Psalm 32
July 12, 2026 Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the gift of forgiveness. Amazing gift! Our sins forgiven, covered, not counted against us. May we cherish this reality, experiencing its blessedness personally.
May we not keep silent about our sin, trying to hide it from you, trying to avoid the issue, trying to minimize it, trying to make up for it somehow. May we know the blessedness of having no deceit in our spirit—no attempt to deceive you or others, and no self-deception. Cultivate in us honesty through and through. Teach us, Lord, the habit, the practice, the posture of openness with you about our sin. May honest, forthright, speedy confession to you be our habit.
Father, if this morning we are trying to hide or cover some sin, refusing to own it, may your hand be heavy on us to lead us to repentance. Or if we are struggling to come clean with you about some sin, may the good news of this psalm conquer our self-righteousness, correct our mistaken notions about you and lead us to the freedom of your forgiveness. And if we are reluctant to believe that forgiveness could really be ours in light of what we’ve done, may this wonderful word of yours, this precious psalm, come home to our hearts through the power of your Holy Spirit, especially on this side of Jesus Christ’s cross and resurrection, assuring us that you intend this blessedness really and truly to be ours to experience day by day. Overcome in us any horse-like, mule-like resistance and reluctance. Woo us to trust in you and revel in the steadfast love that will surround us. May we eagerly respond to David’s exhortation to be glad in you, to rejoice, and to shout for joy.
Then too, Lord, remembering last week’s psalm, we pray for the variety of needs represented in our congregation—relational, emotional, financial, physiological, circumstantial. May we trust in you as our refuge and fortress. May we be strong and take courage as we wait for you to fulfill your promises and exhibit your faithfulness to us.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the opportunity for this group to experience the Challenge Conference. We ask your blessing on the team. Bless them as they travel, interact, explore, listen, learn, serve, and take in all that you want for them. May the teaching of your Word come to them and to all the attendees with the power of your Spirit. May Jesus Christ stand forth. May these students come to know him more clearly and deeply and wonderfully. May the leaders, too, be blessed by the conference, and may they have your wisdom and power as they shepherd the students through the week. Do all that you want to do. Set your protection around this group and around the whole conference. May it prove to be, by your grace, refreshing, formative, transformative, and memorable for the rest of their lives. Do this for the display of Jesus Christ to them and through them.
In his name we pray. And all God’s people said, “Amen!”