Listen and Pray through Psalm 139

Click the button below to listen and pray through psalm 139. This practice will take about 15 minutes.

Guided Listening Practice

Read

Psalm 139

O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

Get out of my life, you murderers!

They blaspheme you;

your enemies misuse your name.

O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?

Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

for your enemies are my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Listen & Reflect

Take a few deep breaths and refocus your scattered senses as you become more aware of God’s presence.

Lord, I come to You now with an open heart. Quiet the noise within me so that I can hear Your voice. Speak to me through Your Word, and help me to receive Your truth. Amen.”

As you read this passage, pay attention to any words or phrases that stand out to you or seem like they are in bold print for you today.

How does it feel to be fully known by God—every thought, every action, even before you speak? What emotions does that evoke in you today?

God places his hand of blessing on your head. Spend a few moments of quiet reflection, allowing God to delight in you and pour favor upon you.

God is with you. Even now. Resonate on that for a minute.

Are there areas of your life where you try to hide from God? How might He be inviting you to bring those to Him?

How have you seen God’s hand guide you and his strength support you?

Is it hard for you to accept and believe that God’s workmanship was marvelous when he made you?

God’s thoughts about you are innumerable and precious. Spend a few moments listening to God’s voice and what he thinks about you. Allow his thoughts to become your thoughts.

At first glance, verses 19-22 seem out of place and an extreme shift in tone. Why do you think that is?

It’s almost as if, after reflecting on God’s goodness and closeness, David becomes overwhelmed with righteous indignation at the thought of wickedness existing in God’s world.

If you think about YOUR enemies not as people but instead as the lies of the world and the schemes of the devil…as thoughts that would lead you to believe something different than the rest of this psalm declares about you or God…how does that change how you read and feel about this portion of Psalm 139.

Spend a minute allowing God to directly oppose those enemies of the mind that seek to lead you down a dark path. Let God replace any lies with his truth.

If David wants God to deal with the wickedness and darkness in our world, David acknowledges that it needs to begin in his own heart. The same is true for us.

The path of everlasting life…the path to living FULLY alive, begins with an examined heart.

We are going to spend an extended time of quiet introspection here. Use David’s words as your prayer.

Search my heart. Know my anxious, destructive thoughts. Bring to the surface what needs to be revealed. I am listening. Lead me.

Pray

Father, thank You for knowing me completely and loving me unconditionally. You see every thought, every insecurity, and every longing of my heart. Thank You for surrounding me with Your love and for laying Your hand upon me. Teach me to rest in the security of being fully known by You. When I feel unseen, remind me that You see me. When I feel misunderstood, remind me that You understand. Nothing in me is hidden from You—every thought, every motive, every fear, and every desire. I come before You honestly, asking You to reveal what is buried beneath the surface—anything that is keeping me from You, anything that does not align with Your truth. Shape me into the person You created me to be. Guide my steps, my words, and my actions so that my life reflects Your goodness. When I am tempted to go my own way, draw me back to You. Lead me in paths of righteousness, so that my life brings glory to Your name.

I surrender my heart to You, Lord. Continue Your work in me, and make me more like Jesus.

Amen.