Faith Daily Lectio Friday, October 23, 2026 Evening Psalm
Friday, October 23, 2026 · St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr (Friday in the week of the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24)
Evening Psalm
Oratio (prayer)
Lord, You forgive the iniquity of my sin. As this evening comes, send Your Holy Spirit as I pray Psalm 32, that I may confess my sins and rest in Your mercy in Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Meditatio (meditation)
Psalm 32
A Psalm of David, Maschil.
1Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
5I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
6For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
7Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
8I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
10Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Consider even rereading in another translation.
You could also consider listening to this chapter, narrated:
KJV (Max McLean) · ESV (Max McLean) · NIV (dramatized)
You might read the whole reading slowly, aloud, more than once.
Consider this verse, for example:
“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble” (Psalm 32:7)
What other lines speak to you?
The Law "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long" (v. 3). Hidden sin does not stay quiet. It weighs on body and soul: "day and night thy hand was heavy upon me" (v. 4). We are often like the horse or the mule, needing bit and bridle before we will come near.
The Gospel "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid" (v. 5), and the answer comes at once: "thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin" (v. 5). That is what Christ won for you on the cross. "Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity" (v. 2). God does not count your sins against you. He counted them against His Son, and He counts Christ's righteousness as yours.
Prayer Lord, I confess the sins I have kept silent about, and the ones I do not even know. Forgive me for Jesus' sake. Do not count my iniquity against me, but cover my sin, and let me sleep in peace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Tentatio (trial)
Evening can be when the day's failures come back to mind. The Psalm does not ask you to carry them to bed. It invites confession, and then promises, "mercy shall compass him about" (v. 10). Under trial it may help to name the day's sins to God before sleep, or to seek out your pastor for private confession and absolution, and then to rest.
Evening prayer Lord, as this day ends, I lay my sins before You. Be my hiding place tonight, and surround me with songs of deliverance. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.
My church home: Peace Lutheran Church, McMurray, PA. Looking for a church? See About Daily Lectio.
