1. Look for significant words, phrases, or themes.
2. Look for areas where you identify with the psalmist.
3. Look for God’s attributes and demonstrations of his character.
4. Look for guidance in ways you can reflect God’s likeness.

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Psalm 65

Our God, we look forward to praising you in Zion.
    We will keep our promises to you.
² All people will come to you,
    because you hear and answer prayer.
³ When our sins became too much for us,
    you forgave our lawless acts.
⁴ Blessed are those you choose
    and bring near to worship you.
You bring us into the courtyards of your holy temple.
    There in your house we are filled with all kinds of good things.

⁵ God our Savior, you answer us with right and wonderful deeds.
People all over the world and beyond the farthest oceans
    put their hope in you.
⁶ You formed the mountains by your power.
    You showed how strong you are.
⁷ You calmed the oceans and their roaring waves.
    You calmed the angry words and actions of the nations.
⁸ Everyone on earth is amazed at the wonderful things you have done.
    What you do makes people from one end of the earth to the other sing for joy.

⁹ You take care of the land and water it.
    You make it able to grow many crops.
You fill your streams with water.
    You do that to provide the people with grain.
    That’s what you have decided to do for the land.
¹⁰ You water its rows.
    You smooth out its bumps.
You soften it with showers.
    And you bless its crops.
¹¹ You bring the year to a close with huge crops.
    You provide more than enough food.
¹² The grass grows thick even in the desert.
    The hills are dressed with gladness.
¹³ The meadows are covered with flocks and herds.
    The valleys are dressed with grain.
    They sing and shout for joy.

Psalm 66 

Shout to God for joy, everyone on earth!
²     Sing about the glory of his name!
    Give him glorious praise!
³ Say to God, “What wonderful things you do!
    Your power is so great
    that your enemies bow down to you in fear.
⁴ Everyone on earth bows down to you.
    They sing praise to you.
    They sing the praises of your name.”

⁵ Come and see what God has done.
    See what wonderful things he has done for people!
⁶ He turned the Red Sea into dry land.
    The people of Israel passed through the waters on foot.
    Come, let us be full of joy because of what he did.
⁷ He rules by his power forever.
    His eyes watch the nations.
    Let no one who refuses to obey him rise up against him.

⁸ Praise our God, all you nations.
    Let the sound of the praise you give him be heard.
⁹ He has kept us alive.
    He has kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ God, you have tested us.
    You put us through fire to make us like silver.
¹¹ You put us in prison.
    You placed heavy loads on our backs.
¹² You let our enemies ride their chariots over our heads.
    We went through fire and water.
But you brought us to a place
    where we have everything we need.

¹³ I will come to your temple with burnt offerings.
    I will keep my promises to you.
¹⁴ I made them with my lips.
    My mouth spoke them when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice fat animals to you as burnt offerings.
    I will offer rams, bulls and goats to you.

¹⁶ Come and hear, all you who have respect for God.
    Let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth.
    I praised him with my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had enjoyed having sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
¹⁹ But God has surely listened.
    He has heard my prayer.
²⁰ Give praise to God.
    He has accepted my prayer.
    He has not held back his love from me.

Psalm 67

 God, have mercy on us and bless us.
    May you be pleased with us.
² Then your ways will be known on earth.
    All nations will see that you have the power to save.

³ God, may the nations praise you.
    May all the people on earth praise you.
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy.
    You rule the people of the earth fairly.
    You guide the nations of the earth.
⁵ God, may the nations praise you.
    May all the people on earth praise you.

⁶ The land produces its crops.
    God, our God, blesses us.
⁷ May God continue to bless us.
    Then people from one end of the earth to the other
    will have respect for him.

Psalm 68 

May God rise up and scatter his enemies.
    May they turn and run away from him.
²     May you, God, blow them away like smoke.
As fire melts wax,
    so may God destroy sinful people.
³ But may those who do what is right be glad
    and filled with joy when they are with him.
    May they be happy and joyful.

⁴ Sing to God, sing praise to his name.
    Lift up a song to the God who rides on the clouds.
    Be glad when you are with him.
    His name is the Lord.
⁵ God is in his holy temple.
    He is a father to children whose fathers have died.
    He takes care of women whose husbands have died.
⁶ God gives lonely people a family.
    He sets prisoners free, and they go out singing.
But those who refuse to obey him
    live in a land that is baked by the sun.

⁷ God, you led your people out.
    You marched through the desert.
⁸ The ground shook
    when you, the God of Sinai, appeared.
The heavens poured down rain
    when you, the God of Israel, appeared.
⁹ God, you gave us plenty of rain.
    You renewed your worn-out land.
¹⁰ God, your people made their homes in it.
    From all your riches, you provided for those who were poor.

¹¹ The Lord gives the message.
    The women who make it known are a huge group.
¹² They said, “Kings and armies are running away.
    The women at home are dividing up
    the things the army took from their enemies.
¹³ Even while the soldiers sleep near the sheep pens,
    God wins the battle for them.
He gives the enemy’s silver and gold
    to Israel, his dove.”
¹⁴ The Mighty One has scattered the kings around the land.
    It was like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.

¹⁵ Mount Bashan is a majestic mountain.
    Mount Bashan is a very rocky mountain.
¹⁶ Why are you jealous of Mount Zion, you rocky mountain?
    That’s where God chooses to rule.
    That’s where the Lord himself will live forever.
¹⁷ God has come with tens of thousands of his chariots.
    He has come with thousands and thousands of them.
The Lord has come from Mount Sinai.
    He has entered his holy place.
¹⁸ When he went up to his place on high,
    he took many prisoners.
He received gifts from people,
    even from those who refused to obey him.
    The Lord God went up to live on Mount Zion.

¹⁹ Give praise to the Lord. Give praise to God our Savior.
    He carries our heavy loads day after day.
²⁰ Our God is a God who saves.
    He is the King and the Lord. He saves us from death.

²¹ God will certainly smash the heads of his enemies.
    He will break the hairy heads of those who keep on sinning.
²² The Lord says, “I will bring your enemies from Bashan.
    I will bring them up from the bottom of the sea.
²³ Then your feet can wade in their blood.
    The tongues of your dogs can lick up all the blood they want.”

²⁴ God, those who worship you come marching into view.
    My God and King, those who follow you have entered the sacred tent.
²⁵ The singers are walking in front.
    Next come the musicians.
    Young women playing tambourines are with them.
²⁶ The leaders sing, “Praise God among all those who worship him.
    Praise the Lord in the community of Israel.”
²⁷ The little tribe of Benjamin leads the worshipers.
    Next comes the great crowd of Judah’s princes.
    Then come the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸ God, show us your power.
    Show us your strength.
    God, do as you have done before.
²⁹ Do it from your temple at Jerusalem,
    where kings will bring you gifts.
³⁰ Give a strong warning to Egypt, that beast among the tall grass.
    It is like a herd of bulls among the calves.
May that beast bow down before you with gifts of silver.
    Scatter the nations who like to make war.
³¹ Messengers will come from Egypt.
    The people of Cush will be quick to bring gifts to you.

³² Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
    Sing praise to the Lord.
³³ He rides across the highest places in heaven.
He rides across the ancient skies above.
    He thunders with his mighty voice.
³⁴ Tell how powerful God is.
    He rules as king over Israel.
    The skies show how powerful he is.
³⁵ How wonderful is God in his holy place!
    The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Give praise to God!