Category Archives: Prayer

Praying the Psalms -Psalm 130-

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Summer is here, and for me summer is the time to study the Psalms in depth. Last year I used Calvin’s commentary as my guide; and this summer I will be led through them by Spurgeon. This week I have been meditating on Psalm 130, and as I read Spurgeon’s commentary, I was impressed on the richness of this wonderful Psalm, and how much I need to pray it. This Lord’s day my prayer is based on this Psalm as well as on Spurgeon’s reflections.

Psalm 130

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!

Father of Lights, All Merciful King, let my life be a progression, an ascent to you. Never going back, but always growing, always from glory to glory until the day I see your face and find my joy fulfilled. Oh LORD, that I may always cry to you, no matter where I might be, no matter how depth the valley or how scary the storm; that you may always hear my voice calling your name which is mighty to save at all times. Let me walk this week whispering prayers, laying down at your feet, with an audible voice, my cares, my concerns, the deepest longings of my heart knowing that you hear me.

 

O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

Hear me, hear my prayer, O Father!  To know that you hear my prayer is my only hope, my only comfort in the valley. That I may not forget that you are a God who delights in hearing the prayer of his people, of his children! Lord, open my mouth, that I may utter all day prayers before you! Why should I keep quiet if you hear me? Why should I remain silent if my Heavenly Father has ears for my prayers?

 

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

Father, it is true, “none fear the LORD like those who have experienced his forgiving love. Gratitude for pardon produces far more fear and reverence for God than all the dread which is inspired by punishment”  O God, amen,  I fear your name, which is holy, because of your amazing grace has been manifested to me. You have seen my heart, you have searched within me and have not found anything good in me; yet, in spite of all my iniquities and for the sake of Jesus Christ, my Mediator, it has pleased you not to count me among the condemned, among those who have no hope; you have not marked all my iniquities, and now in Jesus I can stand before the Most Holy and find forgiveness. I bow with all reverence and fear your goodness.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

Father, because I know that you hear me, I can now wait on You knowing that if it pleases You to make me wait, I will wait with all my heart because those who wait on the Lord are blessed indeed!  Help me remember that the waiting itself is beneficial for my soul as it “tries my faith, helps me exercise patience, trains me in submission, and helps me endear the blessing when it comes.” Father, help me to persevere as I wait on you in the study of your Holy Word and prayer, because “Your Word O LORD, is a firm ground for a waiting soul to rest upon.” Father, give me the determination to wake up early every day, strengthen my body that I may wake up before my family, to pray earnestly for each one of them. That I may not be distracted by anything! That my first words every day bring glory to you. Lord, I want to seek you diligently, with all perseverance, wholeheartedly;  I want to wait for you even more than the watchman for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

God, you are my only hope; in you alone is steadfast love, and plentiful redemption! You have crowned me with these three, what else should I want?

I love you, O Lord, my Redeemer!

Becky

 

>A Prayer for my Husband and a Giveaway

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He is my man, I love him and I praise God for giving me to him, and for giving him to me. His embrace is all I want, and being with him is a gift from the Lord.

Today I am specially grateful for my man, and for the privilege God has given me to intercede for him every day. He goes to the world every day,  and faces thorns and whistles and fights for us, while I wait in the quiet of our home, longing for his coming at night.

This is my prayer for my husband today. (adapted from Prayers of an Excellent Wife  -p.68- 69)

O thou Giving God,
Be gracious to my husband today, for to you do I cry all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up his soul.

Teach him Your way that he might walk in Your truth; unite his heart to fear Your Name. Turn to him and be gracious to him; give him strength, and save him.

O beloved, sing with me of the steadfast love of the LORD forever; with your mouth make know his faithfulness to all generations!

Glorious God,

Let your favor be upon my husband. Establish the work of his hands.

Be his dwelling place, Most High, and be his refuge, so that no evil shall be allowed to befall him. Command Your angels concerning him to guard him in all his ways. Because You hold fast to him in love, please deliver him; protect him because he knows Your Name.

When he calls to You answer him; be with him in trouble; rescue him and honor him. With long life satisfy him, and show him Your salvation. Satisfy him with your beauty.

In the name of my Lord and Mediator Jesus, whose name is above all other names,

Amen

I would love to bless you with a printed copy of this book, if you are interested in participating in this giveaway, just leave a comment (please be sure to leave some contact information). I would appreciate if you pass the voice around by sharing this on facebook or twitter. (only USA, Mexico and Canada addresses)

The winner will be drawn Saturday June 25.

Under His sun and by His grace,

Becky

You can download for free this collection of Scriptural prayers here.
or buy the book here.

>Praying for Preserving Grace

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I have shared in the past with you about my favorite prayer companion, The Method of Prayer by Matthew Henry; and today I want to share a prayer I prayed this morning as part of my devotionals with you:

We must pray for grace to preserve us to the end 
and to fit us for whatever lies before us between this and the grave.
Lord, rescue us from every evil deed and bring us safely into your heavenly kingdom; 2 Timothy 4:18(ESV) being kept from stumbling, may we be presented blameless at the coming of your glory with great joy. Jude 1:24(ESV)
Lord, make us increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so that our hearts may be established blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13(ESV)
If Satan demands to have us that he may sift us like wheat, yet let Christ’s intercession prevail for us that our faith may not fail. Luke 22:31-32(ESV)
Until we are taken out of the world, let us be kept from the evil one, John 17:15(ESV) and sanctified through your truth: your word is truth. John 17:17(ESV)
Build us up, we pray, in our most holy faith, and keep us in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21(ESV)
Grant that we may continue to call on you as long as we live, Psalm 116:2(ESV) and until we die, may we never put away our integrity from us; let us hold fast our righteousness and never let it go, and may our hearts not reproach us for any of our days. 
Amen
Becky

Praying the Psalms – Psalm 32-

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 Saying Grace
Blessed Are the Forgiven
A Maskil of David.
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
O Lord, I am grateful, grateful because you have blessed me in spite of all my iniquities.
Thank you, because you have forgiven my transgression;
because my sin has been covered with your blood.
Thank you, because of Jesus’ sacrifice you don’t see my sin but Him, who is my Redeemer.
Thank you, because you don’t count up my iniquity, but count me righteouss through the blood of Jesus.
Don’t let me walk in deceit.
Draw me to you when I sin.
Give me a contrite heart,
a humble spirit willing to ask forgiveness.
Don’t let my heart be hardened, O Lord.
Don’t let my body grow weary,
let my find, at the foot of the cross,
forgiveness and hope.
Father, that I may come to you in prayer,
in prayer day and night.
That I may find you,
that I may find in You alone my hiding place,
my strong tower.
O Lord, preserve me,
surround me,
instruct me,
teach me,
counsel me,
and help me to obey,
to follow your voice today.
I am glad in you today, O Father!
You are my joy.
You are my song,
You alone are my God,
and in You alone my soul
is satisfied!
I am forever grateful for the song of deliverance which you have put in my mouth!

Becky

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>The Safe Place by Elizabeth Prentiss

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Katie Lloyd Photography

The Safe Place.
I went to Jesus with a prayer
Upon a suppliant’s knee;
Low at His cross I laid me down,
Nor asked His face to see,
Yet whispered in His ear the tale
No mortal ear could bear:
The story of a faithless heart,
And of its self-despair.
I told Him how my feet had slipped,
How often gone astray;
How oft my heart refused to love,
My lips refused to pray.
In stammering words that none but He
Hearing could understand,
I made complaint of careless work
Done by a careless hand.
Of wasted hours, of idle words,
Of love oft waxing dim,
Of silence when a warmer heart
Had testified of Him.
I owned my weak and selfish ways;
How often all day long,
Moanings and sighs had filled His ears
To whom I owed a song.
And what said He? What whispered words
Responded unto mine?
Did He reproach me? Did His love
On me refuse to shine?
Nay, thus He spoke, and bent Him low
To reach my anxious ear,
My child, thou doest well to lie
As thou art lying here ;
I knew thy human weakness, knew
Each lurking bosom sin,
Knew it, and yet in loving grace
Thy heart I stooped to win.
I knew that thou wouldst often fall,
Poor work for Me wouldst do,
Wouldst give Me only half thy love,
Give praises faint and few.
And yet I choose thee. Be content
And since thou canst not fly
To heights by dearer souls attained,
Let it suffice to lie
Here at My feet; it is the place
To which My loved ones flee;
They find it sweet, and so shalt thou;
‘Tis a safe place for thee.
Yes, it is sweet, and it is safe!
And here will I abide;
Sinful, and yet forgiven, sad,
And yet so satisfied. 
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Thanks to Katie Lloyd for giving me permission to use her images. 
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>Monday Night Prayer

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>From the Valley of Vision… to end our day.


THOU GREAT AND ONLY POTENTATE,
Thou hast made summer and winter, day and night;
    each of these revolutions serves our welfare
    and is full of thy care and kindness.
Thy bounty is seen
    in the relations that train us,
    the laws that defend us,
    the homes that shelter us,
    the food that builds us,
    the raiment that comforts us,
    the continuance of our health, members, senses,
    understanding, memory, affection, will.
But as stars fade before the rising sun,
    thou hast eclipsed all these benefits
    in the wisdom and grace that purposed
    redemption by Jesus thy Son.
Blessed be thy mercy that laid help on
    one that is might and willing,
    one that is able to save the uttermost.
Make us deeply sensible of our need of his saving grace,
    of the blood that cleanses,
    of the rest he has promised,
And impute to us that righteousness which justifies the guilty,
    gives them a title to eternal life,
    and possession of the Spirit.
May we love the freeness of salvation, and joy in its holiness;
Give us faith to grasp thy promises, that are our hope,
    provide for every exigencvy, and prevent every evil;
Keep our hearts from straying after forbidden pleasure;
May thy will bind all our wishes;
Let us live out of the world as to its spirit, maxim, manners,
   but live in it as the sphere of our action and usefulness;
May we be alive to every call of duty, accepting without question
   thy determination of our circumstances and our service.

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May we go to bed meditating on His goodness!