Jesus Asks for a Particular Prayer
When you think of the specific prayers that Jesus asks us to pray, which ones come to mind? Do you remember that there are particular prayers for which Jesus specifically asks us to pray? I hadn’t much thought about it, until I recently read Luke 10:2. Then, all of a sudden I realized that Jesus did ask us to pray for some specific situations. In Luke 10:2, we see one of those times in which Jesus asks us to pray for something in particular.
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Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. We are now at the last verse in Psalms 13. We have seen negative emotions in the first few verses. In Psalms 13:5 and now in Psalms 13:6, we see more happy and joyful emotions. Let’s ponder this verse as we wrap up our series on Psalms 13. Psalms 13:6 May be a Continuation of Psalms 13:5:
If we read Psalms 13:5 and Psalms 13:6, it is easy to see that they may go together. Psalms 13:6 may even be a continuation of Psalms 13:5. Let’s read them both together.
“But I have trusted in thy mercy; by heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms 13:5-6 (KJV) In the beginning of Psalms 13, we see a depiction of what it’s like when God seems far away and doesn’t seem to be listening to our prayers. The feelings were sad and desperate. Psalms 13:5 is the turning point in the psalm. The feeling isn’t that of sadness anymore. Psalms 13:5 seems to be a breakthrough in faith. After a time of feeling far from God, it seems to be a remembrance and acknowledgement that even though God has seem far before, He is trustworthy and gives us salvation. God is faithful in being a loving Father to us. He has mercy on us. Psalms 13:6 goes on from that remembrance and acknowledgement of God’s mercy, faithfulness, trustworthiness, and love. Psalms 13:6 shows what we can do when we feel that love, trust, faithfulness, and mercy. It shows what we can do when we acknowledge how much God does for us and when we rejoice in the salvation God gives us. We can sing! (Yes, even those who don’t carry a tune well can sing or at least make a joyful noise as we read in Psalms 100:1.) God Gives Us So Much:
It may not feel like it when we go through difficult times, but God gives us so much. He blesses us, gifts us things, provides for us, loves us, leads us, and so much more. It is no wonder that we are told to count our blessings, even when we are down. Even in the depths of our despair, God gives us so much. God offers us a multitude of both earthly blessings and heavenly blessings.
If we sit down and take inventory of every little thing and every single person that comes into our lives, if we look around us and see God’s creations, if we acknowledge that God created us, if we realize all the intricate cycles and systems God created in the world and in every living person, animal, plant, and organism, then we can start to realize just how much God does give us. The heavenly gift such as salvation and eternal life are things that we can’t even begin to imagine yet, so we can’t even completely recognize all that God does for us. Also, sadly, we often take God’s blessings and gifts for granted or overlook the fact that the gifts are even from God. However, once we start to count our blessings and recognize all that God does for us, even in times of great hardship we can have hope. We can hold onto the fact that God has great power and love. We can hold onto the fact that God loves us and provides for us greatly. We can have hope and trust that God will get us through difficult times, love us, and provide us with all our needs, even before we actually see it happen. Singing for Joy:
Have you ever felt so happy that you just felt like singing (or making that joyful noise)? I think that is what David was describing in Psalms 13:6. Because he knows that God has been so good to him and has given him so much, he can and will sing with for joy to God.
Isn’t that the same thing we are doing when we sing and worship God at church? We are glorifying God for his wondrous works and love. At church, it may not be as spontaneous as what David is describing though. I know that I have sometimes just spontaneously started singing. Have you? It is a nice feeling. I don’t remember the specifics, but I remember they were happy times. God’s Word:
Sometimes when we read God’s Word, we lose something or miss something when we don’t look at a passage or chapter as a whole. Let’s look at Psalms 13 in its entirety.
“(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms 13 (KJV) It is easier to see the pattern of feelings and cycle of faith when we look at Psalms 13 as a whole. We can see and feel the lowness that David describes in the beginning of the psalm and the great joy at the end of the psalm. We can see how our feelings seem to change depending on how far or how close we feel we are to God. We can see that it isn’t that God has moved far away, but that we move ourselves farther away from God or closer to God as our foci, beliefs, and attitudes change. Another thing I like to do to understand God’s Word better is to research and pray about the customs of the times. For example, because of the singing mentioned at the end of the psalm, I looked up some of the customs about singing in biblical times. There are many outside sources of the customs surrounding singing in biblical times as well as various verses in God’s Word. I invite you to do your own research to see if it adds to your understanding as well. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Holy Word. Thank you for being our Heavenly Father, our Provider, and our Creator. Thank you for the multitude of gifts and blessings you give us, both earthly and heavenly, including life itself. Help us to keep these gifts and blessings in mind, from the smallest earthly gift to the largest and most awesome heavenly gift. Help us to count our blessings and thank you and praise you continuously out of love and joy. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are: *Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death *Psalms 13: Good Versus Evil *Psalms 13: What has Changed? If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Are you able to relate to David’s words as we ponder our way through Psalms 13? Psalms 13:4 is the last of the sad verses in the psalm. It is also one that leaves me with the most questions as I ponder it. What are your thoughts? Who is David’s Enemy?
Who is the enemy in which David refers to here? There are many thoughts on that. Some people feel it could be Saul who was jealous of David and was trying to kill him. Some people feel it was Absalom who was trying to overthrow him. Some people feel there wasn’t one particular enemy in mind.
We already know that David had many enemies. He fought many wars. Some were personal and some were for the good of his community. He could even be talking about himself. We can all be our worst enemies on earth at times. David could also mean a more general term in enemy or he could be talking about enemies in general and not one particular situation. He could be talking about “THE ENEMY”, the enemy of us all, Satan. After all, who ever or whatever seems to be our enemy, whatever darkness seems to come over us, Satan is behind it all, even if we don’t see it. We may see the face of a rival at work, or an abuser, or even a loved one who has wronged us in some way, but the one behind the cruelty is Satan. I wonder if it wouldn’t be healthier to see the face of Satan as our enemy instead of the actual person or situation that seems to be against us. In that way, it might not feel so personal. Maybe it would be easier to be more forgiving of the person and more understanding of the situation. For example, I think it is easier to think that God is going to get “even” and be the victor over Satan than it is to think that God might get “even” with the person or situation that did us wrong. I am not saying take the responsibility away from the person or make excuses for him or her. After all, if he or she wronged you, then they still should take responsibility for it and apologize. But if we see them as someone who is struggling against Satan’s influences just as we are, it seems like it would be easier to know that it wasn’t about our worth and that we are called to forgive them as much as others are called to forgive us. Pridefulness:
Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because of how others would think? Have you ever felt like you wanted to succeed because you didn’t want others to think down on you or think less of you? Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because you didn’t want the other person to say, “Ha, ha, I won and you lost. Ha, ha, I won and you lost.”
I know there have been times when I didn’t succeed and my adversary sort of mocked me and put me down. It didn’t feel very well, especially when it happened when I was a child. I didn’t understand that it was “just a game” or that people can be mean sometimes and it has nothing to do with my worth. I also have to admit that I have had my fair share of pridefulness as well. Most of it was meant to be in the name of fun, but some of it not so much. Pride can get in our way, if we are on the “winning” end of it or the “losing” end of it. It doesn’t matter. It still isn’t a pleasant, good, or righteous thing to feel or show. Often times the pridefulness of our adversary and the ribbing that goes with it, feels worse than the original loss. Good Versus Evil:
It might sound strange, but some feel that if David was talking in generalities, if Psalms 13 was a general thought about nothing in particular, then he probably wasn’t thinking about prideful enemies saying anything against him personally. His concerns could have been more philosophical and spiritual. He could have been concerned about good versus evil. David could have been concerned about the devil winning over a child of God.
This is the ultimate conflict in all of our lives. Especially as Christians, we want to do what we can to be on God’s side and see God’s side succeed. We struggle and sin when Satan creeps into our lives in some way. For example, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we prayer for God’s kingdom, not for Satan’s kingdom. God’s Word:
I said in the beginning of the post that I have questions with this verse. I have already mentioned one of them about whether it is healthier to view our enemies as Satan and not as the people or situation specifically. However, I have other questions as well.
If David was talking about the fight against Satan and concerned about good versus evil, then his plea was for God to make things right so God wouldn’t look bad. It reminds me of when Moses talked with God and asked for mercy for the Israelites in Exodus 32:11-13 after they had made the golden calf. Let’s look at those words again: “And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to who thou swarest by thine own self, and sadist unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” (KJV) In the same way that Moses was pleading for mercy not just for the Israelites, but also to preserve God’s glory, so the enemy can’t boast of a win against God, David may have been doing the same thing in Psalms 13:4. So, why should I question that motive and strategy? I question it, because it sounds like David and Moses are being a bit manipulative to God. I mean God doesn’t need anyone to tell Him how to run His creations and God doesn’t need anyone looking out for Him. I don’t know about you, but it seems a bit sneaky and wrong to ask God to help you, so that others won’t look badly upon God. Yet, God doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, in Exodus 32:14, we see how God changes His mind and “repented”. (That is another verse that puzzles me.) What are your thoughts? My other question is, why are we even caring what other people think? Aren’t we trying to please God and not people? Doesn’t Paul ask in Galatians 1:10 (KJV), “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”? We are called to please God, not people. We see it again in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, when Paul says, “But as we were allow of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as a pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” We see this concept in many verses. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love and wisdom. Thank you for your Word and your mercy. Thank you for being there for us and for showing us the way to You. Help us to be concerned with not only ourselves but with your kingdom as well. Help us to understand your will for us when things seem a bit confusing. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are: *Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? We have been exploring a very short, but powerful psalm. In verses one and two of Psalms 13, we read about feeling so down that one doesn’t even think God is listening. If you haven't read post one or post two in this series, you might want to do so now. Let’s continue today in pondering Psalms 13:3. Come Right Out and Ask God to Hear Your Prayer:
Have you ever thought about how your prayers look and progress as time goes by with no apparent answer in sight? They might start out with, “Please, help me, if it is your will.” Then they might go to something like, “Please, please, help me.” Then they might go to something like, “This is so hard. I really need your help.” Then it might go to something like, “Why me? Why do I have to go through this?” Sound familiar? Yes, I have prayed through this progression before.
When we are just starting our hardship, we tend to still have patience and respect for God. We still want to be polite in our prayers and still know that God’s will is best. In the beginning of our troubles, we might not think that they will be too bad or last too long. Yet, as time goes by and our troubles seem to have settled in for the long haul, we tend to get a little less polite with others and with God. We still might pray or look for help, but we might not feel that God’s will is to be the center of our prayer anymore. We might feel that we just want better times to come. We might just call for help. We might get so low in our heart that we are barely praying anymore. We might get to the point of just crying out, poor me. We might want to know why we are going through such troubles. We might just want people to notice us and maybe have pity on us, including God. We might even feel that on the verge of death. We might get so low that we might feel better off dead. We might feel like we can’t take it anymore. We might feel like it won’t be too long before we die if our troubles continue the way they are going. This is where we are in Psalms 13. David writes about the feeling that death will come soon if things don’t change. David writes about calling God to notice him. David cries out for God to listen and consider him. Feeling Small and Fragile:
In Psalms 13:3, David is depicting that point in life where we feel fragile and small. Maybe David was wondering if he was too small, too despicable, and too insignificant for God to help. Maybe David was focusing on all the things that he had done wrong in life. Maybe he felt helpless and hopeless. Maybe when David felt the lowest, he cries out in one last ditch effort, “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God”, as we see in the first part of Psalms 13:3. Have you ever felt like this?
I imagine David feeling like, “God, it is me, David. Don’t you remember me? I know I have sinned, but I am still a person. You made me a person. You know who I am. God? Where are you? God, am I really so horrible that you can’t even look at me anymore? God? God? Where are you? Please, God, I need you. I am going to die if you don’t help me. God? Please, consider me, your old friend David. Please! Please, hear my prayer.” Can you relate? I know that when it feels like God is far away and not listening, I question my significance. I question whether God really wants to see me or talk to me. It might be fleeting thoughts, but at times, they do come up. I start to feel helpless and hopeless. What are your thoughts? How do you imagine David’s thoughts and feelings for this verse? A Plea For Life Instead of Death:
Now, let’s look at the last part of Psalms 13:3. David writes, “lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” (KJV) We don’t really talk like that today, so it might be difficult for us to understand. However, with the word death and the way it is used, we can kind of tell that David writes about being on the brink of death or at least the feeling of being at the brink of death.
I think there are a few ways to look at the phrase “lighten my eyes”. The eyes are sometimes referred to as the “light of the body” as in Matthew 6:22. If you think about it, if you close your eyes, things go dark even if it is light outside. So, for most of us, the phrase of the “eyes are the light of the body” makes sense. To be more drastic, closing our eyes could mean forever as in death. Here we can consider death as in a physical death or a spiritual death in not being able to see God and being far from Him. I imagine that heaven is a very bright place with plenty of light. And, in contrast, hell has been described as darkness. Another way of looking at the phrase “lighten my eyes” could include the word “light” to mean as in weight and not brightness. I don’t know about you, but when I feel very tired, run down, exhausted, or even depressed, my eyes feel heavy. David could be talking about that feeling when we are so very tired and run down that we don’t think we can go a step more. Maybe we haven’t slept in a week or two and we have big puffy eyes and bags under our eyes. Maybe we are so overwhelmed, tired, and stressed out that we feel like we are at the end of our rope. One more stress, one more argument, one more disappointment and we are just going to lose it. I am not sure what kind of death David means in the phrase “lest I sleep the sleep of death.” Do you? I don’t know if he might be talking about death in general being so fragile and feeling like God is so far away. I don’t know whether he might be talking about a physical death or a spiritual death. I don’t know if he might be feeling suicidal, because he feels so lost and so far away from God. I don’t know if he is talking about being killed, like he is in danger and is crying for God to protect him. Or, maybe he feels an overwhelming stress or heart ache and might feel like the stress will kill him. Whether it is a specific death or a general death, whether it is a particular instance or a general situation, I think David is describing the fragileness we sometimes feel during a difficult situation. I think it is a cry for God’s help and a last ditch effort to get God to answer prayer on the brink of death. God’s Word:
I like how God’s Word is filled with words with multiple meanings, such as “lighten my eyes” that we see in Psalms 13:3. Not that I know for sure, but it is my guess that God’s Word was set up that way on purpose. I believe that is one of the reasons why we can get something new out of God’s Word every time we read it and that different people get different messages from reading the same passage or verse.
Even with Psalms 13, some people think that David wrote it during a specific time and difficult situation in his life. Some people think it might be during the time when his son Absalom was trying to take over his throne. I am sure that time was a difficult time for David. Can you imagine your own child trying to overthrow you and take your place? That is not the kind of behavior a parent wants to see from a child. Many times, it is harder if a loved one turns against us than a stranger. However, other people tend to think that Psalms 13 was written for a more general purpose. There was no particular difficulty in David’s life that provoked him to write this. It was just something that God put in his heart to write down to show people that God understands the feelings we have and to give us hope during difficult times. Psalms 13:3 or maybe even Psalms 13 in general might be a metaphor. For example, when we get to the point where we don’t feel like God is listening anymore. We might feel like we are dead or dying. After all, God is the source of life, not only our physical life, but everlasting life. If we are so far away from God that we don’t hear Him anymore, we could be in hell. We could be in eternal darkness and eternal death. There could be many ways to interpret Psalms 13 as well as many verses in God’s Word. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for the infinite wisdom that you posses and that you pass on through your Word. Thank you that your Word is written in such a way that we all are given the message you want us to have at the time it is read, even if it is a different message each time we read it. Help us to continue to turn to you even in difficult situations. Help us to have patience in your timing and trust in you, even if we don’t feel you hear us right away. Help us to stay in your light and not get caught up in darkness. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts:
*Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Last week, we started delving into Psalms 13. If you haven’t read the ponderings about Psalms 13:1, you may want to do so now. I hope you are enjoying it. The psalm starts out as a sad one. As I mentioned in the last blog post though, we aren’t sure whether this psalm is based on a particular situation in David’s life or something written to glorify God and to help others. Regardless of when or why it was written, I do believe the psalm, like the entire Bible, glorifies God and helps others. What do You do When You Feel Sad and Alone for Extended Periods of Time?:
Let’s set the stage or feeling for Psalms 13:2 in our own minds. We have all had times of sadness. We may have even had sadness for extended periods of time. You may have felt this as well. Think back a little. What do you do when you are feeling sad and alone? What do you do when you feel like you are the only one going through a difficult time? What do you do when you feel like nobody cares or nobody will help you? What do you do when you feel like God is distant and not answering your prayers?
Have you ever had a time when you felt nobody, not even God was going to help you get out of a difficult and sorrowful situation? Have you ever sort of told yourself that you better start figuring it out, because nobody was going to help you? What is your first reaction when you are in a bind? Do you start thinking about all the “what ifs” or “should I” options? You know how it goes. “What if I do this? What if that happens? Maybe I should do this. No. Maybe I should do that. I don’t know what to do, but I better figure it out soon.” Sound familiar? Psalms 13:2 is depicting these sorts of feelings and thoughts. What is David Saying in Psalms 13:2?
So, what is David really saying in Psalms 13:2? It may be easier to think about if we think about David actually going through these thoughts and feelings at the time. What ever the situation may be, the first question is, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” (KJV)
That is probably not how we would say it today. So, let’s take it slow and figure out what David is saying. If he is talking about having “sorrow in my heart daily”, then we can imagine that it is something that he has been feeling or going through for a while. What about the first part of this question, when David says, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul…”? What does that mean? Let’s think about what we are doing when we seek counseling or advice from someone. We are trying to find answers, get ideas, and get help in our situation. If you “take counsel” in your own “soul” that is trying to find answers, get ideas, and get help within ourselves. We are trying to figure out our own problems. If this psalm is based on a real life situation David was going through, we see in the second question of the verse the type of situation struggled through that led to writing this psalm. It was one involving an enemy. This second question in Psalms 13:2 (KJV) reads, “How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” We don’t know which particular enemy David was talking about or if there was one particular enemy. God may have put these words in David’s heart because he had many enemies and wanted to help him and others through difficult situations. We do know that David had many enemies. He fought many wars. He had surrounding nations that were enemies. He had friends and even family members turn into enemies. Sometimes David was even his own worst enemy. It sounds to me that in David’s mind, at least, the “bad guy” is getting all the breaks and is being treated as the “good guy” and he who is the “good guy” isn’t getting any of the breaks and is being treated as the “bad guy”. Did you follow that? Sometimes in life, the ones who try to do the right things get looked down upon. Maybe they get beat out by people who cheat or get accused of a wrong that someone else has done. The person in the wrong, the winner who cheated or the one who “got away with something” sometimes gets praised for their cunning successes even if they were wrong and unfair. God’s Word:
So, what is our biblical take away for Psalms 13:2? What lessons can we learn and hope can we find in these words? What should we think about and pray about based on Psalms 13:2? One of the first questions I find to ask about Psalms 13:2 is, “Is it really such a good idea to try to figure out our own solutions?” The world might praise those who are independent, go-getters who solve their own problems. However, we are not really called to do that. We are called to rely on God. I think David is trying to do that in this verse, but shows how easy it is to teeter back and forth when it feels like God is so far away and not listening. After all, David is asking God how long will he be left alone to his own thoughts? It sounds like he doesn’t want to figure it out for himself, but wants God’s help in this situation. He is just not getting any answers. Just in case we had any doubt about who we should rely on, Proverbs 3:5 (KJV) says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Another thing I find interesting about Psalms 13 is that between verses one and two, David asks God “how long” four times. I can relate and feel for David. I can imagine how devastated, sad, and distraught David was feeling. Maybe he was on the brink of depression and feeling overwhelmed, maybe even helpless. Yet, he still cried out to God. He hasn’t given up on God yet. We are called to not give up on God as well. There are many, many verses in the Bible that talks about God’s timing. God’s timing is often not the same as our timing and may not come as quickly as we would like. There is hope when we are going through difficult situations, even if we are going through them for extended periods of time. Galatians 6:9 tells us not to get tired of doing the right thing, because we will end up reaping what we sow in the long run if we don’t stop. Romans 12:12 tells us to rejoice in our hoping, to be patient, and to continue to pray. So, let’s keep praying. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word, O LORD. Help us to learn from it and find hope in it. Help us to continue to seek you, cry out for you, and rely on you, even when it feels like you aren’t listening. Help us to know that you are listening, that you have our best interest at heart, and that we will see the goodness and reap the reward if we keep looking to you. Help us to know you are with us as long as we look to you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts:
*Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Have you read Psalms 13 before? What were your thoughts? I don’t know about you, but I have much pondering to do with this psalm. For example, I wonder why some psalms, like this one, say “to the chief Musician”. Do you know? Anyway, I invite you on this journey of pondering Psalms 13 with me in the next few weeks. Who is the Chief Musician of Psalms 13:1?:
The beginning of Psalms 13 mentions a “chief musician”. There is some speculation as to who is meant be “the chief musician”. Some say it could have been one of musicians of the time. Maybe David wrote Psalms 13 to be played in one of the services back in the day. Maybe David wanted the musician to know or practice or use this psalm for some reason. Who knows? Maybe David was writing a note of sympathy to the musician. My mind can come up with many reasons why these words are part of the psalm.
Others speculate that “the chief Musician” could be God. I mean, God is “the Chief” everything. Why not consider Him the “Chief Musician”? It seems as though David is talking to God throughout the psalm anyway, so it would make sense that the opening statement is directed towards God. Why Did David Write Psalms 13?:
I wonder why David wrote Psalms 13. Was there a particular time in his life where he was feeling particularly low? We know that he had his share of low times. Could one of those times have brought on the need or desire to write this psalm?
Or, maybe David had a much more meaningful and positive reason for writing Psalms 13. Maybe David wanted to write the psalm to glorify God. Maybe he wanted to show that despite feeling the lowest of lows, one can still pray, trust in God, and feel God’s help and presence. The Emotion of Psalms 13:1:
I don’t know about you, but I can feel the emotion in Psalms 13:1. Let’s look at it. After the introduction, it says, “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD?” Can you imagine the desperation? If David wrote this in the midst of a difficult situation, it sounds like he had been there for quite a while. It sounds like he had started questioning whether God was even listening to him any more or if God was mad at him or something.
Have you ever felt like questioning God? Have you ever felt like you have been going through a situation and you have been praying your heart out, but nothing changes? Have you felt this kind of “almost ready to give up” desperation? One might not feel that questioning God, or yelling at God, or crying to God, whatever David might have been doing here. Yet, it sounds like David was being very vulnerable and honest with his feelings. I don’t know if it is “right” or not. However, I do think that God likes honesty. With the second question in Psalms 13:1, the “for ever?” we can see that David was feeling this for a while. Or, he was showing that the despair or lowness had been for a while. If it wasn’t for something he was going through, he could have been magnifying the fact that people even in the lowest of their lows, can call on God. In the last question of the verse David asks God, “How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” Whether David was feeling it himself or wanted to stress that it is possible for people in general, he was showing that it might feel at times that God is ignoring you. Have you felt that before? Have you felt that God has ignored you? It seems like David felt desperate and overwhelmed. I wonder if he also felt depressed and angry. I can imagine David yelling out, maybe even crying out to God in desperation. He may have even been standing and dropped to his knees out of exhaustion, almost as a sign of overwhelm and on the brink of hopelessness. We read about how God seemed to rely on God quite a bit and trust in Him most of his life. Feeling a desperation and fear or concern that God might be ignoring him seems quite the opposite of that usual trust and reliance. God’s Word:
How often have you read Psalms 13:1 or any of the verses in God’s Word and glossed through the verses like the words in any other book? We could read Psalms 13:1 and think, “Okay, a man from long ago was having a bad day. It doesn’t affect me.” Yet, all of God’s Word is meant to teach us no matter how long ago it was written.
I find that it is easier to get more out of God’s Word, when I ponder it. I feel that it is important to find ways to relate to it and find the meaning of not only the people in the day, but for me in my day as well. Like I said, I think whether or not David was going through something at that particular time or not, he was trying to show that no matter how low you are feeling, even in the lowest of your lows, you can call out to God. Even though he might be down, questioning, upset, scared, desperate, or whatever he is feeling, he is still calling out to God. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. We may not know things like why David wrote the exact things he did thousands of years ago, but help us to remember that all your Word can help us and lead us to you. Help us not to gloss past verses that seem outdated. Help us to know that even in our lowest of lows, we are called to turn to you. Even if it might feel that you are listening, we are called to turn to you and trust you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing *We are Called to be Careful for Nothing? *Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer. 
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.”
Psalms 119:66 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Today we look at a verse from one of the longest psalms and the longest chapter of the Bible. It also contains a topic of prayer about which I pray quite often. I have read the Bible quite a few times. However, each time I learn something else. God uses His word to speak to us all. He has the same basic commandments for all of us. Yet, God does use His Word to speak a different message to each of us. He may also speak a different message to each of us each time we read His Word. One would think that once we read His Word and study His commandments, that we would “know it” and wouldn’t need to ask for knowledge or good judgment. Unfortunately, that is just not true. We need to continually as for knowledge and good judgment. We are human and don’t always “remember” or follow through with what is right. So, let’s take a look a Psalms 119:66 a little closer. There are three statements and topics in Psalms 119:66. Let’s start with the last part of Psalms 119:66 (KJV) which reads, “…for I have believed thy commandments”. If we don’t believe that God’s Word is the right way to live, if we don’t trust God, if we don’t believe that we are to do as God calls us to do, we might as well not ask Him to give us good judgment or knowledge. Sometimes we may say that we believe, but our actions are different than our words. Our actions don’t match what is written in God’s Word. That has happened since the second human was created. Our nature of sin is the reason we need to pray the first part of this verse. There are two main groups of people in the world, believers and nonbelievers. (There are also “on the fence” people.) Once we realize and admit, especially to God, that we are believers, than we can go on to the first two parts of Psalms 119:66. In the second part of Psalms 199:66, the psalmist is asking God to teach him knowledge. To me, there are different levels of knowledge. When we learn math as a kindergarten student for example, we learn things like identifying numbers, adding and subtracting numbers up to ten, counting by ones and fives and tens, and the basic coins. Those are the types of things a kindergarten student can know and understand. Asking a kindergarten student to solve long algebraic equations would be wrong. No matter how much a kindergarten student tries, he or she couldn’t have the knowledge to solve such a difficult problem. The same goes with God’s Word. Every time we read God’s Word, we may have a new understanding. We may have more knowledge and be able to understand it’s meaning a little better. Sometimes we go through the motions of reading God’s Word, but don’t take the time to take it in, study it, or pray about it. We may know God’s Word on one level, but not to the extent that we could with more study and prayer. We might know the words in our mind, but not know the words in our heart. This brings us to the first part of Psalms 119:66 (KJV) which reads, “Teach me good judgment…”. As I mentioned earlier, it is one thing to know the difference between right and wrong, but it is another thing to actually follow through and do what is right. This is the part of the verse where we acknowledge the fact that we are sinners and need to ask God to help us good judgment often. Satan has a way of giving us temptations and trying to get us to go down the wrong road each day. So, praying for help in having good judgment needs to be something that is continual instead of a one-time thing. The first time we pray, we might learn how to have good judgment when one problem comes up. However, we might not have the strength to make a good judgment the second time it comes up. We may also not know how to make a good judgment when a different problem arises. To me, Psalms 119:66 is a prayer that we can pray always. Like other verses in God’s Word, we can learn something new from it as we grow in our faith, our relationship with God, our knowledge, and also grow in our abilities to do things such as make good decisions. Each time we grow in knowledge and faith in God, we can know God’s Word on a higher level. We can know His Word and know the knowledge in our hearts as well as our minds. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your precious Word. Help us to pray the words in your Word and seek the wisdom you want to share with us continually. Help us to have faith in you and trust in you always. Help us to not only know your Word, but also to reflect upon it in order to make good judgments. Give us the strength to do what is right and follow your Word and way for us, I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 119:66 (KJV): *What does Psalms 119:66 mean to me? *Why must we continually pray for knowledge? *Why must we continually pray for the ability to make good judgments? *What is the difference between judgment and knowledge? *Do I trust God’s Word? Do I show it? *What can I do to better heed the words in Psalms 119:66? *What message is God giving me right now through Psalms 119:66? Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may like similar posts on the same topics. *Knowledge *Prayer Now, it is your turn: Thank you for being here. I appreciate your kindness and support. I pray that you find God talking to you through the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you are finding value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please feel free to share it with others, so that they might find value as well. If you would like me to address a specific topic or verse, please feel free to contact me. I welcome all comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, and requests regarding God's Word and growing our faith. Please, feel free to share prayer requests, testimony, and praise reports as well. And, if you haven't done so already, please consider signing up below so you can receive the Faith Blog and other faith content in your inbox. Thank you. God bless.  “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:13 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? This verse is sort of a bottom line, summary, of our prayer to God and this post is the last post in this Lord’s Prayer devotion series. I hope it has blessed you in some way to ponder the words of the Lord’s Prayer more closely and in depth. I pray that you pray these words and not recite them. I pray that I do the same. I believe that every word in the Bible means something and is meant to be there. However, to be honest, I am not sure why “And lead us not into temptation” is part of this prayer. I trust Jesus, and wouldn’t question their worth. It just sounds kind of strange, knowing that our Father in Heaven is a loving God. He wants the best for us and it is strange asking Him not to “lead us into temptation.” Unless, maybe it is saying not to harden our hearts, as He did Pharaoh’s when we go against His will, but to give us more chances and more direction. Often, once our heart is hardened and our mind is closed, we spiral downhill and we are not only tempted but sin in many ways. What do you think? After consulting a friend, praying, and rereading this verse, I believe that the word “lead” is the important word in this phrase. We are to put our trust in God and let Him lead us. We are to be obedient to His will and not try to do things our own way. Trust me, the latter isn’t good. We are often our own worst enemy. Yet, God is good and will lead us away from temptation if we ask and put our trust in Him. I understand the part about, “but deliver us from evil.” I have prayed that many times. I want to do God’s will and I don’t want anything evil to come near me, tempt me, or hurt me in anyway. The last part of this verse is a powerful one. I believe that it is meant for us to acknowledge that we are nothing without God and that everything we do should be for God and to grow His kingdom. I believe that it is meant to acknowledge that we pray and we do what we do as Christians, because we want to be of the kingdom of God and not of the world. That is our focus. We are called to acknowledge and understand that God has the power to help us, to hurt us, to give us life, to give us death, to move mountains, to heal us, to create everything from nothing, to destroy everything, as well as to love us and provide for us unconditionally or conditionally. Acknowledging God’s power also is intended to assure us that we can put our faith in Him fully and that we are to fear Him in a loving way and be obedient to Him. We are His creations. We are His servants. We are His children. We are called to give Him the glory. And, I believe as Christians, that this isn’t a chore or a task given to us by a master, but an act of love. We want to do these things. We know that God loves us and we want to love Him back. Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending us Jesus, your only begotten Son, to be our teacher, our savior, and our ultimate role model. Thank you for these words on how to pray. Help us to pray them and not just recite them without thought or feeling. Help us to strive to build, to pray for, and to uplift your kingdom. Help us to acknowledge your ultimate power and to fear you and love you in the most loving and obedient way. Help us to give you the glory in all that we do and not do or seek our own glory. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:13 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:13 mean to me? *Do I pray these words or recite these words? *Have I truly pondered or prayed about the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I pray for God’s kingdom and try to uplift it and grow it? *What can I do to uplift and grow God’s kingdom? *Do I acknowledge God’s power? *Do I both fear God and have faith in Him, knowing that He has the power to help me or hurt me? *Do I give God the glory in all I do or do I seek the praise and the credit for myself?  “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
Matthew 6:12 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Today’s blog post topic is forgiveness. It isn’t only forgiveness, but the sentence of the Lord’s Prayer in which Jesus tells us to forgive others. How many times have you said the Lord’s Prayer and then not forgiven someone? I think that asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness are often difficult for people. I think some people have a misconception about forgiveness. They might think that forgiveness condones the action, encourages the action, or some how makes the action okay. They might think that forgiveness means that everything will go back to the way it was before the action. That isn’t necessarily true either. Actions have logical consequences whether we forgive others or not. For example, if someone steals from you, you can forgive him or her, but that doesn’t mean that you will instantly trust him or her as if they have never stolen before. That trust will probably have to be earned. To me, the forgiveness is separate. What does forgiveness mean to you? To me, forgiveness means that you release yourself from the feelings that you have in trying to harbor powerful negative feelings in the situation. It frees you from feeling the need to take vengeance in the situation. It admits that it is God’s place and not yours to take vengeance and show wrath. Forgiveness in this way is for the forgiver. Not forgiving someone often puts more of a hold on you than it does on the perpetrating party. We often see how people who hurt us, may not feel as bad as we do. By harboring the hate, the want for vengeance, the ideas of retaliation, and the refusal to forgive, we are hurting ourselves. It effects not only our emotional life, but also our physical and spiritual lives as well. Stress can kill and all that ill will that we harbor inside of us gets turned back to us and wrecks havoc on us. Don’t get me wrong; forgiveness also helps the offending party. It gives him or her hope and encouragement. It helps him or her to feel that he or she is not doomed to death. It helps him or her to forgive him or herself and to ask forgiveness from God. Think about it. How do you feel when someone has forgiven you? More importantly, how do you feel when God has forgiven you? We might say, “Well, I can forgive people for little things, but I don’t know if I can forgive people for big things, like abuse and murder.” Yet, we need to look closely to Jesus’ words. He doesn’t say, “Forgive people if they do little things.” He says, “Forgive our debtors.” Forgiveness may be difficult. However, we wouldn’t be called to do it if it wasn’t something that we couldn’t do. We also need to remember that we can’t do anything without God’s help, so forgiveness shouldn’t be any different. We are called to ask God for help in forgiving others, just as we are called to ask God’s help in doing anything. In this short verse, Jesus uses the word “as” here. I believe that this is a reminder to ask God for forgiveness and acknowledgement that it is only fair that God treats us like we treat others. If we treat others well, God is more inclined to treat us well. If we forgive others, God is more inclined to forgive us. It is like that with people too. If we smile at someone, they are more inclined to smile back. If we encourage someone, they are more inclined to encourage us back. So, with this verse, we are praying that when or while we forgive others, God will also forgive us. Wouldn’t life be so much better if we all learned to ask forgiveness and give it better? (I like how God always wants what is best for us and we can see it in every word He gives us!) Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love. Thank you for always wanting the best for us: your children and creations. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus to be our Lord, our Savior, and our Teacher. Thank you for these words in the Lord’s Prayer. Help us to pray them and live by them whole-heartedly. Help us to forgive others, even when it is difficult. I ask you this through Jesus, your Son. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:12 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:12 mean to me? *What does forgiveness mean to me? *Do I recite these words or pray these words? *Do I forgive others? *Do I ask God’s help to forgive others? *Do I ask God’s forgiveness? Now, it is your turn. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Please, share how you like this post and what Matthew 6:12 means to you. If you don't want to share with everyone, feel free to contact me. Thank you for reading. P.S.- - If you haven't read the other posts in the Lord's Prayer series, you may want to read those as well. * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 1 * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 2 * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 3  “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are doing well. This is a rather short verse, yet it tells us quite a bit. “Give us this day our daily bread.” We are asking God to give us what we need for the day and to show us His will for us for the day. We as humans are very needy. Thankfully, Our Father in heaven wants to give us what we need. He also wants us to ask Him for our needs, to acknowledge that we can’t provide our needs without Him, and trust that He will provide our needs for us. Jesus uses the word “bread” in Matthew 6:11 and obviously, I don’t know for sure his meaning. Yet, I believe that he is referring to more than food. I believe that he is referring to everything that we need to get through the day and to do the things that God wants us to do in that day. They also refer to physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual things. Physical things might be food, water, sleep, rest, shelter, and clothing. It might also include a job or income so that these things can be earned. Emotional, spiritual, and intellectual things might include the knowledge of what God calls us to do and the willingness, courage, and obedience to do what God calls us to do. They may also include things like giving us the knowledge, strength, willingness, courage, and obedience to stay away from sin and temptation during the day. These words by Jesus also remind us that we are to pray daily. The words don’t say, “Give us our weekly bread or our monthly bread.” We are to go to God daily in prayer and ask for His will to be done and for our needs to be provided for everyday. Prayer is important and it is important to pray every day. These words also remind us to only worry about one day at a time. Again, Jesus uses words like “this day” and “daily bread.” He doesn’t say that we should pray for or about things that are going to happen next week, next month, or next year, or even tomorrow. We are to pray daily for what we need for each day. It is also interesting to note, that Jesus doesn’t say anything about the “desires of our heart” here. He doesn’t say anything about wants. It is needs that are mentioned. (No daily “frosting” here.) Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending your only begotten Son, Jesus to us to not only be our savior, but to be our ultimate teacher and role model. Thank you for giving us the Lord’s Prayer through Jesus. Please, help us to live according to the words that Jesus gave us. Help us to pray to you and come to you daily for our daily needs. Help us to not only ask you, but to trust you to provide what we need each day to do the things you want us to do each day and to live in the way that you want us to live each day. Help us to pray the Lord’s Prayer and not just recite it. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:11 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:11 mean to me? *Do I pray to God daily? *Do I ask for my needs every day? *Do I trust that God will provide for me daily? *Do I ask what God’s will is for me each day and ask that He gives me the courage, skill, and obedience to do His will for me each day? *Do I take one day at a time or worry about things in the future? Now, it is your turn. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts. Comment below or feel free to contact me. Thank you. I pray someone is blessed by this.  “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 (KJV) Hi friends, Last week, I started a series on the Lord’s Prayer, given to us by Jesus. We may say or recite the Lord’s Prayer, but do we pray it? Do we think about the words? Do we live by the words? “Thy kingdom come.” What does that mean to you? We all get something out of the Bible and out of a prayer. God has a special message for each of us. I read commentaries and each says something different. It means something different to each of us. However, it means the same also. That is why I pray before I write. I want God’s message and not my own message. We are called to grow God’s kingdom and to pray for it. There are believers, unbelievers, and people who are lukewarm in the middle. Yet, we are called to encourage belief and to grow God’s community of believers. We are called to believe ourselves and help others to believe. We are called to be part of God’s kingdom and not the “kingdom of the world” or “Satan’s kingdom” or whatever we want to call the evilness of the world. So, we have heard of the second coming of Jesus and how He will rule. Is that what Jesus is talking about here? Um. I don’t think it is just that. It may be part of it. Yet, to me, it means that we are to pray for and be a part of God’s kingdom now and forever, here and in life everlasting. Our choice is to be of this world or of God. We are also called to not only submit to God’s will, but to want it. We are called to ask for it. We are called to acknowledge it. We are called to do it. In so doing, we are acknowledging that we are part of God’s kingdom and willingly want to do His will here on earth and once we get in heaven. And, why would we do all this? Why would we want to have God’s will instead of our own? Love! We want this, because we love God and we know that He loves us. We know that God’s way and God’s plan is better than anything we can plan. It all comes down to love and thanksgiving. If we have a place in God’s kingdom here on earth, we will be rewarded with a place in God’s kingdom in heaven. What a beautiful reward in which to look forward! Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us and creating us. Thank you for sending us your Son, Jesus, who taught us how to pray. Thank you for inviting us and calling us to be part of your kingdom on earth and in heaven. Help us to pray for your will and your kingdom. Help us to be like Jesus, our ultimate role model, in our efforts to pray, to follow your will, and to grow your kingdom. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:10 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:10 mean to me? *Do I want to be part of God’s kingdom, part of the world’s kingdom, or part of my own kingdom? (Be honest.) *Do I ask God to let His will be done or ask that my will be done? *Do I recite the Lord’s Prayer or do I pray it? *What can I do to better live the Lord’s Prayer? *What can I do to help grow and pray for God’s kingdom? Now, it is your turn. I would like to hear your thoughts. Please, leave me a comment. Thank you. God bless!  “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
Matthew 6:9 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? This week, I am starting a series of devotions based upon the verses of the Lord’s Prayer, given to us by Jesus. I pray that God gives me the words to give you during these special devotions. (Actually, I pray that God gives me the words for every post.) Have you ever looked at the words of the Lord’s Prayer a verse at a time and carefully pondered their meaning? I encourage you to do so. So, let’s look at the first ten words of the Lord’s Prayer in which Jesus gave us to pray. What do they mean to you? “Our Father which art in heaven….” Do you consider God to be your Heavenly Father? Do you treat Him as a Father above any earthly father? Do you go to Him as a child would to a good and faithful father? Do you love Him as you would a beloved part of your family? Do you acknowledge that He is the one who created you and that you wouldn’t have been born without His love for you? “…Hallowed be thy name.” Do you hallow God’s name? Do you treat His name as above all others and give it the respect God deserves? I hear God’s name taken in vain quite often. Swearing of all sorts seems to be a growing cultural habit. Yet, this particular type of swear is more repulsive than others. We don’t go around saying, “John damn it” or “Jane damn it.” Yet, we do have people going around taking the Lord’s name in vain. How would we feel if it people started taking our name in vain? My guess is that we wouldn’t like it. People are pretty touchy. (That is why we have so much trouble with political correctness, etc.) So, if we wouldn’t like it if people took our name in vain, why are we complacent when people take our Heavenly Father’s name in vain? Why do some of us take our Heavenly Father’s name in vain? Jesus himself told us that we are called to treat and acknowledge our God as our Heavenly Father. We are to keep His name holy. We are called to give God, our Heavenly Father, with the love, reverence, and respect that He deserves. And, here is the kicker, quite frankly, if we are the Christians that we pledge to be, we shouldn’t need to be told by Jesus or anyone else to do all this. We should love God, because He is who He is! We should hallow His name, because He is the most beloved out of our entire beloved, He is the most holy out of the entire holy. We should respect Him and love Him, because He first loved us. We should keep His name hallowed, because we love Him so. Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us and creating us. Thank you for sending your only begotten Son, Jesus, to be our savior and to be our ultimate role model. Thank you for sending us your Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the way and to intercede for us and pray for us when we can’t for ourselves. Thank you for giving us your Word in scriptures to guide us and show us the way to you. Help us to love you, to pray to you, to respect you, to acknowledge you, and to obey you. Help us to keep your name holy. Help us to pray the Lord’s Prayer and not just recite it. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:9 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:9 mean to me? *Do I recite the Lord’s Prayer or do I pray the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I think about and ponder the words of the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I follow and heed the words of the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I acknowledge, love, and respect God as my Heavenly Father? *Do I keep God’s name holy? *Am I repulsed when someone else doesn’t love God or keep His name holy? *Do I say something when someone doesn’t keep our Heavenly Father’s name holy? *How would I feel if someone took my name in vain? *How would I feel if my children didn’t love me or honor me, as they should? *How would I feel if my loved ones didn’t love me in return as I thought they should? Now, it is your turn. I would like to know your thoughts. Let me know in the comments. Thank you. I appreciate you being here and taking the time to read my posts. 
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:6 (KJV) Hi Friends, I don’t know about you, but I grew up hearing, “Be careful.” I was supposed to “be careful” about many things that could hurt me in some way. Sometimes, it felt like I couldn’t or shouldn’t do anything, because I was always supposed to “be careful”. Have you been told to “be careful” before? Have you told anyone to “be careful” before? Now, we see that Paul is telling us to “be careful for nothing”. Hmmm. That is different. So, why is it so different? Why do some of us grow up hearing “be careful” and now see that Paul said not to “be careful’? Well, parents want to protect their children from danger. They mean well, when they say, “be careful”, but often that isn’t the most healthy and productive statement. Many times, children are more capable than we think and are in less danger than we fear. Sometimes it is better to say, “slow down, so you don’t slip on the wet floor” or “when you climb, make sure you hang onto something, so you don’t fall.” You aren’t teaching the child to “fear” something or not to try something that could be out of their comfort zone, you are just making him or her aware of the danger and giving guidance in awareness and ways that could make it less dangerous. (I came across a nice blog post here, by Let Grow, if you would like to further research this train of thought.) This concept of being careful is also misguided with our prayers. Often times we under estimate God’s power or willingness to give us good things. We think, “Nothing good ever happens to me, I can’t ask for something so nice. I will never get it.” God wants to give us good things. He can and will care for us much better than any human parent could or would. Yet, it isn’t just what we ask for in prayer, it is also how we ask. Sometimes we tend to ask sort of timidly, not sure of the results, or demand like a laundry list of things that we want accomplished as if we were entitled. None of the above are very respectful, reverent, or loving of God. We are to ask without being afraid of whether or not God can do it, because he most definitely can. We are to ask with a humble and thankful heart. We are to thank God for His love and blessings even before we see it and trust that it is on its way. We are to ask for things that are in alignment with God’s will for us. In the example of parenting and in the example of prayer, the words “be careful” are more destructive than uplifting and supportive. They can bring fear, confusion, distrust, and other negative effects. Yet, we are called to reach outside of our comfort zone and rely on God. We may have to “be careful” in specific ways such as “not get too close to the fire” or “go slow on the wet floor, so we don’t slip”. We don’t have the power to still the winds, calm the storm, and move mountains. But with God, all things are possible. God doesn’t have to be careful. And, when we go to God, we don’t have to be careful, if we go with a right heart in alignment with His will. Heavenly Father, Thank you for this day. Thank you for your infinite wisdom, love, and care. You are an awesome God capable of many and all things. Help us to “be careful for nothing” as we pray. Help us to pray with all humbleness, supplication, and thanksgiving. Help us to pray for things in alignment with you will for us and with a right heart. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Philippians 4:6 (KJV): *What does Philippians 4:6 mean to me? *When I pray, am I afraid to pray for awesome things? *Do I under estimate God’s capability and willingness to give me wonderful things, when I pray? *Do I pray with thanksgiving and a humble heart? *Do I say, “be careful” to others?
Now, it is your turn.
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“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
Ephesians 6:11 (KJV) Hi Friends, How are you? I hope you are well. In a busy and confusing world, it can be difficult to know and to do the correct thing all the time. Not only that, but we are all tempted from time to time. So, for us who want to do the right thing, what can we do to help us stay on the right track, especially when difficult times come? We can, as we are called, put on the armor of God. I have read this and heard this many times. Most of the time, I wasn’t sure what it meant really. Yet, as I get older and closer to God, I am starting to get the true meaning of this statement. You may be wondering, “So, what is the armor of God anyway? And, why out of all the words, the word ‘armor’ was chosen to describe these things?” In Ephesians 6, we see a great description of the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6:13-18 list things such as breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit to help us in any tangles with the devil. 
Not all of us have been to war, so we may not really understand how crucial things like breastplates, shields, helmets, and swords are for protection. And, actually, even if we have been to war, most of these items aren’t really used today. This idea of being is kind of new to me as well. It is something that I didn’t think much about before. Yet, again, as I grow older and as I get closer to God, I can understand and see just what this concept of “war” means. There is a “war” and there are two sides. We are either for God or for the devil. That is the tug of the society that we feel, the difference of opinions, the not knowing what is right, the temptations, the stress, the lost feeling, the violence, the depression, the hate. All of that is provoked by the devil. God’s ways are the way of truth, love, hope, and faith. I don’t know about you, but I am for God. Every moment of every day, we have a choice: do we do something for God or do we do something for the devil? Sadly, sometimes we sin and do something that brings us farther from God and closer to the devil. Thankfully, we all can ask for forgiveness, repent, and get closer to God again. I guess we could think of life as one big game of tug-o-war, but it isn’t a game at all. There are high stakes at risk here. On one side there is our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit and on the other side there is the devil. As we read the Bible, pray, grow in faith, keep the commandments, treat others as we want to be treated, we tug the rope and move ourselves closer to God. As we give into temptation, treat others badly, break the commandments, and sin, we tug the rope and move ourselves closer to the devil. We have multiple choices every day in what we think, do, say, feel, and believe. These thoughts, actions, words, feelings, and beliefs all tug the rope in one direction or the other. It is a war. In order to resist the tugs of the devil, we need armor to protect us. We get that protection through God. We need to know Him, to believe in Him, to trust Him, and to love Him. We stay close to Him by reading the Bible, praying for ourselves and others, as well as others praying for us, having faith, and through the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Friends, I hope your day is going well. I hope your tugs have been towards God and not away. I pray that these thoughts have blessed someone. And, I pray that you are all cloaked with the full armor of God. God bless you. Heavenly Father, Thank you for this day. Thank you for creating us, for being with us, and for giving us the tools we need to navigate through life and to ward off the devil so that we may be on your side of this war. Thank you for sending us your only begotten Son, Jesus, as a role model and savior for us, and your Holy Spirit as our guide and comforter. Thank you for allowing us and encouraging us to come to you in prayer. Help us to grow in faith with each step towards you we take. We thank you and praise you through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for Ephesians 6:11 (KJV): *What does Ephesians 6:11 mean to me? *How do I feel about the concept of life being one big tug-o-war? *On which side of the tug-o-war am I? On which side do I want to be? Do my actions reflect this? *Am I wearing the full armor of God? *What can I do better in order to be fully protected with God’s armor?
Now, it is your turn. What are your thoughts?
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“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Psalms 19:14 (KJV) Hi Friends, How are you today? I have been writing about the Bible and how we can use it in our lives. One of the ways is to look at some of the prayers that were prayed by other people and hold them close to our hearts. Of course we have the Lord’s Prayer taught by Jesus. However, we also have prayers by King David and others in the Book of Psalms. The words in Psalms 19:14 sound like a beautiful prayer to me that can be helpful and prayed in various situations. I am not sure why King David wrote it or what he was going through at the time. (Was it after his acts of murder and adultery? I don’t know.) Yet, I think it was a verse that was part of a song just after he had asked forgiveness for hidden thoughts and he was asking help to keep his thoughts pure. I like that he called God “his strength” and “his redeemer” in this verse. To me, it sounds like King David was struggling with bad thoughts and words and he knew that God would give him strength and that God can redeem any sinner. He was crying out for help. I think it helps us in such times to remember that God can give us strength, can redeem us, and can direct our hearts and mind. We all have thoughts that might not be so good. It is only human. Hopefully, they are just fleeting thoughts that don’t last. Although, sometimes they linger and can turn into something more harmful. That fleeting thought might turn into an attitude, a word, or an action. Instead of a fleeting thought, it could be a negative outlook on life. It changes us. So, we are called to ask God to save us from ourselves. Isn’t it wonderful that we have such a God in which to turn? Our thoughts and words often lead to actions. If they are bad, negative, or sinful, they will lead to bad, negative, or sinful actions. Saying something mean or hurtful, for example, in a moment of weakness can cause irreparable damage at times. We don’t want to say something in anger that will cause us regret later on. That is the way we lose friends and loved ones. It is how we tear down love instead of build up love. It is how we sin and drift away from God. Our negative thoughts and feelings may not always hurt others, but may hurt us as well. Suicide, for example, doesn’t just happen. A series of negative thoughts and feelings lead up to the choice of suicide. The act of dwelling on something negative doesn’t help us at all. Like David, we are called to look to God to move on to thoughts that are more in accordance to God’s will for us. While we are depressed, we can pray something like this, so that instead of dwelling on what ever depresses us, God can direct our thoughts to something more productive. Sometimes, we may pray these words before having the negative thoughts. When I write devotions, I pray something similar. I ask God to guide my thoughts and words. I don’t want to misguide anyone or give a message that is different than God’s intentions in anyway. I want the words and message to be His and not mine. No matter what your circumstance, may you find ways to incorporate this little prayer into your everyday life. It may just save your life some day. May you remember that God is the strength and redeemer of all of us who believe and call upon Him. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Holy Creator, our Heavenly Father, our Strength, and our Redeemer. Help us to remember to call on you in times of need. Help us to keep our words, our thoughts, and our feelings according to your will for us. Prevent us from wrong words, wrong thoughts, and wrong feelings. Don’t let us drift away from you, even in thoughts. Let us always be close to you. When we do drift, help us to remember that if we come to you and repent, you can redeem us. We don’t need to continue to drift. Guide our words, thoughts, and feelings always. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for Psalms 14:19 *What does Psalms 14:19 mean to me? *What are some circumstances when praying this verse would be helpful? *Have I ever prayed a similar prayer? *What do I think King David was going through when he said these words? *Can I imagine how King David was feeling during this time? *Was there a time when I didn’t pray such words and they would have been helpful? *What can I do to remember to pray these words more often? I would be interested in your thoughts. Leave a comment or contact me. And, if you like my content, please share and consider signing up for my email list. Thank you. |
Hi friends!
This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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