; Evening: Psalm 103; Deuteronomy 11:1-12; Revelation 10:1-11; Matthew 13:44-58

MONDAY: Morning: Psalm 41,52; Evening: Psalm 44; Deuteronomy 11:13-19; 2 Cor 5:11-6:2; Luke 17:1-10

TUESDAY : Morning: Psalm 45; Evening: Psalm 47,48; Deuteronomy 12:1-12; 2 Corinthians 6:3-14-7:1; Luke 17:11-19

WEDNESDAY : Morning: Psalm 119:49-72; Evening: Psalm 49,[53]; Deuteronomy 13:1-11; 2 Corinthians 7:2-16; Luke 17:20-37

THURSDAY: Morning: Psalm 50; Evening: Psalm [59,60] *or* 8, 84; Deuteronomy 16:18-20, 17:14-20; 2 Corinthians 8:1-16; Luke 18:1-8

FRIDAY: Morning: Psalm 40, 54; Evening: Psalm 51; Deuteronomy 26:1-11; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; Luke 18:9-14

SATURDAY: Morning: Psalm 55; Evening: Psalm 138,139:1-23; Deuteronomy 29:2-15; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15; Luke 18:15-30

SUNDAY: Morning: Psalm 24, 29; Evening: Psalm 8, 84; Deuteronomy 29:16-29; Revelation 12:1-12; Matthew 15:29-39

FOR THE WEEK: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Psalm 113; Romans 12:9-16; Luke 1:39-57; Luke 20

Today's Scripture & Prayer

Daily Bible Reading & Praying with the Church

Today's Scripture & Prayer

Daily Bible Reading & Praying with the Church

Reading for Fri, Jun 5

Psalm 40

Psalm 40[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 54

Psalm 54[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David. When the Ziphites(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Psalm 51

Psalm 51[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(A)

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Fulfill Your Vow to God

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Galatians 3:15-22

The Law and the Promise

Footnotes:

Cross references:

Matthew 14:22-36

Jesus Walks on the Water(A)(B)

Cross references:

Psalm 40^[a]^(A)

Psalm 54^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[b] of David. When the Ziphites^(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

Jesus Walks on the Water^(A)^(B)