2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:25-10:13; Psalm 19:1-14; Proverbs 20:2-3
Out of all the psalms recorded in the Bible, Psalm 19 is one
of the best psalms to meditate and pray over in my opinion. It contains all
the elements included in good prayer. It has praise for God's glory and
creation (vs. 1-6). It has declarations of who God is and the beauty of his
word (vs. 7-10). It has declarations of our own unworthiness before God (vs. 12)
and our great need for God in our lives (vs. 11). It has confession and
repentance (vs. 12). And finally it has supplication (vs. 13-14).
So rather than write all those verses out again, attempting
to lead you into that kind of prayer, I would challenge each of us to spend
this time using Psalm 19 as a guide that leads us through all those different
elements of prayer. If this is new for you to pray through Scripture, Psalm
19 is a great place to start. Just start with praise and read through each word
and verse, looking for all the ways you can praise God in it. Then move on to
looking for ways to affirm God's attributes and goodness. Imagine the things
described on the page and visualize them in your mind and heart. Then, let the
psalm guide you into repentance and confession for the ways you fall short of
his plans for you. Say out loud the very words written down for you - "Forgive
my hidden faults" (vs. 12). Finally, use the last two verses of Psalm 19 to
guide your requests and supplications before the Lord.
If all we were ever able to pray each day was, "May the
words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (vs 14), that would be a pretty awesome and
powerful thing!
- Mary Matthias
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