Psalm 6
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger;
do not punish me in your wrath.
2 Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked.
3 My spirit shakes with terror;
how long, O Lord, how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, and deliver me;
save me for your mercy’s sake.
5 For in death no one remembers you;
and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6 I grow weary because of my groaning;
every night I drench my bed
and flood my couch with tears.
7 My eyes are wasted with grief
and worn away because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all evildoers,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear;
they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
A Prayer for Prisons and Correctional Institutions
Lord Jesus, for our sake you were condemned as a criminal: Visit our jails and prisons with your pity and judgment. Remember all prisoners, and bring the guilty to repentance and amendment of life according to your will, and give them hope for their future. When any are held unjustly, bring them release; forgive us, and teach us to improve our justice. Remember those who work in these institutions; keep them humane and compassionate; and save them from becoming brutal or callous. And since what we do for those in prison, O Lord, we do for you, constrain us to improve their lot. All this we ask for your mercy’s sake. Amen.
