To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David When Nathan the Prophet Went to Him, After He Had Gone in to Bathsheba.

¹ Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.

⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
⁶ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
⁹ Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
¹³Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
¹⁶ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise.

¹⁸ Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

MY PRAYER

Father, when I read this prayer of King David I am moved.
Although I have not taken another man's wife or murdered, I am a sinful man.
I, too, badly need Your mercy.
Without Your cleansing, I am little more than filth.
I am thankful that You cancel my spiritual debts in Christ.

I know, dear God, that there is no lasting joy in sinful indulgences.
Temporary pleasure is just that--temporary.
Give me wisdom to always pursue Your path.
I acknowledge my wickedness, O LORD.
Guilt over past sins visits my memory on occasion.
I know I am forgiven through the blood of Jesus which allows me to keep pressing on and not despair.

I plead with You, dear Father, to maintain a heart of purity within me.
Keep me from the wicked one and strengthen me by Your Spirit.
I pledge to teach others the way of truth the best I can;
I will work to convert others to Your Son.
And I will worship You with a humble and penitent heart, for I know You will not despise such.
Amen.