Lord's Day Devotional Prayer - Good and Upright

 "Good and upright is the LORD, therefore He instructs sinners in His way."

God is not a hypocrite, that's for sure!

Father, I pray, and thank You that You are not a hypocrite.  So glad we can trust You and be admonished by You because You are the One who has the right and authority to do so.

You instruct sinners in Your ways.  Praise You, it does not say that You "lambaste sinners"!  You instruct.  May we learn from You at Your feet.  You are the greatest Teacher, the One who can educate in the most persuasively, loving and compelling of ways.

Often, I feel like a hypocrite because what I say, I'm then responsible for, I don't always do it.

Lord, help me.  You guide the humble to teach them Your ways.  All Your ways are loving and faithful.  I cannot say that for myself.  In contrast, You are though, what a mercy!  You keep Your covenant with those who do keep the demands of Your covenant  The psalmist got that.

LORD, we followers of Jesus Christ belong to You.  You bought us at great cost but we don't always live up to what is right and just and fair; we are often far from humble and often fail.

However, thank-You for Your mercy and grace and for the sake of Your Name, You forgive us our iniquity, no matter how great or small and insignificant we might think our bad deeds may be.  Thank-You once again for that verse in 1 John 1:9,

"If we confess our sins; You are faithful and just and will forgie us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Help us to see our faults from Your perspective and in the light of Your watching over us and seeing our hearts.  You know our minds.  You even know the number of strands of hair upon our heads.  You know us but we don't always know You.

You know us better than we know ourselves, so we can have the courage to "'fess up".  Nevertheless, we're aware that just confessing isn't enough, it must accompany a repentant heart which spills over into our actions.  Help us, in our feeble humanness, to repent and stick at it; and forgive when and where needed too.

You told Your disciples, in Luke 17, to forgive 70 x 7 times; that's so many times it's difficult to keep tract.  You are like that...our forgiving God; forgiving us again and again.  We love You because You first loved us.

We need to repent, confess, and forgive others their trespasses, even as You do forgive us.

May our eyes ever be on You so You can govern us, even with just Your eyes.  We've all had our mothers and/or fathers look at us when perhaps we were not doing as we should.  Sometimes when we were doing what was right and they gave us a look of satisfaction and pleasure in their eyes; vindicating our obedient compliance and we felt happy inside.

In contrast, a look of "No, no, no!" and sadness and disappointment when we're tempted to do wrong or even in the act of 'wrong' and the wrong had had its course, cuts to the quick of our hearts and hopefully, guides and compels us in the right direction the next time around.

Lord, be gracious to us.

There are many lonely, afflicted hearts crying out; be a Friend to them even if they do have one or two earthly friends, or even a community of good friends, they may still feel as if they are marooned on an island no one else is on.

Rescue them and may we each have integrity and uprightness that will protect us and help us to become more like Your Son, Jesus Christ, in our attitudes and character.  When we feel we are spiritual, may we be then able to turn and help another friend along the way who may have turned astray or gotten into the wrong group of people, to admonish, being careful we ourselves aren't lured away.

Father, again, thank-You for the verse in Psalm 25, verse 8, that says You are,

"Good and upright therefore You can instruct us and keep us in Your way."

Help us Father to go in the way we should go, and not tell others to do this and that but do nothing about it ourselves.

It is because of the cross and the work Your Son has done for us, giving His life for ours, taking our punishment for our sin, giving us forgiveness of sins and eternal life, that we too may become good and upright.  Father, as we partake of the bread and drink of the cup of wine each Lord's Day, may be remember that our righteousness has come only because of what Jesus has done for us by His death and resurrection.  Thank-You for providing the way...

In Jesus' most perfect, good and upright Name, Amen.

                                                              ~ERC April 2020~

                                                          (originally prayed)

Prayer - Perfection's Limit

 Eternal and Holy Father, Your word is perfect, established and endures forever.  Your faithfulness to Your people, throughout all generations stands steadfast and secure.

The psalmist makes note of this; "through all generations," as far back as he could recall to his father, grandfather and so on, of his ancestors.  He says through "all generations".  I suppose he was remembering how You, shepherded the people of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the Promised Land.  Perhaps he even went further back to his "fathers" Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all that history of how you cared for them.

That was a lot of 'caring'.  We know 'cuz, we can read all about it too.

This gives us great hope and encouragement too Father, that You will do the same for us in our generation.  It is penned there in verse 90 regarding Your faithfulness continuing "through all generations".

I really like that, Father.  We, too can make good on that and delight in Your laws, commands, precepts, etc, too.  It's like having our cake and being able to eat it too!  You are so good to us.

Again, through our trials and afflictions, even now with the COVID-19 redefining  and dictating to a large degree, how we live, You preserve our lives through Your words.

"Save us; for we are Yours!" (v. 94).

We can claim this too as the psalmist did.  He appreciated the relationship and banked on it, and appropriated it.  Thank-You, Father, we can too.

He had no guilty conscience between himself and You as he had sought out Your precepts.  He did not try to hide anything from You.  He pondered on them when the wicked were lurking, just waiting to pounce upon him.  Yet, he realized that he was not perfect, that there was, and still is, a limit to our human perfection.  He reveled, however, in Your commands to which there are no bounds-no limits.

Your commands can cover all bases for us no matter what troubles we have.  For this we give You our praise and thanksgiving.

All the way, our Savior leads us through this world of so much woe.  From You alone we gain our perfection and holiness and righteousness.  We gain salvation through Your Son Jesus.  In this, too there is no limit to Your care and gift.  All our generations back, that we can recall, and to our next generations which are and which are to come, may they know You and Your words and perfection through Jesus.  

In the most Holy name of Jesus we give you praise and thanks.

                                                         ~ERC  August 2020~

Based on Psalm 119:89-96 (Lamedh)

Sing, All the Way My Savior Leads Me as sung by The Haven Quartet

Prayer - Tent of Smoke

 

My eyes fail due to wear and tear of age.  After sixty years of use, I suppose that is bound to happen; what say you?

The acrostic psalmist writes that his "eyes fail" (Psalm 119:82 NIV).  Setting aside age, which may or may not have been his problem, he said the reason was due to,

"...looking for Your promise,"

Father.  He was looking for some unspecified, unnamed, promised comfort.

He'd watched and watched til his eyes ached and his soul fainted with longing for Your salvation (v.81) to intervene.  

Yet his impetus for perseverance in the wait and watch was his...

"...hope in Your word,"

Father God.

This makes me think of the prodigal son's father.  It came to mind this morning that maybe he began his vigil out on the dusty road, searching the distant horizons for the return of a repentant, wiser son, right from Day 1.  No doubt his eyes ached and failed many a day as the wind whipped sand and dirt into watering, smarting eyes.  Yet he determinedly, faithfully, watched all those days, months, and perhaps, even years.

When would he have his comfort of such an emotionally, pivotal moment; his hope rewarded?

There's another story of endurance others may have heard of a mother who left her front door, always open, and a light on; I assume on the front porch.  She awaited the return of a "prodigal" daughter.  This did have a happy ending many long years later.  How that Mother-heart must have fainted at times; the travail of her soul unbearable at her "loss", never knowing if her beloved offspring would return to the fold; imagining all the things the daughter could have gotten into; buckets of tears shed and smotherings of prayers blanketing her dear girl.

Some of you may relate.

The psalmist likened deep distress, longing and waiting to a "wineskin in the smoke" (v 33).

From what I can gather from checking it out online, the ancients hung their wine up in skins, in their tents.  Smoke from the cooking fires would 'cook' more than their food, and the wine skins were not exempt.

There was good and bad to this scenario.  Some smoke had a mellowing and flavoring effect upon the wine inside the skins which enhanced the taste; so it said.  On the other hand, too much smoke, over time, would blacken and stiffen the skins rendering them of little worth for capturing wine.

You likely can see the psalmist's connection.  His fainting soul and failing eyes, his anguished endurance through the arrogance of persecutors' torment and that "torment" without cause (v 86), is the "smoke of affliction" upon the person, "the wineskin".

All our tears and sorrows, and our hearts may rebel to hear this, are "smoking" us to refine our attitudes, character towards greater Christ-likeness and relationships with our Heavenly Father.  Too much "smoke" and we may become bitter, and unforgiving and decide to forget God.

Heavenly Father, You are good and You know that we are feeble human beings and can only take so much "smoke".  LORD, as David often cried out to You, be merciful to us in our times of trial and tribulation.  I know You are and You do bring comfort along the way.  Thank-You.

May our "tent of smoke" time ever turn us towards You, our Heavenly Father, with Your unfailing love, trustworthy commands, and the comfort of Your salvation; never forgetting Your decrees, and to be obedient  "to the statutes of Your mouth: (v 88); as was the psalmist acrostic reflection.

Father, You are faithful and Your words are true.  Thank-You.

May the 'wine' of our life be as excellent as that wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee that Jesus made.  Continue to turn our water into wine, Father, even if we need to go through the smoking process and test of time spent in your tent of smoke.

                                                        ~ERC  August 2020~

Based on Psalm 119:81-89 (Kaph)

Sing, "Our Times are in Your Hands" Metropolitan Tabernacle, London

Good Book - Actually, The Best Book

"The best book to read is the Bible,

If you read it every day,

It will help you on your way,

Oh, the Best Book to read is the Bible."

Ever sing that in Sunday School?  I, likely about 100 times!

Why is it such a "best book"?  It is because it is The Living God's words...His love letter to His human creatures.  You want to know about God and how He wants us to live.  Well, there you go, read the Best Book, the Bible.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist is forever saying how good and upright God's words are; all His commands, precepts, decrees, laws, and statutes, he calls them.  These words of God can do so very many things for a person if they will know them and obey them.  Transforming!

So yes, do read God's Word first and foremost.

Guess which book in the whole wide world is the first and foremost best seller?

You guessed it, the Bible.  Of course this is an "old" statistic but look what Wikipedia said,

People also ask

What is the number 1 best selling book of all time?

the Bible

According to Guinness World Records as of 1995, the Bible is the best-selling book of all time, with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed.

List of best-selling books - Wikipedia

Here's hoping and praying all those buyers are actually reading the Bible every day and being helped on their way.  Pray that the message of Jesus will ring out far and wide and fill the hearts of people from all walks of life and culture, from the inside out.

Wouldn't that be magnificent!?

                                                     ~ERC  September 2020~ 

Prayer - Impeccable Record

"Behavior is a mirror in which every one displays his image."

     Thus saith someone (author unknown).

Someone with an impeccable record of behavior is a joy to the world.  They are to be admired and emulated.  Here's hoping they do not tarnish that by letting it all go to their head and swell up to become arrogant with the pride of it.

In the "Yodh" segment of Psalm 119, it can be observed that the psalmist was just such a person, that is, one with the "impeccable record".  On first glance though, it does seem like he is rather pleased with himself when he mentions,

"May those who fear You (the LORD) rejoice, when they see" him (v 74 NIV).

In verse 79, he adds,

"May those who fear You turn to me"

...as if he'd reached full enlightenment and was a perfect example for all to follow.  Something akin to the expression, "God's gift to mankind".  Of course, we know that Jesus was and still is that One.

Needless to say, Jesus did NOT need to achieve even the teeniest-tiniest iota of perfection because He is perfection personified, literally; the embodiment of perfect, because He is God.

I think the psalmist's perspective is more towards encouraging others to follow suit and to display this image of behavior that falls in line with remembering that, Your hands, oh Father God, have formed me (v 73), that Your laws are righteous (v 75); that in faithfulness You have afflicted him (v 75), creating the opportunity for him to experience, to learn Your decrees firsthand (v. 71), not as head knowledge but in practicality.  This seems to be humility to me, Father.

The flip side of this being, he'd gained understanding to learn Your commands (v 73) and he'd put his hope in Your word (v 74).  He'd been through much, and discovered and valued Your infallible input.  In Your word, Father, he'd put his hope (v 74); made it an anchor to his soul, sure and steadfast.  Due to this, Your law was his delight (v 77) and he would meditate on Your precepts (v 78), and get this LORD, he'd "wholeheartedly follow Your decrees" (v 80).  Such declarations!

All of this, in a nutshell, despite what others may do to him or think of him, he would,

 

"not be put to shame" (v 80).

This was the context of his reflection that he himself saw of his own behavior.  He believed though that this all honored You Father.  That was his purpose; his focus.  He then wanted like-minded people, those, "who fear You" to turn to him; to join him, if you will.

If this psalmist was King David, he was the one to supposedly lead the citizens of his kingdom by example;  to set the pace and precedent, for one and all.  He was their spiritual leader.

All eyes were on him:  some to investigate his inconsistencies; others, to follow the example; still others, with whom he could fellowship because they too followed, loved and treasured the learning curves You presented with Your laws, decrees, commands, precepts and statutes.

How comforting to be wrapped, then, in Your unfailing love and compassion; a promise from Your holy lips, Father.

May all Your children nowadays, have this profound desire and propensity for just such an impeccable record.  May we be a mirror of reflected behavior displayed for one and all to perceive, emulate and mimic.  Provide, Father, those with whom Your people can fellowship.

May... 

"Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

In Jesus' most hallowed and perfect Name we commune with You, Father God.

                                                         ~ERC  July 2020~

Based on Psalm 119:73-80 (Yodh)

Prayer - In His Presence

 

Father God, I come into Your presence in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ, to praise and honor You.  You are the King of glory.  You are strong and mighty; almighty God.  We lift up our hands, minds, and hearts to You.  You are from the ages past, the eternal ages past and You will be in the eternal ages to come.  Even now, in our generation, may this generation and the next, and the next and the next, seek You.  May they seek Your face, oh Father God; the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  You are the living God and God of the living.

May all seek Your face.  You are THE God of all creation; the world and everything in it.  You founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.  

Oh Lord, may we look up to You and to where You are seated on the throne of Heaven.  Who can stand in Your holy presence?  None of us could until You sent Your Savior, Jesus Christ to us.  You sent Him to vindicate us from our sins, to counteract the wrath of God upon us; to close that separation between You and us sinners.

Your are the Holy God of all the earth, making us righteous in Your sight through Your Son Jesus Christ when we have accepted this wonderful gift.  We can now boldly come and stand in Your presence, directly and speak with You in the Name of Jesus and in the power of the blood of Jesus.  We can spend time in Your presence, communing with You.

Those of us with clean hands, and pure heart and who do NOT lift up our souls to any idols, or swear by what is false.  Help us, LORD, through Your Holy Spirit, to realize when we are making idols in our hearts and minds, even if they are not made out of wood, silver, gold or stone, etc.  There could be other things or people, money, our job, our career, or our children, our house, car; whatever, Lord.

May we not allow any of those to come between us and You.  May we lift up our faces, hearts, minds, souls, our all, to the sunshine of Your presence; to You, the God of glory, the King of Glory, the Almighty God of glory.

In the Name of Jesus, we pray and praise.

                                                 ~ERC  February 2020~

                                                     (originally prayed)

Based on Psalm 24, a Psalm of David

Sing, Lift Up Your Hearts with the St. Louis Jesuits

Prayer - A Jump From Creation to Creator

Good Morning, LORD!  I was just reading Psalm 24 (back in February), and observed David is often mentioning about Your creation as to how wonderful and almighty it is.  How You created it.  The Earth is Yours and everything in it.  How You founded it upon  the seas and established it upon the waters.  So who has the right to ascend Your hill to Your holy place?  Only those with clean hands and pure hearts.

I was also thinking David often, in many of his Psalms, mentions You, the Creator, and how majestic Your mountain are, about the vast number of stars, or other aspects thereof.  He must have laid on his back, often at night while guarding his sheep, making note of the skies.  In the daytime, the mountains and rocks were his vista in the areas he traversed and pastured his sheep.

How he must have used them as protection against wind, rain, wild beasts and later on, even for himself when chased and hunted by King Saul, and in later years, by his own son Absalom.  He had discovered so many nooks, niches and crannies in which to hide and shield himself in those rocks and hills.

He was always very close to nature, so he could then see, relate about and observe Your creation and how very marvelous it all is, Father.  However, he didn't worship any of it.  He mentions those who can ascend Your hill and stand in Your holy place are those with clean hands and pure hearts and the soul that never lifted up nor prostrated himself to an idol.

He did not worship the sun, moon, the stars, the hills, flowers or the grass; NO!  The creation, he knew and believed, had a creator and that Creator, is You!

So, when we read in another part of Scripture (Romans 1:19-20), that even though those who haven't had the message of Jesus Christ, come to them, that they too, can know through Your wonderful creation.  Those many gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, You 'paint' day after day; the way of insects, and just the whole vast swathe of creation.  They can make that "jump of thought" from Your creation, to...there must be a Supreme Being.  There must be!  In such cogitations then, they turn to You, and worship and honor You.

Father, help such unreached people groups, who have not heard your message of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to make that connection and jump from creation to Creator, until some one of Your children can get to them to explain more fully, Your plan of salvation for them.  In addition to that, to give them Your Words in their own mother tongue. 

Indeed there are missionary stories to that fact of tribal peoples who believed that.  Perhaps even their other, own tribal members did not believe it but one or two here and there did get that connection in their soul and tried to tell the others.  Latently, a missionary, of Your Good News of Jesus Christ, came and discovered this.  Then the message of Jesus made good sense to them.

I cannot pinpoint and reference this story because it was a very long time ago since reading about it and it only just popped into my head's recall system.  However, Lord, people in our time are still without excuse.  

I used to be skeptical, sorry Lord, about what You even said about this; that people are without excuse.  Nevertheless, as I read and pray the Psalms over and over again, I can see how this one man, King David, did relate creation to the Creator and worshiped You.  

It so tempts people to worship the creation though because its so absolutely beautiful and dangerous-no doubt David had to wrestle with the elements of weather out there in Your wide-wide world.  The intricacies and monumental design of it all is so difficult to NOT be enthused and imbued with it all, that we forget the Creator.

Lord, keep our hearts clean and pure so that our souls do NOT worship the creation, rather, You, the Creator.  You, the almighty One, my God and my Father.

Thank-You for Your wondrous creation which You have made for Your own pleasure and delight and share with us.  You have put the earth into our hands.  What a wondrous gift!!  Yet mankind has made rather a tragic mess of it.

Help us, Lord, to turn to You in all the chaos of the world.  One day, You will make a brand new heaven and earth and we will come together in Your glory, and be able to praise You in the purest of pure worship, just the way we should.

I thank and praise You, oh God and King of glory, Creator, Lord God Almighty, to You we lift up our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies, and give You thanks.

In Jesus most precious Name we praise and pray.

                                                        ~ERC  July 2020~

                                            (originally prayer February 2020)

Based on Psalm 24