An Excerpt from Untamed Prayers: Psalm 123 and Psalm 136
By Chad Bird
09/30/25
8mins

An Excerpt from Untamed Prayers: Psalm 123 and Psalm 136

The following entries are excerpts from Chad Bird’s new book, Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of the Psalms (1517 Publishing, 2025), pgs. 311 and 335
St. Michael, Defender of God’s People
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
09/29/25

St. Michael, Defender of God’s People

Why did the church dedicate a day to St. Michael anyway? Who is he, and what does he do?
Yardwork and the Antichrist
1517 Guest Contributor
1517 Guest Contributor
09/26/25

Yardwork and the Antichrist

The Antichrist offers another continual presence. It is every whisper that tempts us toward autonomy, that tells us to carry it alone, that insists suffering is meaningless.

All Articles

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/04/19

Does Christmas Pass the “Smell Test” for Paganism?

There is no evidence whatsoever that Christmas was or is, by some outlandish stretch of the imagination, a pagan holiday, or a semi-pagan holiday, or that it doesn’t pass the “smell test” for paganism.
Kyle G. Jones
Kyle G. Jones
12/04/19

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Despite its familiarity and frequent usage, the imagery in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," is often underappreciated.
Philip Bartelt
Philip Bartelt
12/03/19

The Promises of Advent: Born of a Virgin

God does not combat the impending armies of Satan with might and power, but with the weakness of a babe.
Joel Hess
Joel Hess
12/03/19

The Promises of Advent: Will Conquer Satan

The Son of Eve disarmed Satan’s hold on humanity, not with an earthquake, atomic bomb, or brilliant essay, but with his dead body and final words, “It is finished.”
John T. Pless
John T. Pless
12/02/19

Advent Midweek Sermon 2: The Second Article of the Apostles' Creed

Under the lordship of the crucified and risen Emmanuel, our existence is one of blessedness. Blessedness means we are not under the condemnation of the Law, but the benediction of God’s favor here in time and, hereafter, in eternity.
Jeffrey Pulse
Jeffrey Pulse
12/02/19

Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10 (Advent 2: Series A)

Isaiah 11:1-10 provides us with an Advent text capturing the beauty, excitement and reality of both the first coming of the Messiah and the second coming.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
12/02/19

Epistle: Romans 15:4-13 (Advent 2: Series A)

Paul argues that now as the Messiah has come and has achieved what the entire Hebrew Bible (i.e., the Old Testament) has been moving toward, the Scriptures can be read as an open book.
Peter Nafzger
Peter Nafzger
12/02/19

Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 (Advent 2: Series A)

The problem is not that we are unrepentant. The problem is our contrition is too small.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/30/19

The Thieving Christ

Come, Lord Jesus, and steal our navel-gazing worship, and replace it with love for our adversaries, ears to listen and mouths to shut up, and hearts brimming with compassion for all.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
11/28/19

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart... How Hard Can It Be?

Thanksgiving is a day set aside for tragi-comic sinners to come together and give thanks for the deliciousness of God's grace in the good news of Jesus Christ.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
11/28/19

Thanksgiving with Capon

We long for the Great Thanksgiving that hasn’t happened yet.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/28/19

A Hebrew Twist on Thanksgiving

Any day of thanksgiving is a confessional day—a day of expressing a short creed that sums up our entire existence: God gives, we receive. Thanksgiving as a day of confession becomes very obvious when we look at it from a Hebrew perspective.
1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.
1517.org
Search
Academy
Donate

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.