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<To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.>

How long, O LORD? Wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him”; lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5But I have trusted in thy steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

6I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalms (RSV) 13)

This is a Psalm  to be prayed when we are suffering and it seems as if God is far from us.  This Psalm was written by David after he had sinned with Bathsheba and felt cut off from God. It should also remind us of Christ’s prayer in the garden prior to His Crucifixion. David suffered due to his own sin; Christ suffered due to our sin.

Often in life it seems as if God has forgotten us. He has not forgotten us. We may have turned away from Him or He may be trying to teach us something.  Just as the Psalmist prayed in verses 3 and 4 for God to open his eyes we need to pray to God to open our eyes. Have we done something to offend God? Do we need to repent and return to Him? Or is God teaching us something and we need to be patient and wait on Him?  God will in due time answer us just as through Samuel God answered David.

Through our struggles we need to remember all that God has done for us. All the gifts He has given us. Thank Him and praise Him.

<To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith.> Psalm of David.>

Help, LORD; for there is no longer any that is godly; for the faithful have vanished from among the sons of men.

2Every one utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,

4those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is our master?”

5″Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

6The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

7Do thou, O LORD, protect us, guard us ever from this generation.

8On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the sons of men. (Psalms (RSV) 12)

St. Athanasius says to say this psalm when evil is spreading everywhere and there seems no one is left who is pleasing to God. This certainly is a Psalm for our day. It seems as if evil is spreading everywhere. Abortions take place daily. Traditional marriage is being threatened. Religious liberty is under attack. We need to pray this Psalm daily asking for God to protect us and strengthen us. The first two verses of this Psalm tells us of the evil that abounded at the time the Psalm was written which is similar to the evil of our time. Yet the Psalmist did not ask the Lord to destroy the sinners.

In verse 3 the Psalmist ask that their tongues and lips be cut off. Our prayer should always be for the conversion of our enemy, not their destruction. God wills that all be saved, so must we. In verse 5 God the Father answers saying that he will now arise and aid the poor and suffering. This according to St. Augustine refers to the Father sending His son Jesus to save us.

In verse 6 we are reminded that the promises of God are pure. God’s word is exceedingly pure and untainted with falsehood. We finish the Psalmist asking God once again for His protection knowing that He is with us always.

<To the choirmaster. Of David.>

In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to the mountains;

2for lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

3if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do”?

4The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids test, the children of men.

5The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates him that loves violence.

6On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and brimstone; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

7For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. (Psalms (RSV) 11)

This psalm encourages all that are wronged to hope in God. St Athanasius said “If anyone wishes to disturb you, hold on strongly to your confidence in the Lord and say Psalm 11.” We need to learn to take refuge in the Lord for all our needs. Trusting in the things of this world make us vulnerable to all kinds of problems. If are hope is in God we can be certain that no matter what comes our way we will be able to handle it, and the final result will be eternal happiness with God. The wicked may be out to cause us to stumble, but if we keep our eyes on the Lord we will be safe. We need to have a strong foundation based on the Word of the Lord as transmitted to us by the Church.  A strong foundation in the faith keeps us from being led astray by false doctrines or by the things of the world.

Remember the Lord is always watching from His throne in heaven. He is always in control. He is always exercising His providence and care. He is pursuing wrong doers and helping the wronged. He rewards the wronged and punishes the wicked. He is always working to bring about good. God is always there testing the good and the bad. His test provide the good with opportunity to show God our love for Him. The wicked always have an opportunity to repent. In the end those who have put their trust in God will see His face. They will obtain eternal life with God.

Why dost thou stand afar off, O LORD? Why dost thou hide thyself in times of trouble

2In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes which they have devised.

3For the wicked boasts of the desires of his heart, and the man greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.

4In the pride of his countenance the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

5His ways prosper at all times; thy judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.

6He thinks in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”

7His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

8He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the hapless,

9he lurks in secret like a lion in his covert; he lurks that he may seize the poor, he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

10The hapless is crushed, sinks down, and falls by his might.

11He thinks in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

12Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thy hand; forget not the afflicted.

13Why does the wicked renounce God, and say in his heart, “Thou wilt not call to account”?

14Thou dost see; yea, thou dost note trouble and vexation, that thou mayest take it into thy hands; the hapless commits himself to thee; thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.

15Break thou the arm of the wicked and evildoer; seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

16The LORD is king for ever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land.

17O LORD, thou wilt hear the desire of the meek; thou wilt strengthen their heart, thou wilt incline thy ear

18to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. (Psalms (RSV) 10)

How often do we feel just as the Psalmist does, that God is far from us? This is a common feeling for most of us especially in times of trouble or suffering. We must remember that God in reality is not far from us He is always with us. At times He lets us feel as if we are alone, but we are not alone. He is with us and when the time is right He will let us feel His presence. Just like any good parent He is there but yet not there that we may learn and grow.

How accurately verses 3 & 4 describe many today. The wicked today lack true wisdom and spiritual resources. They do not desire the good, but rather the more pleasing and desirous things. They want their pleasures now. They do not want to know of God. Verses 5 through 11 describe the wicked man. He thinks all will go well for him. He does not have to worry he has everything he needs. He can live his life so that his bodily pleasures are always taken care of. He always puts himself first. The only thing that matters is today. To him there is no God.

In the final versus the psalmist lets us know that in the end justice will prevail. God is always there to help the poor in spirit and to judge those who refuse to accept His grace.

<To the choirmaster: according to Muthlabben. A Psalm of David.>

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.

2I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High.

3When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before thee.

4For thou hast maintained my just cause; thou hast sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.

5Thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked; thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6The enemy have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities thou hast rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.

7But the LORD sits enthroned for ever, he has established his throne for judgment;

8and he judges the world with righteousness, he judges the peoples with equity.

9The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

10And those who know thy name put their trust in thee, for thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek thee.

11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!

12For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13Be gracious to me, O LORD! Behold what I suffer from those who hate me, O thou who liftest me up from the gates of death,

14that I may recount all thy praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in thy deliverance.

15The nations have sunk in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid has their own foot been caught.

16The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah

17The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.

18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.

19Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before thee!

20Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah (Psalms (RSV) 9)

We are called to love the Lord with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind. This means that we are not to be have thoughts divided between God and the things of the world. The Psalmist tells the Lord that he is thankful for all that God has done for him with his heart and will tell everyone how marvelous his God is. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we love God with our whole heart and our we willing to show it in our words and deeds. Like the psalmist if we love the Lord with our whole heart we will want to tell the world of all the wondrous things He has done for us and give praise to Him all of the time.

In verses 3 and 4 we are reminded that God is always there for us. At some point we know God will judge each of us and reward or punish appropriately. In the next several verses the psalmist elaborates on God justice. Verse seven reminds us that God’s judgement is always righteous and equitable.

Verses nine and ten lets us know that if we trust in God for our salvation and seek Him we will not be forsaken. According to verse 11 and 12 we are reminded God does not forsake those who are afflicted for His sake. In the next two verses the psalmist is asking for future blessings. We need to remember that we are always in need of God’s help.

Verses 15 and 16 remind us that we bring condemnation on ourselves by our wrong doing.  By our own hand we shall be condemend to hell. God gives us plenty of opportunities to turn to Him, but if we don’t we can expext His just judgement.

The psalm ends with the psalmist pleading for God to remember the needy.

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! Thou whose glory above the heavens is chanted

2by the mouth of babes and infants, thou hast founded a bulwark because of thy foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

3When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established;

4what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?

5Yet thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor.

6Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet,

7all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

8the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea.

9O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! (Psalms (RSV)

This Psalm opens with great praise for our Lord and savior. As we pray this first verse we should be reminded of all Jesus has done for us: He opened the gates of heaven; provided us with a means of salvation; darkness was banished. We are also reminded that His glory is so great it is above the heavens. From our perspective we can only see His glory the same as Moses saw it. We only see the backside of his glory. Verse 2 reminds us that our faith needs to be as that of a child. Without the faith of a child know matter how much we study the things of God we will remain far away from Him. The next verse helps to point this out to us. If we look to the heavens with faith we can see the greatness of God’s creation. Without faith we are like a great number today’s intellectuals who look at the exact same thing and see all of life as chance.

In verse 4 the Psalmist ask “what is man that thou art mindful of you.” This is a question we might ponder for a long time. Who are we that God cares about us? Why are we worthy of His attention.  Scripture tells us that we were made in the image and likeness of God. For this reason He cares about us and has done everything to provide us with a means to obtain life everlasting with Him.

Verse 5 refers to Christ who because of His love for us became man. As St Paul put it “He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” He became a little less than the angels for the sake of our salvation.  The palmist then goes on to show us the greatness of Jesus Christ. Everything in heaven and on earth is under His dominion.

With the psalmist we should frequently pray “O Lord, our Lord how majestic is thy name in all the earth.”

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush a Benjaminite

O LORD my God, in thee do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,

2lest like a lion they rend me, dragging me away, with none to rescue.

3O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,

4if I have requited my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause,

5let the enemy pursue me and overtake me, and let him trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust. Selah

6Arise, O LORD, in thy anger, lift thyself up against the fury of my enemies; awake, O my God; thou hast appointed a judgment.

7Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about thee; and over it take thy seat on high.

8The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.

9O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous, thou who triest the minds and hearts, thou righteous God.

10My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

11God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.

12If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and strung his bow;

13he has prepared his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.

14Behold, the wicked man conceives evil, and is pregnant with mischief, and brings forth lies.

15He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole which he has made.

16His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own pate his violence descends.

17I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. (Psalms (RSV) 7)

This Psalm was written by David during the time when Absolom was rebelling against him.  If we look at it from Davids point of view it is a Psalm to pray when we seem to be facing attacks from those around us. But if we look at the Psalm from a larger view point is a Psalm that we can pray at any time. When we broaden our viewpoint we see that it is a Psalm of one trying to live the virtuous life.

In the first two verses the psalmist starts by first letting God know that he puts all his trust in Him and asking God for protection and deliverance. For the virtuous person praying this Psalm the request is not necessarily from any physical enemy, but more than likely from spiritual enemies. The Devil is always trying to bring down the virtuous person. Regardless of where danger comes from God is the only one who can save us.

In verses 3, 4, & 5 we find the psalmist praying for God to search him to see if he has done anything wrong, and if he has to let his enemies overtake him. When we pray to God we cannot expect him to hear us and answer us if we are not in His grace. St Chrysostom points out in his commentary on Psalm 7 that for our prayers to be heard besides being worthy to receive something from God we need to pray in accord with God’s law; we need to be persistent; we should ask for nothing earthy; we need to seek things to our real benefit; and lastly we need to contribute everything of our own.  These are things we need to keep in mind anytime we go to the Lord in prayer. Way to often we ask God for things that are worldly rather than for those things to aid us in living a righteous life looking to spend eternity with God.

In verses 6 & 7 we find the psalmist calling for deliverance from his enemies. When we are in need of deliverance from either spiritual or physical harm we can cry out just as the psalmist does.   When we pray this psalm we are not asking God to arise as if He were asleep. We  are asking God to act on or behalf.  When we call upon God to act in His anger we are asking Him to act as the just judge.

In verse 8 the psalmist asks to be judged according to his righteousness. As I pointed out above when we pray to God we need to be in the state of grace. It is important that we remember this righteousness is not due to our works , but comes to us from God through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In verse 9 we ask God to bring to an end the evil that is all around us and establish the righteous.  At the same time we remind ourselves that God is the one who truly knows us. He knows all our thoughts; He knows are true beliefs and feelings. Verse 10 reminds us that God is our protector, and in verse 11, 12 and 13 we once again are reminded that God is a just judge and even in His indignation He does not give free reign to His wrath everyday.  Notice that in these verses the bow is bent, the sword is sharpened, He prepares for Himself instruments of death. But He does not use them. God in His mercy is always patient with us.

Verses 14, 15, & 16 remind us that God does not bring evil upon us but we bring it upon ourselves. How often we fall you to evil and wallow in it. It not only effect us but also those around us, and in many cases our offspring.

In verse 17 we are able to end our prayer by giving thanks to God. If we will but turn to Him, and do His will He is always there for us.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

O LORD, rebuke me not in thy anger, nor chasten me in thy wrath.

2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

3My soul also is sorely troubled. But thou, O LORD — how long?

4Turn, O LORD, save my life; deliver me for the sake of thy steadfast love.

5For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in Sheol who can give thee praise?

6I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.

7My eye wastes away because of grief, it grows weak because of all my foes.

8Depart from me, all you workers of evil; for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.

9The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer.

10All my enemies shall be ashamed and sorely troubled; they shall turn back, and be put to shame in a moment. (Psalms (RSV) )

This is the first of what is referred to as the Seven Penitential Psalms. These are Psalms of contrition and lamentation (a passionate expression of grief or sorrow) accompanied by pleas for divine forgiveness. The Seven Penitential Psalms are 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143.

In the first three verses of this Psalm we find the psalmist crying out to God asking Him for mercy. The psalmist has sinned mortally and is suffering in both body and soul. He recogthe psalmist nises he has done wrong and offended God greatly. He needs God forgivness and mercy.  God’s wrath is aimed at those who refuse to listen to Him and turn their back on Him. The only way we avoid God’s wrath is to turn to Him asking for His mercy.

In verse four the psalmist ask God to deliver him for the sake of God’s love. When we pray for God to turn we are really asking Him to provide us with the grace we need to turn back to Him. All of us are in need of praying this prayer. For all of us hardness of heart is a possibility to the day we die. We must never assume we are not capable of falling into grievous sin.

In verse five we find the psalmist reminding God that one who is dead can not praise Him. It is important to note that the psalmist is not saying that there is no after life. What he is saying is that one who dies in mortal sin is no longer capable of repentance. Physical death should be a reminder to us that when our sole is dead in sin we are dead to God.

In verses 6 & 7 the psalmest seems to be saying that he is tired of living in sin and wants to change his ways.  He realises that he needs to turn back to God. In the next verse he cries out for all those who are evil to depart from him. The workers of evil are those who have turned from God and as noted in the last verses shall be ashamed  when the time of the final judgement comes and they have not turned back to God.

<To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.>

Answer me when I call, O God of my right! Thou hast given me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

2 O men, how long shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah

3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him

4 Be angry, but sin not; commune with your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah

5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.

6 There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, O LORD!”

7 Thou hast put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O LORD, makest me dwell in safety. (Psalms (RSV) 4)

This is a Psalm of thanksgiving best prayed at night.  Saint Athanasius said “If after being deeply troubled, you cried out to the Lord and your prayer was heard and now you wish to give thanks, sing Psalm 4.” Further this Psalm provides us information on prayer. It is a Psalm of David, but one that is very easy for those who know God to pray as their own.

In verse one David calls out to God in prayer. Then he reminds God that He has answered him before quickly and immediately in calamity. This is what David means by “you have given me room.” David then asks God to once again answer his prayer.

We should notice  a couple of things about prayer in this first verse. First when we call to God we need to be in a state of grace. “O God of my right” –righteousness. Many of us seldom even speak to God much less stay in His will, yet we expect Him to answer us when in distress we call out to Him. Certainly if we call out to God for salvation He will answer us, but can we really expect Him to answer us when we call out to Him and have been ignoring Him for years?  Second, we should pray to God regularly, not just when we need something from Him.

In the second verse we can look at our enemies, just as David did. Rather than value truth and righteousness the enemies of Christ and of the Church love the things of the world.  In the forth verse God let’s us know that God has set those who love Him apart, and He hears them when they cry out to Him.

In verse four we are told “Be angry, but sin not.” There are many things in this world that can cause us to be angry: we may get angry because something happens to us, or we may get angry because of the sin we see around us, or the actions people take. Know matter what it is that makes us angry we need to remember that God is in charge and in His providence all will work out as He has planned. This does not mean that we do not work to change things that are wrong. It just means that we do not act out of anger.

St. Chrysostom says the following concerning verse 5. “Seek after righteousness, make an offering of righteousness: this is the greatest gift to God.” If we make a sacrifice of our righteousness to the Lord then we can certainly trust in the Lord to look after us. If we have God as our ally whom is their left for us to fear.

In verse 6 we are reminded of all those who look around and say that there is no good, life is awfull. Most of these people are only concerned with the material things of this world. They are concerned with today. In verse 7 the psalmist answers them by indicating that the Lord has given him more joy in his heart then others receive when they have everything they want. When we put our trust in God no matter what our situation we can be content knowing that God will provide for us. No matter what we suffer on this earth is as nothing compared to what we will enjoy in the next life.

The Psalm ends reminding us that if we have trust in the Lord we can sleep in peace knowing He is with us.