This is for you . . . take a hold of it.

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/25fbe442/this-is-for-you-take-a-hold-of-it-pray-no-49-acts

This morning, the 27th of the month, I opened my Bible to Psalm 27 to pray some familiar verses to my Lord - several that I had previously underlined, with a few comments penned alongside. Consider with me Psalm 27.1: The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? And so I wrote 'Lord, You are my light and my salvation ...'

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me about Paul, who we read about in Corinth in Acts 18. Apparently, he had been afraid since Jesus told him in a vision "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you..."1

The thought that came to me early this morning - did Paul pray the psalms too? Think of it, raised a proper Jewish boy, steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures, taught by highly regarded Rabbi Gamaliel in Jerusalem, a conservative Pharisee - in addition to the Torah, Paul likely knew many, if not most of the 150 psalms by memory.

In the psalms, David cried out to God to hear his prayer, come and answer him, to be his salvation, his light and stronghold. A thousand years later, I can picture Paul, worn down and afraid of yet another group bent on his demise - did he pray the words of David?

Something about picturing Paul praying the heartfelt words of David made both men more real to me.

And you - me? Well, sometimes it is just sweet to have our thoughts formed into words by someone else - so here is a prayer for you to pray, with lots of Scripture to pray back to God:

O loving Heavenly Father,

Hear my prayer for I will be ‘less than’ today if I do not connect with you. You are my strength…my rock, my fortress, and my savior ~ my protection.² You are God, my only safe haven.3

Search me, O God and know my heart…point out anything in me that offends you,⁴

        [be still a moment… is there anything you should say ‘sorry’ for?]

I know that the psalmist said you will not hear my prayer if I have sin in my heart,5 so forgive me, Lord, and create in me a clean heart, O God.⁶ 

I want to be right in your eyes. Fill me anew with your Spirit.⁷

Lord, I ask you for your wisdom--your insight, foresight, knowledge and direction; help me see things as you do today.  As you blessed the life of Jabez, I pray that you would bless me indeed8 and show me where I can bless someone else as well. Rather than worrying about what is before me or around me in the world, remind me to look up and pray. 

I pray for those who are far from you, who do not even know they are lost without you.  O God, draw them to yourself, I pray.  Put someone in their path today to point them to you, for you alone are Truth.  [say their names]

I pray O God for those who need your healing touch today. [names] You are a miracle-working God who commands us to pray continually because you are listening, you never forget our prayers and you love us.  You never grow weary of hearing from us and you do not fall asleep on us either.9

God, I lift up those who need your protection [names]

        I lift up those who need your strength and peace, including me! [names]

        I lift up those who are grieving and lonely [names]

        I lift up those who are caught in addiction…set them free! [names]

I pray protection for our military men and women--[names]

I pray for those who are in need, those who are being persecuted for Your name, O God, have mercy.

And for our country, I pray - O God, draw people back to you!  Forgive us for how we have turned our backs on you and your ways. Draw our president and vice president and other elected officials to yourself, humble their thinking and change their hearts, Lord God, to see things as you do. 

Lord, I commit myself to you.  I want to honor you God, with my thoughts and words and deeds.  “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”10  Help me be a little more like Jesus today than I was yesterday.

And now Lord, I just gotta look around and say thank you.  Lord, I thank you for my eyesight, my hearing and my mind.  Lord, I thank you for Heaven one day, freedom, the Word of God, ______, ______,_______....   Remind me all day long to thank you for the good things I see and people I encounter--o, how I want to be a grateful person, dear Lord.  Remind me to give thanks in all circumstances because I know this is your will for me.11

Okay, well I guess that is all for now, God. Thank you for hearing my prayer--and thanks that I can pray all of these things in the power that is in the name of Jesus, Amen! Talk to you later, Lord, I am sure of it.

Your child.

"Talking to Jesus"...listen: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Rgb27afss&list=RDN9Rgb27afss&start_radio=1

Talking to Jesus honors God and

gives us courage for each day,

Christine

1 - Acts 18.9-10

^{2 - Psalm 18.1-2}

^{3 - Psalm 43.2a} 

^{4 - Psalm 139.23-24} 

^{5 - Psalm 66.18}

^{6 - Psalm 51.10a}

^{7 - Ephesians 5.18}

^{8 - 1 Chronicles 4.10}

^{9 - Psalm 121.4}

^{10 - Psalm 19.14}

^{11 - 1 Thessalonians 5.18}