Bless the LORD, O My Soul

Psalm 103:1-22

Psalm 103 is a psalm of David in which he speaks to his own soul, calling it to bless the LORD and not forget His kind deeds: forgiveness, healing, redemption and a father’s compassion.

Lord, with all that is within me I bless Your holy name. I will not forget all Your kind deeds. You forgive all my iniquities and heal my diseases; You redeem my life from the Pit and crown me with loving devotion and compassion. You have removed my sins as far as the east is from the west. You know that I am dust, and You care for me like a father. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Amen.

The Scripture

“Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds— He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion, who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children— to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts. The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command. Bless the LORD, all His hosts, you servants who do His will. Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

— Psalm 103:1-22

Prayer points from Psalm 103:1-22

Bless God’s holy name with all that is within you (v. 1).

List the kind deeds you don’t want to forget, and thank Him for each one (v. 2).

Thank Him for forgiving your sins and for every healing you have known (v. 3).

Pray for someone who is sick, asking the LORD to have compassion on them (vv. 3, 13).

Praise Him for removing your sins as far as the east is from the west (v. 12).

Thank Him that He knows your frame and remembers that you are dust (v. 14).

About this verse

David begins by talking to himself: “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” It is easy to forget what God has done, so he counts the benefits he does not want to forget: God forgives all iniquities, heals all diseases, redeems life from the Pit, crowns it with loving devotion and compassion, and satisfies it with good things. Then he reaches back to Moses: “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.” Because of that, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” God remembers how weak we are, “He is mindful that we are dust,” and has compassion on us as a father has on his children. The psalm ends where it began, now joined by angels, heavenly hosts and all His works. This prayer is for anyone who wants to give thanks: after a healing, after being forgiven, or on an ordinary day when God’s goodness is easy to forget.

Bless the LORD, O My Soul

The Scripture

Prayer points from Psalm 103:1-22

About this verse

When to pray this prayer

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