Psalm 17:6-9

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.

It is so hard, Lord, to release control of my life to You. But You are faithful, You lead me every step of the way, showing the steadfastness of Your love. Slowly, slowly, slowly, I am learning to trust You in all things, to seek You and Your righteousness first in all aspects of my life. And You respond with release from the grip of the Evil One and with the filling of Your peace that passes all understanding. Praise You, my Lord and my Master.

Voices Together is also available in weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at the following locations:

Prison Ministry

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Psalm 17:10-14

They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush. Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.

Those affections, selfish desires, willful disobediences that come between me and You are being moved under the authority of the Holy Spirit, discarded and sent to the middens of sin. You are stripping me of the old man, feeding and growing the new, bringing me into a mature life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Voices Together is also available in weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at the following locations:

Prison Ministry

Church Bulletins

Psalm 119:39

Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.

The reproach that I do dread is that of my family, friends and neighbors, the reproach that I should dread is Yours. It is so easy to sit here in the absolute quiet of the pre-dawn and vow obedience to Your word. It is another thing entirely to obey when faced with a disapproval of others because I am trying to adhere to Your word. There is no difference between me and the drunk who vows he will never drink again while he is sitting in the chapel in the prison, but after release ... Both of us need to throw ourselves upon Your mercy and cry, "Be gracious unto me, Lord, for I am a sinner."

Voices Together is also available in weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at the following locations:

Prison Ministry

Church Bulletins

Psalm 17:15

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

O, Lord, the prospect before me, to be like You, to fully emerged from the chrysalis into Your glorious light and life. "To be satisfied" seems to be so weak a statement; I shall be satisfied and completed and fulfilled and perfected and gratified; I shall be exactly what You determined before the foundation of Creation that I should be.

Voices Together is also available in weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at the following locations:

Prison Ministry

Psalm 18:1-3

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

How glorious it is Lord, for You are my my strength, rock, fortress, salvation, and stronghold. You are indeed worthy of my praise, I am safe and secure from all alarms, safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast. In You I have complete and perfect peace.

Voices Together is also available in weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at the following locations:

Prison Ministry

Psalm 18:4-19

The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. (7) Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

Yes, Lord, You have released me form the bondage of sin. You have set my feet upon a level path and given me instructions to walk that path. You have given me a guide and a Teacher to open Your word to me and to show me how it applies to my life. The Docent of the Lord to lead me through the riches of the Word of the Lord. And the Mentor of the Lord to remind and admonish me when I stray. Your Gifts are boundless. You are the Mighty One and in Your Presence is Joy Forevermore.

Voices Together is also available in weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at the following locations:

Prison Ministry

Psalm 18:20-24

The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

Yes, LORD, You have rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands in Your sight. And the filter is the Cross and the Blood of Jesus Christ that have cleansed me from all sin. Through You mercy, I am blameless and shameless for Christ bore the blame and the shame for me. And then, He sent Your Holy Spirit to lead me into all truth and to remind me of all that He taught while He was here on earth. I am a new man in Christ Jesus. Praise You, LORD God Almighty.

Voices Together is also available in weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at the following locations:

Prison Ministry

Psalm 18:25-36

With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?--the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.

Lord, it is Your equipping, Your transforming. For as it is written in Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 18:37-45

I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them. I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.

If all things have been put under Your feet, Lord -- and they have been -- then I am secure from my foes, so long as I look to You, high and lifted up even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. I am empowered to vanquish all my enemies, for I fight against the wiles of the Evil One in the power and with the wisdom that You provide. You are the Rock of my Salvation.

Psalm 119:48

I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

Lord, that this Lord's Day will be a day of meditating on Your commandments; a day of devoted meditation searching for understanding of Your Word and Your Law, seeking guidance for my life

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