Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Chapter 3: Psalms 39–59

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Psalm 51 with Katharina Schütz Zell – A Prayer of Confession

Prayer [51:1–2] O God, be gracious to me according to Your goodness, wipe out and forgive my sins according to Your great mercy. O God, wash me now again and purify me from my sins through the blood of Jesus Christ Your little Lamb. Lament [51:3–4a] For I recognize again my misdeeds, and my sin is ever unceasingly before my inward eyes. I cannot forget it, because I have sinned against You Yourself and I have done evil before You (from whom nothing is hidden). Speech-Narration [51:4b] Therefore You would also be just in the word of Your law, which You have given and which I have not kept. You may also not be rebuked even if You have tested and judged our thoughts (and see) how gladly we always seek an escape and want to excuse ourselves. Lament and Confession So I must confess that You are faithful and I am wicked and lying. [51:5] See, Lord, how could it be otherwise? Indeed I was begotten from sinful seed and my mother also conceived me in sin. That sin, however, I, O Lord, have allowed to reign in me— that sin which I could well have killed through Your grace of the free Spirit. . . .

Lament [51:6] O my God! I have gotten myself into this mess, but I can never get out of it without You! But since You, Lord, desire truth, and since (besides that) by Your special mercy You allow me to know that same secret truth, so that I should confess in truth

Katharina Schütz Zell on Psalm 51 “Omy God! I have gottenmyself into this mess, but I can never get out of it without You!”

before You and pray to You to forgive my sins— Prayer so I, a miserable person, ask You, my Lord and God,