Praying Psalm 73

Psalm 73:23-26 [personal prayers in brackets]

"Nevertheless, I am continually with you; 
[Even if I tried to ignore it your presence would go with me.]

you hold my right hand.
[ though I deny it, God you comfort my soul and offer me friendship and grace.]

You guide me with your counsel,
[Your wisdom has always been my guide.  You've helped me through difficult situations before.  I thank you and praise you]

and afterward you will receive me to glory.
[Though the world whispers otherwise, heaven is my home]

Whom have I in heaven but you?
[No other gods but You.  You are the One true God.  There is none like You.]

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
[The other gods all fade away.  There is only You.  I was made to worship You.]

My flesh and my heart may fail,
[Even today, Lord, my soul has cooled to your touch and wanted to doubt your goodness.  I've sinned against you and myself and others again and again.]

but God is the strength of my heart
[You forgive me and give me strength.  You give me joy in every circumstance.  You help me to keep your word and follow your will.  You guide me.]

and my portion forever.
[If all I have is You then I am rich.  You are my great reward.]"

Sing A Song

Psalm 69: 30-31
"I will praise God's name in song
and glorify Him with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD more than an ox [a sacrifice]
more than a bull with its horns and hooves."

If you read the whole Psalm David seems perplexed, persecuted, abandoned, and shamed.  But his response is to sing God's praises.  Amen!

Have you ever felt mocked?  Shamed?  Put into a corner for your beliefs or the way you live your life?  Has the enemy ever caused you to feel like a hypocrite?  Do your own thoughts condemn or accuse you?

We cannot look to our flesh to justify us before God.  No sacrifices or good deeds or riches will ever please Him.  It is only Jesus' blood that speaks a better word over us.  David's response to the shame: let's sing to the king!  The one thing about which I will never be ashamed is the love of God the Father for us in Christ Jesus.  Let me never be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation.

Daily

Psalm 68: 19-20
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

God saves!  I'm reminded this morning of how awesome our God is.  It has always been in God's character to save.  Earlier in the psalm there is talk of how God is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows and those without protection.  Death is falling on all of us, but we have a God who is greater than death - He provides escape and salvation.

Now that I've found this salvation in Jesus' death and resurrection, I know that I will DAILY need to turn to Him.  I die and Christ lives in me if I DAILY take up my cross and follow Jesus.  Praise be to God, who, just as the Psalmist wrote: "DAILY bears our burdens".

Heard

Psalm 66

"I cried out to him with my mouth,
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer,
or withheld his love from me."

I felt God say to me: "what are you asking me for?" today.  I was talking to him on reflection over this verse.  I had told him that I knew I was cherishing sin in my heart and confess that I pretty much always have cherished some sort of sin in my heart.  I asked how, then he would ever answer any of my prayers.  How could I expect anything good from Him if all I had was sin in my heart?  Still I felt like God was leading me to be specific in what I pray for.

"I cried out to him with all my mouth, His praise was on my tongue."  Vocalizing prayer is an important aspect to the writer of this Psalm.  Praise is also important.  He is telling us we need to enter into prayer through worship.

I truly wonder what it was that God did for this psalm writer.  He seems very excited.

God, awaken our hearts to the praise you so rightly deserve and the prayers you've already answered.

Overwhelmed

"Overwhelmed".  A word many of us use often, especially in today's high-stressed society.  The world moves so quickly and we need to be doing so many things.  I think we feel this way because of something deeper.

Psalm 65:1-4 "Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.  O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.  Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!  We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple."

I want to pray as a scheduled type of activity that I had to get done but from a heart that just knew God cared and listened.  The word tells us that God hears prayer.  All men (and women) can come to him this way.  What keeps us from closeness with God?  Knowledge of our sins holds us back.  We are overwhelmed by many things but deep down it is is not until our hearts see the light of God and our sins are confessed that we feel restored and freed.  The burden is lifted.  Forgiveness through Jesus opens our lives to all of God's benefits: the blessings of knowing who He is.