Heavenly Father, the shock was overwhelming. The mind numb and uncomprehending. Could it be, their child, their "little lamb", gone?! Gone in a way, not from sickness or car crash, or murder but from self-infliction!
Oh Father. The mother and father, in grief, "laid low in the dust,"..."souls wearied with unmingled and unmitigated sorrow."
Human capacity drained, and still drizzling out, physically incapacitated, a loss of human strength, stretched and sapped to the nth degree endurance. Yet...yet Your words, oh Father God, preserve and strengthened them, therewith.
We fly into Your arms Lord, into Your calming, understanding presence; so many fierce questions on our lips. In seasons such as these, how can we make sense of it all?! Only in You can our lives be preserved, to meditate upon Your words and wonderful deeds, to bring understanding to hearts and minds rent almost asunder, yet cocooned from total devastation, by Your precepts.
The anchor, faithfulness, gracious and truthful ways with heart set upon Your laws, may they hold parents, family, and friends, fast in the path of Your commands and in the tragic travesties of life and death, that threaten to sink them into the depths of despair and depression.
Buoy the hearts and souls and the trust of Your people in pain, with Your word and "broaden their understanding" throughout the new days of "normalcy" ahead, for navigating without the one they loved. Steady the minds, awash with your word; steady the hearts with Your compelling, compassionate, consoling love and care and empathy.
Suffering and sorrow, and death, but, some day, for Your people, everlasting life and joy abiding in that place, nestled with You in Heaven; the Haven of No More Tears.
In Jesus Name we cry out in anguish, Father, for those who have loved and lost.
~ERC July 2020~
Based on Psalm 119:25-32 NIV (Daleth)
Sing, or just sit and listen, Does Jesus Care? as sung by Gaither music
Father, do good to Your servant, that I will live. I don't know if the psalmist was contemplating suicide or not, or maybe he was just desiring life more abundant. If he lived, he said "I will obey Your Words".
Father, we know You are good and therefore can only do good. We often say we choose to obey, however, there's many times when we don't. Thank-You, for Your forgiveness when we repent of our wrong attitudes and actions.
Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see wonderful things in Your Law. Yes, Father, open the eyes of understanding; we want to see and understand things You want us to know and understand about Yourself and your will and ways.
At some point of time in our life, sooner rather than later, hopefully, may we realize there are different stages of life people go through that don't last forever. A teacher may become rather overwhelmed with school lesson preparations and correcting of assignments online during the Covid-19 lock down. Nonetheless, Father, do them good so they will live through it. Others, have other professions and related challenges. I know Your grace is sufficient; at least in theory.
Perhaps, this is a lesson from You to learn greater patience, mercy and justice. What else, Lord?
Open our eyes as You did for the disciples in Acts. You opened up their understanding so they could grasp all the things You'd taught them all those years of daily tutelage, straight from Jesus' mouth to their ears. They'd finally understood to some degree what You'd predicted about Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection on the third day. It was something that had puzzled them at the time Jesus spoke His prediction of it, then later, grasped with clarity. When You opened their understanding. They knew, then, what it was about.
Now, Father, I ask again that You open our understanding to Your words this day so we can have something in our mind for "the daily portion"--to think about, ponder and consider, so as not to neglect Your words.
"My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times..." Psalm 119:20 (NIV).
Actually, Father, I can't say that I do that. Help my frailty, and human feebleness. The psalmist was able to say it, though.
It is my desire, my longing to long for Your word. Just as, at the moment, I long to go out for the walk I've been getting into the habit of all these Covid-19 lock down days. At least, a half an hour's walk per day.
Lord when I don't go out, my physical body knows it. Similarly, the lack of my perusing and pondering Your words daily, affects my spiritual health. It is for my spiritual well-being and relationship with You to make it a daily practice; that I do not neglect God's Word.
Help me not to stray from Your commands, at all times.
"You rebuke the arrogant who are cursed."
May I not become proud and arrogant, of all I know of Your Words. Head knowledge doesn't profit much. Father, make me know it in my spirit and soul and heart, so I won't sin against You. May we all be guided and instructed in it.
Help me not to look down on others who don't know as much Bible teaching as I have had. Often those who don't know as much, walk in the morsels they do know better than those who know more. These are those who have greater relationship with You and walk the knowledge. This is genuine understanding.
May I never, ever scorn these brothers and sisters-in-Christ, who have "enlarged" hearts for You.
The rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on Your decrees anyway. May your children be so strong in Your word that they will not be shaken when others slander and/or falsely accuse them. Instead, fill Your child with Your words so they can meditate upon Your decrees to counter those hurtful words and actions. may the injustices not fester in their souls nor break them up. May they stand steadfast in Your word. May Your statutes be their delight and healing balm of comfort, direction and counsel.
If it often feels like our ears are burning when people stare at us and whisper bitter words behind our backs, turn our mind and thoughts to Your word, decrees, statutes and law, for in them is life and breath and health. May we, Your children, always delight in them.
I ask in Jesus precious Name.
~ERC July 2020~
Based on Psalm 119:17-24 (Gimel)
Father, God, it is very difficult with our sin nature to live in a pure manner. However, You have given us ways and means to do so. As the psalmist of Psalm 119 puts it, its by living according to Your word we are led to the right path to pleasing You.
By seeking You with all our hearts, by hiding Your word in our hearts so we don't sin against You. We also see that the psalmist asks You not to let him stray from Your commands. In addition, he asks You to teach him Your decrees so when You are keeping and teaching, coupled with the hiding and seeking You, the outcome is greater purity. This not just for young men but anyone of Your children willing to follow Your will and ways.
Do to the hiding of Your word in the heart, verse 13 says, the lips will,
"...recount all the laws that come from your mouth" (NIV).
"All the laws!" That's amazing. There are so many things, if we read the whole Bible, so many laws, but he could recount it all! Granted he only had the Torah but that's still lots, Father, for his lips to recount. He must have really been studying and memorizing!
Lord, when we're hiding Your Word in our hearts, and our desire is to fully seek You, able to recount the laws, not to have a big head, proud that we know chapter after chapter to recite, but Lord, that we have truly hidden it in our hearts and not just filed it in our heads, as theory. Rather, getting the "nutritional essentials" extracted as spiritual food, making it our life and breath, assimilated into our DNA, so to speak. Then we can rejoice at following Your statutes.
Many times we rebel but here the Psalmist says he rejoices as with great riches. When people think of having great riches, like winning the lottery, everybody's so happy. Then often, those riches get the recipients into trouble, bring about their downfall. Evaporated. Emptiness.
Nevertheless, Father, when we think of having great riches, we do rejoice. If we use whatever riches You do give us for Your glory and honor to store up treasure in Heaven then we can rejoice we have wealth be instrumental in that.
Further to all that, the psalmist says he meditates on Your precepts and considers your ways. He does not just have it in his head and heart. He doesn't just ask You to teach, because what's the point of teaching if the student's not going to learn and get the good of it?
Teachers can teach til they're blue in the face, and their hearts come out, but it's up to the students to take it in, so Lord, this psalmist is a good student because he meditates upon, considers, and delight in Your teaching. What's more, he does not neglect Your Word.
The combination of all of these elements can help us too, in keeping pure. Thank-You for giving us these "ways and means" Father. It's up to us now, to put them to good use.
There's an expression, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." You've given us Your Word, Your Holy Spirit, and we can ask for You to teach us Your will and ways via these ways and means. Yet, do we joyfully rejoice, do we seek, so we do not stray? That was the desire of this Psalm writer. He did not want to stray from them. He wanted You to teach them with the desire for him to keep them.
Father, I ask You to teach and keep me too, in all the ways You have for me. So often we want to jump off that track. Father keep all of Your children on the right track. Help us to make a habit of meditating, considering and reciting Your words. Consequently, when we do, the desired effect of being pure and living a life of integrity will emerge.
Yes, we make mistakes and You, Heavenly Father, forgive the repentant heart. Generally, although we can never attain 100% purity here on earth, we are moving and keeping in the right direction of being and keeping pure, because You are pure. We want to imitate and emulated You, dear Father.
Keep us pure and ever cleaving to Your Word.
I ask in Jesus most Holy Name.
~ERC July 2020~
Based on Psalm 119:9-16 (Beth)
LORD, You say, "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless," who walk in Your Law, keep your statutes, and seek You with all their heart. Give us that heart, Father, that would truly wish to seek and walk and be blameless.
We know that those of us who have accepted Your Son Jesus as Lord and Savior, have been given Your Holy Spirit to indwell us, to aid and abet us in following You. However, knowing this and actually living according to this as if part of our natural spiritual DNA, is something else. Your poor fickle human creatures are so hard put to stick to the straight and narrow.
Nevertheless, You have given us a free will and when we do choose to follow Your will, we will indeed be blessed by You. We know this because Your Word says so and this gives us reason to hope.
You have laid down these precepts, statutes, decrees, and laws, to be fully obeyed. Lord, help our picking and choosing of only the ones which suits us. If like this, it does show we are not truly blameless nor 100% full of integrity.
Thinking of this human dilemma in conjunction with a saying from Confucius, that ancient Chinese sage of yesteryears, who is purported to have imparted this morsel of wisdom,
"If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake."
Praise to You, though, Father that we do not have to go it alone. You are in the business of transforming us; helping us to rectify that which is necessary. This sanctification, may be slow, but Father, may it be steady. May there be forward movement in this process. We thank and praise You that this does happen.
Also, when we follow Your ways, we will become steadfast. A beautiful "benefit" to not be so easily shaken when the storms and earthquakes of life befall us or those times of false doctrine threatening to be imposed, etc. May our foundations hold more firmly in You and Your Words; our edge of obeying them and being blessed by them.
Lord, then we wouldn't be put to shame. There's no shame in keeping Your word as there may well be in NOT keeping them if our lives go in a wrong way. Lord, keep us ever cleaving to Your side. Yes, this is our choice; You are steadfast. You are there, You never move.
It is our choice. Help though, through You Holy Spirit, to make the right choices, everyday. Bring it to our attention, mold and meld our will to Yours. Lord, then surely, we can hold our heads high with Your dignity and not be shamed because we have been following Your will, ways, word and statutes, and living in step with the Holy Spirit. This as the Holy Spirit leads and guides as we submit to You. In so doing we can be blessed.
With this type of blessing, I'm not talking about riches or possessions; material goods, but to be blessed spiritually, leading a spiritual life-in You, Father-and draw closer to You. That is blessing in and of itself.
Yet Lord, should You bestow material wealth upon any one of us, may we remember from Whom they have come and use them for Your glory and honor and the furtherance of Your kingdom, laying up treasure in heaven for You.
There are many of Your servants who do, do that. I praise You and thank You for that. Then indeed we can praise You from an upright heart, with a good, clear conscience, and continue to learn and obey Your laws.
Here the Psalmist asks You not to utterly forsake him and we can ask that too even though we know very well you have said You will,
"...never leave us nor forsake us..." (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).
We have the promise that You still like Your children asking for things, to show You that we do fully want You in our life. Therefore, I echo, "do not forsake me". I need You every hour in my life. Help me and all Your children to ever depend upon You and to ever draw closer to You because You are close to us.
Ever in awe of You and Your Words, Father, and it's in Your Son Jesus' Name we can commune with You.
~ERC July 2020~
Based on Psalm 119:1-8; Aleph
Sing, Praise the Savior
Father, thank-You, I give You thanks that Your steadfast love endures forever; that Your mercy endures forever. As we look at Psalm 136, we can see there is so much the Psalmist was thankful for. How You wrought Your wonders, throughout the history of the Israelites, for them, from creation forward, and because Your love and mercy endure forever.
You helped the Israelites get out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm
"because Your love endures forever!"
Further to that, You helped them escape when You divided the Red Sea. The Israelites could then walk across on dry ground,
"because Your steadfast love and mercy endure forever".
You were that Father, that wonderful Father, their Protector, who was their Guide, their "Escape Artist", if you will, assisting them to escape from the Egyptians. Then You protected them throughout the wilderness wanderings, the many times they were attacked by kings from other nations. You freed them from their enemies, time after time. You fed them when they were hungry.
The Psalmist thanks You for all the manifold times of help and assistance You gave them throughout all those years. Father help too, to remember that in our lives, we need the same facilitation, and whenever You help us, may we too, give You thanks and remember, always, Your
"steadfast love and mercy endures forever".
May we never forget this. May we always remember and give You praise.
In Jesus Name we praise.
~ERC February 2020~
(originally prayed)
Based on Psalm 136
Sing, The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases, by Maranatha Singers
There's a plethora of books out there on the subject of praying and I've read some of them. I have to say that this one that I've recently read is having the most grand impact and that's why I'm excited to share it with you...
Watch out though when you read Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney. You won't have enough hours in your day to pray. You'll learn how to pray but not how to stop! Simple but revolutionary! From the boring "same old, same old" cliches about the the same old things you will bring revival to how you commune with your Heavenly Father. You will speak "His language".
You will definitely read your Bible and pray every day; even possibly, all day long.
~ERC January 2020~
Heavenly Father, LORD, we come into Your presence as we go up to Your courts to worship, to give thanks, to remember Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. As we go in to Your presence, there, what offering do we bring as we enter?
Are we offering our grumbling, our complaints, or are we offering our praise, to You? The praise of our lips, the sacrifice of praise to Your holy Name is the better choice, we know. Sometimes, praise is a big sacrifice because we have so much dissatisfaction we'd rather spew.
However, may that sacrifice of praise be upon our lips as we ascribe glory and honor to Your Name. As we ascribe praise to Your strength, Your awesomeness, Your authority and power and Your unfailing, sacrificial love, may we bow down our hearts and tremble before You, make Your people tremble more, realizing the reverence due Your Name. Let there be absolutely no apathy, no taking for granted, Your holiness, and our desperate need to look up to You in total, wholehearted dependence.
As we come into Your presence LORD, help us to understand this, that You reign; You reign in our lives. You reign. We praise.
"May the heavens and earth rejoice and be glad. May the seas resound and the fields be jubilant. The trees of the forest sing for joy" (Psalm 96: 11-13 NIV).
Creation praises You.
This reminds me of the time when Jesus was entering into Jerusalem, a humble "grand entrance" on donkey back. A wild little donkey that had just been miraculously transformed into a tamed-by-Jesus, little donkey. The crowds were jubilantly rejoicing and loudly proclaiming that their King had come; a king who was coming in the name of the LORD.
The Pharisees got all hot and bothered and annoyed and asked Jesus to make the people be quiet. Amusingly, Jesus told them, if the throngs keep quiet, the stones would cry out! Creation cannot be hushed from praising You, its Creator!
Oh that we would grasp this in depth and learn to praise You noisily, Father. We get so abashed to do so, wondering what others will think of us. Focus our attention and praise on You. This would be a kind of sacrifice of our self-consciousness, learning to praise with abandon.
We praise You as our Righteous Judge, as in time to come You will judge the world in righteousness. The people, in truth, because even now, the peoples of the earth are NOT full of justice and truth. In fact, it seems blatantly the opposite; falsehoods erupting exponentially, of late. They look for loopholes out of and to avoid, justice and truth. BUT...Father You will reign in righteousness, truth, power, splendor and majesty. We look forward to that precious day!
I'm not a singer/song-writer, per se, Lord. Help me to make it a habit, though, a way of life, as part of my DNA, to sing praises unto You. To NOT slander or cast slurs upon others, rather to sing Your praises, to bless You and others. With such singing and speaking of kind words, bringing this offering of sweet-to-You fragrance and praise, to You. I lay it at Your feet, Father.
When we go up to Your house, to meet together with other fellow believers, may praises to You be upon our lips and roll off our tongues as we give thanks together with the "two's and three's" in Your presence. You will be there, You said so, so we had better be there too.
May such offerings be acceptable in Your sight as we pass the bread and wine one to another, partaking and drinking thereof, together, each Lord's Day, in remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection for us. This too is part of our offering to You.
Thank-You, Father.
Thank-You, Jesus.
It is in Jesus Holy Name we pray, praise and remember.
~ERC June 2020~
(originally prayed/written)
Based on Psalm 96
Sing along, All Creatures of Our God and King by Sovereign Grace Music
