I am reposting my daily devotionals that I started in September of last year. Since I never was able to finish the entire book of Psalms in a timely manner, I thought this would be a good way to restart them.
Prayer Focus - Letter A
I always start my quiet time with a written prayer. I usually make most of it a letter of gratitude so that I can get my heart right so early in the morning or at any time really. This month I am doing something a little different. I am focusing on a different letter of the alphabet each morning to get a little diversity in my prayer life. Today was the letter A, of course, and I tried to think of five things I was grateful for that began with the letter A. Then I prayed for five people whose first or last name began with A. I prayed for a country or city beginning with the letter and then I prayed for a characteristic that I wanted to see grow in my family and I that began with A. It was a challenge and fun. Tomorrow I will do the same with the letter B. At the end of my prayer, I always ask God to let me hear His voice and message and then grant me the strength to obey it.
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 1
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers." (Psalms 1:1)
We will be blessed if we stay away from evil - even hate it. It is okay to hate some things.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." (1:2)
I need to focus on loving God's law, not just reading it, knowing it, or obeying it. Sometimes I do what I am supposed to do, because, well, I am supposed to. This motivation will not last long. I need to love what God loves and hate what He hates because I want to know Him and because I enjoy and delight in Him.
How can I do this?
First, I can meditate on God and His word. We are what we think about. If I am thinking more about God's word as I go, such as in the car, I will be able to hear Him speaking to me. I know I have had this experience where I was thinking about some verse on the way to or from work and all of a sudden I had this new insight that was very helpful. It is just like God speaking to me because I know that wasn't something I had ever thought of before.
Also, I need to delight in His word, really get enjoyment out of it. I think this is often different for each one of us. I love to read so that is one way I enjoy and delight in His word. I study it out. Others might find it in other ways but the bottom line is that we have to find out how we delight in something and transfer that to God and His word.
There are so many promises that are linked to these few directions. The ones highlighted in this verse are as follows:
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (1:3)
"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous." (1:6a)
The man who is able to delight in God's law will be blessed and I know that is what we all want. We will always bear fruit, we will make a difference, and all we do will prosper. What great promises.
God is faithful and He watches over the way of the righteous. He knows how to take care of me but I need to do my part. I need to be righteous. Enough of this worrying about circumstances, I need to worry about righteousness. God will take care of the rest! All the little troubles and inconveniences of the day are not lost to God. He knows and all things do work to the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We long to be pleasing to You but it is so easy to stray away. Help us to delight in Your word. Help us to make it our priority each day. Help us to truly seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Help us to meditate on Your law. We have had enough of the dry seasons and long to be trees planted by streams of water. We know You are able and You desire to do this. Grant us the strength and desire to do our part.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How am I walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of mockers? How can I change this? Why am I doing this?
2. How can I delight in God's word? What ways do I find most effective? How can I begin to incorporate the meditation of scripture into my time with God or enhance it if I already do meditate?
3. What will my life be like when I am like this tree planted by streams of water? What do I envision for myself?
4. What am I attempting to accomplish in my life? Is it prospering? If not why? Am I not delighting in God in some way?
5. Do I believe God is watching over me? What holds me back from trusting Him? When do I find myself having the greatest confidence that God is watching over me? Why? How can I have this confidence more often?
Prayer Focus - Letter A
I always start my quiet time with a written prayer. I usually make most of it a letter of gratitude so that I can get my heart right so early in the morning or at any time really. This month I am doing something a little different. I am focusing on a different letter of the alphabet each morning to get a little diversity in my prayer life. Today was the letter A, of course, and I tried to think of five things I was grateful for that began with the letter A. Then I prayed for five people whose first or last name began with A. I prayed for a country or city beginning with the letter and then I prayed for a characteristic that I wanted to see grow in my family and I that began with A. It was a challenge and fun. Tomorrow I will do the same with the letter B. At the end of my prayer, I always ask God to let me hear His voice and message and then grant me the strength to obey it.
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 1
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers." (Psalms 1:1)
We will be blessed if we stay away from evil - even hate it. It is okay to hate some things.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." (1:2)
I need to focus on loving God's law, not just reading it, knowing it, or obeying it. Sometimes I do what I am supposed to do, because, well, I am supposed to. This motivation will not last long. I need to love what God loves and hate what He hates because I want to know Him and because I enjoy and delight in Him.
How can I do this?
First, I can meditate on God and His word. We are what we think about. If I am thinking more about God's word as I go, such as in the car, I will be able to hear Him speaking to me. I know I have had this experience where I was thinking about some verse on the way to or from work and all of a sudden I had this new insight that was very helpful. It is just like God speaking to me because I know that wasn't something I had ever thought of before.
Also, I need to delight in His word, really get enjoyment out of it. I think this is often different for each one of us. I love to read so that is one way I enjoy and delight in His word. I study it out. Others might find it in other ways but the bottom line is that we have to find out how we delight in something and transfer that to God and His word.
There are so many promises that are linked to these few directions. The ones highlighted in this verse are as follows:
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (1:3)
"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous." (1:6a)
The man who is able to delight in God's law will be blessed and I know that is what we all want. We will always bear fruit, we will make a difference, and all we do will prosper. What great promises.
God is faithful and He watches over the way of the righteous. He knows how to take care of me but I need to do my part. I need to be righteous. Enough of this worrying about circumstances, I need to worry about righteousness. God will take care of the rest! All the little troubles and inconveniences of the day are not lost to God. He knows and all things do work to the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We long to be pleasing to You but it is so easy to stray away. Help us to delight in Your word. Help us to make it our priority each day. Help us to truly seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Help us to meditate on Your law. We have had enough of the dry seasons and long to be trees planted by streams of water. We know You are able and You desire to do this. Grant us the strength and desire to do our part.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How am I walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of mockers? How can I change this? Why am I doing this?
2. How can I delight in God's word? What ways do I find most effective? How can I begin to incorporate the meditation of scripture into my time with God or enhance it if I already do meditate?
3. What will my life be like when I am like this tree planted by streams of water? What do I envision for myself?
4. What am I attempting to accomplish in my life? Is it prospering? If not why? Am I not delighting in God in some way?
5. Do I believe God is watching over me? What holds me back from trusting Him? When do I find myself having the greatest confidence that God is watching over me? Why? How can I have this confidence more often?
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