Psalm 139
"Search me, O God, and know my heart" — the psalm of being fully known.
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,
thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down,
and art acquainted with all my ways.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
and see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Amen.
About this prayer
Psalm 139 is the prayer of being completely known — and loved anyway. It is the answer to the lie that we have to hide. There is no corner of us that God has not already seen, and no place we can flee to where he is not already waiting.
When to pray it
When you feel unseen. When you are tempted to hide. When you want to be honest with God but don't know how to start.