For those of you praying along with me for miracles these forty days, please read aloud this Psalm with my name and ask God to reveal new feeling and function in my body.
Psalm 37 (NIV)
Of David.
1 (Laura) Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 (Laura) Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 (Laura) Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 (Laura) Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make Laura righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 (Laura) Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 (Laura) But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 (Laura) The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 (Laura) In times of disaster you will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed.
23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of Laura who delights in him;
24 though she may stumble, she will not fall,
for the Lord upholds her with his hand.
25 Laura was young and now older,
yet she has never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26 Laura is always generous and lends freely; their children will be a blessing.
27 (Laura) Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 (Laura) The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30 (Laura) The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 (Laura) The law of your God is in your heart;
your feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave Laura in the power of the wicked
or let her be condemned when brought to trial.
34 (Laura) Hope in the Lord
and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.
39 (Laura) The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is your stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps Laura and delivers her;
he delivers Laura from the wicked and saves her, because she take refuge in him.