Daily Prayer: May 2009

Praying Psalm 42

I woke up this morning remembering this song we used to sing in church and the psalm that it comes from. Here is the song and my prayer from that psalm.

As a deer longs for flowing streams.. so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for you the living God.

Come in power Almighty God!

My tears seem to be my food day and night.. my tears seems to speak to me and say, “Where is your God?”

Answer my tears O compassionate Father!

Yet these things I remember as I pour out my soul: how sweet your presence is and how exhilarating it is to worship you with shouts of joy amongst your people.

I rejoice in you O joy giving Lord!

These are the things I ponder: why my soul is sad and in turmoil within me? I want to hope in you God.. I want to experience your power.

O come Holy Spirit!

Yet even now, when my soul is cast down within me, I remember you in the land of trials and testing.

I trust in you Jesus!

I want to hear your voice Lord like the sounds of great waterfalls.. speaking with power and having powerful affects.

Come O Holy Shepherd!

You are my rock.. the One in whom I have trusted.. yet I sometime feel forgotten.. I often mourn so many losses.. I sometimes feel oppressed.

Come O God of deliverance!

My soul will not be cast down forever.. the turmoil will end.. my hope is in you Lord.. I shall praise you afresh.

Jesus is my salvation and my God!

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 41

Dear Father, help me to be a blessing to the poor.. make me an instrument of provision for the needy.. lead me in ways that give the poorest hope.

Thank you for deliverance in the day of trouble and for the way that you protect me from all manner of wickedness.. and for how you minister to me when I am ill.

O Lord, be gracious to me.. heal me, sustain my life and forgive my sins.. and help me to encourage others and forgive them.

Bless those who have anything against me Father.. help me to not be a stumbling block for them.. cause blessing to come from my lips and not complaining.

Even those close friends in whom I trusted.. who shared meals with me.. who are angry with me.. help me to bless them Lord.

Help me today to be a delight to you Lord.. make me one who walks in integrity.. and sits in your presence forever.

Blessed are you Lord.. you are the God of Israel.. you are the only true God.. from everlasting to everlasting you reign in majesty!

Amen and Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 40

I wait patiently for you Lord.. incline your ear to me and hear my cry. I am often in a miry pit of despair.. draw me out dear Lord and set my feet upon a rock.. make my steps secure.

I sing a new song.. the one you have filled my heart with.. praise you Lord.. you are worthy to be praised.. I put my trust in you Jesus.

You have blessed me Lord.. I confess that my trust is in you.. I bow before you Lord.. you are worthy of my all.. Jesus is Lord.

Thank you for multiplied blessings O Lord my God - your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward me.. none can compare with you!

I offer you the sacrifice of praise dear Father.. I offer you my heart.. fill it with your word.. I delight to do your will, O my God.

So great is the glad news of your deliverance from sin and your compassion for those ensnared by it.. thank you for the cross of Christ.. it delivers and frees us.

You have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from all the earth.. it is on display for all to see yet we are blind.. open our eyes Lord.

As for you, O Lord, I trust in you.. you will not restrain your mercy from me.. your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!

Though evil encompasses me and my iniquities overtake me.. though my flesh fail me.. you Lord are the glory and lifter of my head!

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver our nation from evil! O Lord, make haste to help us! Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek evil for our country.

But let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.. cause your light to shine in them.. may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

As for me.. I am poor and needy.. I desperately need you Lord.. you are my help and my deliverer.. do not delay.. come Holy Spirit!

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 39

Teach me you ways dear Lord.. help me to guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue.. help me to muzzle my speech and not give the enemy an opportunity to speak through me.

When I am angry and out of sorts with people help me to remember that you love them.. help me to hold my peace and quiet my spirit.

Help me Lord to know how few my days are on earth.. prompt me to make each day count.. and lead me in ways that encourage others to good works.

Praise you Lord Jesus Christ!

I confess that apart from you I am but a shadow.. one that cannot make a difference for good in this world.. but with you I can do all things.

I wait for you Lord.. my hope is in you and in your ability to deliver me from all my transgressions.. without you I am a fool with nothing to say.

Your discipline is a comfort to me Lord.. the conviction and leadership of the Holy Spirit enlivens my soul.. I am lost without Him.

Praise you Lord Jesus Christ!

I embrace and echo these words of the psalmist David:

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.

Fill me with your peace today Lord and lead me in ways that bring peace. I am yours.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 38

Thank you Father that in Jesus you have delivered me from anger and wrath.. you have shielded me from the arrows of the enemy.

I am asking for you help.. my joints hurt and are in need of your healing touch.. I submit my flesh to you.. my great physician.

My body hurts.. I awake with pain.. I groan and my heart is heavy.. O Lord.. all my longing is before you.. my sighing is not hidden from you.

My strength fails me.. my eyes are weary from weeping.. friends do not understand what I am going through.. I need your presence and understanding in my life.

For you, O Lord, do I wait.. it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. I trust you to be my rear guard.. to protect me each day.. you are my protector.

I confess my weakness to you.. my inability to ease my pain.. I am sorry for my sin.. I am thankful to be forgiven.

You have promised to never leave me or forsake me, O Lord! I rely on you and your promises.. your are faithful throughout eternity!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 37 again

Praise you Father.. you are generous.. author generosity in me today.. open my eyes to those in need.. cause me to be a blessing to the poor and an agent of your grace.

You have established my steps Lord.. I delight in your leadership.. though I fall I will not stay down.. you will pick me up.. you are the one who holds my hand.

Praise you Holy Father!

When I think about my youth.. I can see your hand in my life.. when I grew older you never left me.. in trials and in deep sorrow your presence has sustained me.. your care is eternal.

I ask you dear Father to protect and lead my children and my grandchildren.. cause them to understand your goodness Lord.. open their eyes to your presence.

You are the cornerstone of my life.. in you I am able to turn away from evil and do good.. you will not forsake me.. in you I will live forever.. your salvation is eternal.

Praise you Holy Son!

Thank you for filling my mouth with wisdom and my heart with justice.. you have given me a heart filled with instruction.. you have made my feet to walk on a firm foundation.

You are the merciful One.. your ways are the ways of life.. you will protect me from wickedness.. you will deliver me in the day of trial.. under your wings I will be safe.

I will wait for you Lord and keep your way until you come in power.. I will exalt you.. you have given me a righteous inheritance.

Praise you Holy Spirit!

In you I have a future Lord.. you have made me blameless and upright.. you have filled my life with your peace.. I will never be destroyed.

Salvation is from you Lord.. you are a stronghold in the time of trouble.. you help me and you deliver me from wickedness - you save me.

I take refuge in you Lord.. you are worthy!

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 37

I surrender my thoughts about how unfair life is Lord.. I commit my future to you.. my confession is that I trust in you Lord.

I ask you for help to do good.. to live a life that befriends faithfulness and delights in you Lord.. thank you for caring about the desires of my heart.

Today I commit my way anew to you Lord.. I confess my trust in you.. I believe that you will act and bring the best out in me.

Being still is so difficult Lord.. help me to wait patiently for you to act and not take things in my own hands.. help me not to worry about what others are doing.

I submit my anger to you and forsake my wrath! I give my worry to you Jesus and ask you to help me wait for your help.

I trust in your sovereignty Lord.. I humble myself before you.. I delight in the peace that you give me - You are Lord!

I agree with the scriptures when they say "Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked".. help me to be content.

You are awesome God.. you know my days.. you understand my heart.. you have given my an eternal heritage.. you provide for all of my needs.

Praise you Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

(Second half of this psalm will be prayed later)

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Prayer for Direction

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A prayer from the Jesus Creed blog.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 36

How wonderful are your ways O Lord.. you cause me to fear you in ways that bring life to my soul and sight to my eyes.. your ways bring humilty to my life.

Help my words dear Lord to refrain from trouble and deceit.. grant me grace to act wisely and do good.. and ponder pure ways even when I sleep.

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to all of the universe.. your righteousness is more solid than the mountains.. your judgments are deeper than the seas.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! Your children take refuge in the shadow of your wings.. they feast on the abundance of your kingdom.. you give them drink from the river of your delights.. for with you is the fountain of life.. in your presence do we see light.

Your love is steadfast is known by those who know you.. your righteousness is life-giving to the upright of heart!

Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me.. nor the hand of the wicked influence my heart.. establish me in ways eternal dear heavenly Father.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.

Praying Psalm 35

I am thankful Lord that when I am weakest you contend on my behalf.. you ever live to make intercession for me.. you are my advocate in heaven.. I am safe in your hands.

Cause all those who seek to do evil to turn from their wicked ways.. give them a heart of humility dear Father.. show them your goodness Lord.

My soul rejoices in you Lord.. I exult in your salvation.. my whole being praises you.. “O Lord, who is like you.. you deliver the poor and needy.. you are a refuge in the storm.

My heart is filled with thankfulness because you cause me to stand against the enemies of my soul.. you lead me in ways that lead to life.

My flesh wonders how long, O Lord, before I am delivered from pain and hurt. I long to feel your touch on my body.. my joints ache daily.. please come in power and bring healing.

Help me to live the life of a peacemaker Lord.. bring humility to my soul.. grant me wisdom concerning the compromises that I need to make.. give me courage Lord.

O Lord; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! Come Holy Spirit in wisdom and in comfort.. teach me to live O majestic Spirit.

Visit the leaders of nations today Lord.. let they who devise evil and rejoice at calamity be put to shame and disappointed altogether.. bring down all who magnify themselves.

But let those who delight in righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servants!”

I will tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.. my Lord and my Redeemer.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with me.