“…keep thee in all thy ways…”

“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Ps. 91:9-12

 

 “There shall no evil befall thee…” – Our Lord taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” (Matt. 6:13). As we commit ourselves to God’s keeping and live in godly fear, He keeps us from all evil and the Evil One (Satan).

 

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23). Lord, I confess this verse and trust you to keep me blameless for your coming.

 

We may trust God to keep us from falling. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy…” (Jude v. 24). Lord, I confess this verse and trust you to keep me from falling.

 

“…keep thee in all thy ways…” – Lord, I commit my body, soul and spirit to Your keeping to be preserved blameless for Your coming.

 You, Lord, are my refuge and my dwelling place. You are my shelter from all evil.

I trust You to keep me from sin. I trust You to keep me from the fear of evil.

 I bless You, O my God, for the angels who keep me in all my ways.

Help me, Lord, to abide in the spirit of prayer and in godly fear. Amen.

 

” …I am Thy servant; give me understanding…”

 “Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.

I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.”

                                       Ps. 119: 124 – 125                                        

 

“Give me understanding”

Five times the Psalmist prayed for “understanding” in Ps. 119 (see verses 34, 73,125,144,169).This is the one thing Solomon asked of God when given the choice. 1 Kings 3:9: “…give therefore thy servant an understanding heart…”

“teach me Thy statutes”

Whatever other means of study we may use, nothing can take the place of us being taught directly by the Holy Spirit.

“Deal with Thy servant according to Thy mercy”

From first to last, we are dependent on God’s mercy. This indeed is our sure ground. This is to God’s glory (see Ex. 34:6-7).

Who may confess “I am Thy servant”? 

See Rom. 6:22: “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”  This is the grace of God. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Let us confess these verses as we confess that we are servants of God.

 

 

 “according unto Thy mercy” – I bless you, O Father,

I rest upon your unfailing mercy.

Deal with me according to Your mercy, Lord.

 

“teach me Thy statutes,” Lord,

May I learn from Your Spirit, and be sure,

Beyond all other learning.

 

 “I am Thy servant” – may this be confirmed in my heart,

Freed from sin, Lord, may I be a bondservant to You (Rom. 6:22).

May my heart not incline to affections that grieve the Holy Spirit.

 

Lord, give me understanding:

The knowledge of the Holy One (Prov.9:10),

So I may know Your testimonies. Amen.

 

“Let not your heart be troubled…”

 “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1

 

 

 “believe also in Me”

Jesus was speaking a few hours before His arrest, but was full of peace: ”Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27). When my heart is troubled, Lord, let me repent and learn to believe in You anew for the present moment, and wait for your voice, “Let not your heart be troubled.”

 “believe in God”

We read in Phil. 4:7: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We are comforted that whether in the winds and waves or in calm waters, we are progressing, even through setbacks; whether in sorrow or joy, we are being transformed into His image; and are assured that “…And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

 

Countless hearts have been steadied in the storms of life– may I be one, Lord – down through the centuries  by the words, “Let not your heart be troubled…” Is someone who is troubled today is in need of a comforting word from me, Lord?

 

 

Lord, when I am troubled – distressed, agitated – let me trust You, and receive Your peace.

I need You all the time, as a baby needs his mother.

Let me continually commit myself to You, be ever in godly fear concerning what I think, what I say, what I do, and be quick to repent.

Let me learn to trust  You, Lord, every step of the way, all the way, and not be dismayed when my hopes seem to fail.

Let me find You as my strength this morning, Lord Jesus. Amen.

 

 

“…whom the LORD loveth He correcteth”…

 

“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:  For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” Prov. 3: 11-12

The prophet Jeremiah prays for correction in Jer. 10:24: “O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.”

Chastening calls us to repentance: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:19). This is God’s goodness to us (Rom. 2:4). We are experiencing the Father’s love. The more light we have from God, the more we see how we fall short. The higher the speed of a car, the more critical is timely correction at the steering. Lord, I give thanks for your correction.

There is mercy in chastening: “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1 Cor.11: 32)  Lord, let me abide in godly fear, and give thanks when you chasten me. Amen.

 Lord God my Father, I bless You and thank You for Your correction:

Father, I need Your correction constantly –

My heart and thoughts are prone to go astray;

Seek me, Lord, correct me, according to Your mercy.

 

Your correction, Lord, confirms Your love for me,

Let me bless You when I am chastened,

Remembering that You delight in me, O Father.  

 

May I be found zealous, Lord: repenting, humble.

Remembering Your fatherly love for me:

Your chastisement delivers me from condemnation,

Lord, may I earnestly desire Your correction daily,

And bless You for Your mercies. Amen.

 

“ye have need of patience”

“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Heb. 10:36-37

 

[Note from this verse that if we set our mind on the coming of the Lord, we have grace to be patient.]

 

Patience + doing the will of God = we inherit the promised blessing on earth or in eternity. Lord, let me focus on doing your will as I patiently wait.

 

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing…. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” Col. 1:10-11

 

Patience will spare me from much evil and sorrow, Lord, and keep me doing Your will with joy. Let me be patient with people, in situations, in my duties, and in my trials.

 

Oh for patience, Lord!

I trust You for grace to be patient, so I may “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.”

Let me look for your coming, rejoice, and be patient.

Lord, I have need for patience so I may continually fulfill Your will.

Let me learn to be patient, Lord, in the daily chores and trials, and give thanks for grace to endure. Amen.

 

 

“One thing I have desired of the Lord…”

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”

Ps. 27:4-5

 

[“seek” = inquire for, and [insistently] require; “in the house of the Lord” = in His presence; ” beauty of the LORD” = the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness of the Lord; ” to inquire in His temple” = to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple; “pavilion” = shelter; ” tabernacle” = tent]

We are in trouble – temptations, trials, dangers, sorrows – as long as we are in the flesh. Hidden in the Lord’s shelter, we are kept from sin and all evil.

Place of Prayer: Let us think of our heart as a hidden room where we may resort to frequently. There we enter into fellowship with our dear Lord – fellowship in the Spirit – and meditate on His goodness. May my heart be longing for fellowship with you, Lord.

Spirit of Prayer: The spirit of prayer draws us to the place of prayer. In the spirit of prayer (prayer of the heart) we love the Lord, we adore the Lord, we “behold” the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18 – we worship the Lord, and we are transformed into His image). The Holy Spirit trains us to pray in the language of the heart. Here we have joy in prayer (Isa.56:7).

 

May I find my safety in Your shelter in the time of trouble, Lord,

Away from trouble, from anxiety, from fear,

Hidden in Your presence as in a tent, O Lord.

 

This be my one desire, Lord: to dwell in Your presence,

To gaze upon Your delightful loveliness,

To meditate in Your temple (my heart), O God –

This one thing, Lord, let me continually seek.

 

For this “one thing,” O Father, let me set aside all else;

On this “one thing,” Lord,

Let me be focused, single-hearted. Amen.

 

“Who can understand his errors?”

“Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Ps. 19:12-14

 

[“errors” = lapses, hidden faults, sins of ignorance]

[“presumptuous sins” = deliberate sins; choosing to sin]

“Who can understand his errors?”  No one, except by the light God gives. When we walk in the fear of God, the Holy Spirit shows us our sins so we may repent. This is God’s goodness (Rom. 2:4; Ps.25:8).

When we are led by the Spirit, we see the sins of our heart often, and are led to repentance. Such a walk keeps us from sinning deliberately; we abide in godly fear.

 

O Spirit of God, help me see my lapses, hidden faults and sins of ignorance, so I may repent.

May grace rule in my life, so I be not be under the dominion of sin, Lord (Rom. 6:14).

May I ever be mindful of the love of my God and the death of His Son, so I never choose to sin.  

I commit my thoughts to You, Lord, so my words and the meditation of my heart might be pleasing to You.

If there be any sin of my heart, unknown to me, may Your mercy cover me, and the blood of Jesus cleanse me.

In the secret chamber of my heart –the  Holy of Holies, Your temple – may I always be serving You, though unknown to others, O my God.

Amen.

 

“…elect which cry out day and night unto Him…”

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:7-8

The prayer of the elect is the decisive power against evil in the end times. Are we among the elect? Are we praying as the elect should be praying? Lord, I trust you for grace to “cry out day and night” to you.

May we find grace to pray without losing heart, Luke 18:1: “…men always ought to pray and not to faint.” Let us remember that the Lord Jesus is always interceding for us, Heb. 7:25: “…Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them..” Lord, I trust you for grace to pray always.

Father in heaven, I lift up this Scripture passage before the Throne of Grace.

May I find grace to pray as the widow of Luke 18:1-8.

Let me not fail to claim by faith what You have promised – “avenge His own elect, which cry out day and night unto Him” – and inherit the blessings for me, and for others who are on my heart, Lord.

Let me not fail to ask, and to keep on asking according to Your will and Your Word until the victory is won.

Grant me grace, Lord, to not lose heart in prayer.

Let not faith fail in my heart, Lord.

Remembering that as I pray I am warring against Satan, Lord, I look to You to uphold me.  Amen.

 

“Awake… awake …I myself will awake early…”

“Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.” Ps. 57:8

[“my glory” = my inner self]

Our morning prayer (first-fruits of the day) may well determine the whole course of the day. “For if the first-fruits be holy, the lump is also holy…” Rom. 11:16

Jesus’ example: “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35

Joshua’s example: “Then Joshua rose early in the morning…” This was at the crossing of Jordan river.” Joshua 3:1

David’s example: “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” Ps. 5:3

Abraham’s example: “And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord”  (Gen. 19:27). This was the morning after Abraham had interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:17-33).

Daniel’s example: “…he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” Dan. 6:10

Another Example: John Wesley rose for prayer & the Word at 4:00 AM.

Awake! Lord, let me awaken at dawn, and offer you the first-fruits of the day you have given me.

Let me sing psalms to you, Lord. Let me give thanks. Let me read your Word. Let me wait to hear your voice.

Lord Jesus, you rose before dawn to pray. Abraham rose before dawn to go to the place of sacrifice. Your servant Joshua rose before dawn to prepare for crossing river Jordan.

Lord, may the Spirit guide me in the morning to the truth you have for me to live by during the course of the day. Amen.

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

Oh for the privilege of speaking to the Father in the Son’s name! Lord, may my heart comprehend this, and learn to pray accordingly. May I be found humble, obedient and in godly fear as the Son was when He prayed.

 “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” Heb. 5:7-8

May our prayers be to glorify God. When this is our desire, the Holy Spirit will help us to pray as we ought.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Rom. 8:26

When we pray it is helpful to remember that the Holy Spirit is helping us, and Jesus as our High Priest is interceding for us at the Father’s right hand (Heb. 7:25).

 Father, I ask in the name of Jesus for faith and understanding to pray according to your will, in the words of the Word, and using your promises in the Word.

Grant, Lord, that I pray as you prayed in the days of your flesh, remembering that for your sake I am the Father’s son.

May all my prayers be to the Father’s glory.

May the Holy Spirit help me to pray as I ought to pray. Amen.