June 22, 2014

Note: this is a guest post by Emily Moore.

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalm 13:1-2)

Father, this is the cry of our heart in so many ways and so many times. In eight other psalms, Your
servants plead with You to know: how long?

How long? How long will injustice reign? How long will the wicked trample the helpless? How long will
people be allowed to continue in their destructive ways? (Habakkuk 1:2)

How long will we endure torment and spite from our peers? (Job 19:2)

How long until righteous blood is avenged? How long will Christians be led like their Savior to slaughter?
(Rev. 6:10)

But here’s another question. How long is eternity?

Israel has been saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated to all eternity. (Isaiah 45:17)

How long is the Lord King? Forever. (Psalm 10:16, Psalm 29:10, Psalm 45:6)

How long will the wicked be blotted out? Forever. (Psalm 9:5)

How long is pleasure at the Lord’s right hand? Forever. (Psalm 16:11)

How long is the inheritance of the blameless? Forever. (Psalm 37:18, 29)

How long does the Word of God last? Forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

Father, as we groan in the suffering of this present time, give us the grace to remember that they are
preparing us for a weight of glory beyond all comparison. In comparison to forever, they are indeed
light and momentary. Have mercy on us, and let us rejoice in Your Name!

June 16, 2014

Note: this is a guest post by Muriel Gregory.

What is your mind set on?

Paul tells us in Romans 7:25 that “I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” I have to confess that this is a daily truth for me as well. The good news is that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1. I am extremely thankful that there is no condemnation yet I need to daily remind myself that in the flesh I cannot please God (Romans 8:8). The choice is simple: I need to set my mind on the Spirit.

Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

    for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. Psalm 147:1

Heavenly Father, how beautiful is your Name and how joyful my heart is when I set my mind on you.

He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Lord, I have to confess that my flesh is weak. Sin easily entangles me. Friends and foes hurt me by word or deed. Thank you Father for being here, ever-present and always listening. Thank you for tending to me the moment I turn completely to you.

He determines the number of the stars;

    he gives to all of them their names. Psalm 147:4

Lord, the depth of your knowledge is beyond my understanding. You know the names of each star and you know my name; an intimacy I can barely fathom. This thought fills my heart with peace as I rest on the knowledge that I am never alone.

The Lord lifts up the humble;

    he casts the wicked to the ground. Psalm 147:6

Father, search my heart and remove any wickedness. I do not want to be lifted up by men. I will continue to seek you and you alone. Your praise, God, is all that matters to me.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

    make melody to our God on the lyre! Psalm 147:7

God, give me a grateful heart. Give me a heart that always says “thanks” regardless of the circumstances. Give me a heart that always turn to you with an attitude of praise. You and You alone are worthy of praise.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

    Praise your God, O Zion!

For he strengthens the bars of your gates;

    he blesses your children within you.

He makes peace in your borders;

    he fills you with the finest of the wheat. Psalm 147:12-14

All blessings come from You God. I want to stay obedient to you. I need to be in your protection. I am nothing without You. But with You I fear nothing. Melt my heart Lord and conform it to Yours.

Praise the Lord!

June 9, 2014

Note: This is a guest post by Emily Moore.

A prayer inspired by Psalm 103.

Father, You are the blessed One!  True happiness is in You and from You.  You are holy and Your name is above all names.  I will praise You for Your goodness to me!  Don’t let me forget, as it’s so easy to do, how much You have worked in my life – You forgive all my sins; You heal all my diseases; You redeem my life from the pit; You crown me with steadfast love and mercy; You satisfy me with good.

But You’re not like my personal genie or something.  You are working out Your plan of redemption for the whole world, in Your great wisdom.  You work righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.  You revealed Yourself to Your people.  You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

All the wickedness in the world, in us, makes You angry.  But You will not be angry forever.  Because of Your son Jesus, You do not deal with us as we deserve.  You don’t repay our sin.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is Your steadfast love toward those who fear You; as far as the east is from the west, so far do You cast our sin!  You show compassion to us, Your children.

Because You know exactly what we’re like, inside and out.  You know, because You formed us from the dust.  We’re so fragile and weak.  We’re here today and gone tomorrow.  Just like grass, or the flowers in a field, our days are numbered.

That’s a pretty sobering thought.  But even deeper is  the joy of Your promise of redemption!  Even though we wear out and die, Your steadfast love is eternal to those who fear You, to those who keep Your covenant and remember Your commands.  And Your throne is eternal; You have the power to carry out Your promise, because You rule over everything.

Let everything in the world praise You, Lord!  Angels, mighty ones, Your servants, Your hosts, all Your works in every place.  And I will praise You too!

June 2, 2014

Note: this is a guest post from Emily Moore.
A prayer inspired by Psalm 136.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

You alone are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  There is no one like You.  You alone work great wonders.  You are the Creator of all things, in heaven and on earth.  We are made of the dust, but You are from everlasting to everlasting.

Your steadfast love endures forever!

Throughout the centuries, You have been faithful to Your people.  You chose Israel to be Your people.  You saw their oppression in Egypt, and You heard their cries for help.  You humbled the pride of the Egyptians and triumphed over their gods.  You rescued them from slavery with Your mighty arm.

Your steadfast love endures forever!

Now, Lord, hear our cries for the oppressed!  You have chosen Your church, we who have been grafted into true Israel, and we plead for Your mercy.  Rescue your daughter Meriam Ibrahim from prison and death in Sudan.  Protect and save your son Wenxi Li, in prison in China.  Guard and guide your children in Sierra Leone who have just lost everything because their village was set on fire.

Your steadfast love endures forever!

You divided the Red Sea in two for Israel to pass through.  You kept Your people safe, but Pharaoh in all his might was swept into destruction.  You killed him, and You killed the mighty kings of the Canaanites: King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan.  You gave their land to Your people as an inheritance.

Your steadfast love endures forever!

As You have proved Your justice and Your mercy in the past, so now stretch out Your mighty arm to save!  Let evildoers be destroyed, so that Your people may inherit the earth.  As You went before Israel, go before our warriors.  Let their battle be just and righteous, and let them prevail!  Let all the nations be humbled before You, our great and mighty God.

Your steadfast love endures forever!

You have remembered us in our low estate.  You have rescued us from our foes.  You give food to all flesh.  We remember Your faithfulness and are encouraged.

Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His steadfast love endures forever!