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.
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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. 
“O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.”
Psalms 105:1 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Since this is the month of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be nice to write some posts on thankfulness. I think Psalms 105:1 asks us to go all out in our thankfulness. Psalms 105 highlights some of the key parts of Jewish history and the many reasons they have to be thankful. The psalm points out some of the wonderful and miraculous things that God has done for His people. It was written by King David and sung at the time when the ark was being brought back to Jerusalem. So, it was sung at a very special and joyous time. Psalms 105:1 kind of reminds me of show and tell in a kindergarten class. It is fun to watch a child bring in a treasured belonging from home and share it with the class. He or she often has such an excitement and sense of value when sharing his or her item. Sometimes, it is a new gift that was recently received. Just by listening to the child, you can tell that he or she is thankful and values the blessing. Children often show an all out exuberance and thankfulness for something they receive that they treasure. I can just picture a young child’s eyes lighting up, while he or she jumps up and down with excitement when seeing the gift for the first time, and him or her running to the gift bearer, and with a big hug, saying “Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is what I have always wanted. I love you.” It is interesting that little children often don’t hold back their emotions. It is only as we grow older, that we learn to hold back in the name of being dignified. It is good to have self-control. However, in things like love, worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God, we are often called not to hold back. We owe God everything, even our life, as we couldn’t be here without Him, so thanksgiving, praise, love, and worship should be more ingrained and forthcoming without holding anything back. Nothing is too good for our God, for our Creator, for our Heavenly Father. Psalms 105:1 calls us to do three things: give thanks to God, call upon His name, and testify to others what God has done. Let’s ask ourselves if we do this. Our answers will vary, of course, but we could probably all work on doing all three better. The way we give thanks to God, the way we call upon His name, and the way we testify to others might look different for each one of us. It might also look different each time we do these things. For instance a shy person might not get up in front of a congregation to testify about what God has done for him or her, but may tell a friend during a quiet outing. It’s okay to be different. God made us all different and we are all called to have a personal relationship with God. We aren’t called be the same or to do things the same. One last thing about Psalms 105:1, that isn’t explicitly stated in the verse, but I think we are called to do is to give God the credit. I think the “make known his deeds among the people” part of the verse could be a reminder for us that God gave us life, gave us our talents, gave us our minds, gave us our hearts, gave us our strength, gave us our opportunities, gave us so many things. We often forget that we couldn’t have this or that or couldn’t do this or that without God. We sometimes talk about things as if they are our accomplishments and don’t give God proper acknowledgement and thanks for able to do these things. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator, our Provider, our God, and our Heavenly Father. Help us to be thankful, to praise your name, and to testify to others what you have done for us. Help us to act according to your will and in a way that others will glorify you because of the way we act, speak, and glorify you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 105:1 (KJV): *What does Psalms 105:1 mean to me? *How do I imagine that it looked like when this psalm was first sung? *Which part of Psalms 105:1 do I do most often? *Which part of Psalms 105:1 do I do the least? *What can I do to better heed the words in Psalms 105:1? *What is God telling me through the words in Psalms 105:1? *What other verse or verses remind me of Psalms 105:1? Note: If you enjoyed this post and would like to read another on a similar topic, please press the following link. *Thankfulness/Giving God the credit Now, it is your turn: Thank you for being here. I pray that God blesses you in some way. If you feel called, please leave a comment and/or share the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with someone. I believe that we can all share and learn from each other. I also believe that we are called to encourage each other in God's Word and God's ways. If you haven't done so already, you may want to sign up below to receive the Faith Blog and other Faith content in your inbox. Until next time, God bless! 
“Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalms 100:3 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are enjoying the Psalms 100 Series by DUO Inspirations and are finding more joy in your life. Today’s verse seems more of a comfort than a joy. However, it could be a joy as well. I mean, knowing that “we are his people” and that I am part of the “we” makes me very joyful. Psalms 100:3 kind of reminds me of when people need to know their roots. I have heard stories where adopted children feel uneasy, because they don’t know their ancestry. They don’t know anything about their biological parents and they just kind of have a hole in their history that makes them feel confused, sad, or lonely. However, in Psalms 100:3, we are told our place in life and our roots. There is no uneasiness, confusion, sadness, or loneliness. We are God’s people. He made us. He loves us. And, we are the “sheep of his pasture.” Okay, not all people may like the idea of being referred to as sheep. However, if you knew how closely the shepherds back in the day watched over and cared for their sheep, you might not mind it so much. I believe it is very much like a term of endearment here. I was never a shepherd and don’t really know, but I am going to do a little imagining. I imagine that a shepherd led his or her sheep out to a part of the land that is filled with green grass for them to eat. It was far away from the house, so the shepherd had no one with whom to speak, so the shepherd probably often talked to the sheep. I imagine that the shepherd even named all the sheep, and got to know the sheep as individuals with their own little quirks. And, every so often when the shepherd counted the sheep to make sure they were all there, he or she would leave the flock to go find the one or two who had wandered off. This was probably not only done out of necessity of needing all the sheep for making a living, but also out of love. After all, I can imagine that if you spend most of your waking hours tending sheep, you tend to have a pretty close bond with those sheep. They are almost like friends and family. So, being called sheep isn’t so bad. And, being called God’s sheep is actually quite wonderful. God made us, knows all our little quirks, leads us, cares for us, searches for us when we are lost, and loves us. It is a wonderful feeling! There is a part of this verse that I don’t want to overlook and that is “not we ourselves.” It seems like that we are being reassured that we are made well and correctly. We are not “cheap reproductions”, but the real thing. We are made in God’s perfect way and not in any half-hearted, knock-off way. We are special to God. I know that in the beginning of this post, I said that this verse seems to be more of a comfort verse than a joy verse. However, as I wrote, I have felt myself feeling more and more joyful. So, I can actually say that I believe this is a joy and a comfort verse. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator and Shepherd. Thank you for telling us and reassuring us that we are your people and we are well loved. Help us to know the joy and comfort of the words in Psalms 100:3 in our every day lives. Help us to act and feel like your people. Help us to let you care for us and lead us as a shepherd cares for and leads his sheep. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:3 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:3 mean to me? *How does Psalms 100:3 make me feel? *Do I feel like God’s own? *Do I let God lead me in the same way that shepherds lead sheep? *Do I feel like God knows me? *Do I feel like I know God? Now, it is your turn. If you haven't read the Psalms 100 Series - Part 1 or the Psalms 100 Series - Part 2, you may want to do that. I hope you are enjoying the series as much as I am. I am so thankful that you are here. You are important to me. I look forward to reading your thoughts, so please comment below. What are your thoughts? If you have any prayer requests or suggestions, please contact me. If you find value in what I write, please share it with friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. 
“(A Psalm of praise.) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.”
Psalms 100:1 KJV Hi friends, How are you this week? As it is November and November is a month of thanksgiving, I thought I would do a series on a psalm that calls people to worship the Lord with song and thanksgiving, Psalms 100. I came across this psalm kind of accidently as I was searching verses about thankfulness. I don’t mean that I have never read it before. I mean that I have never noticed its beauty before. I don’t know about you, but I have kind of nonchalantly referenced some of the words in Psalms 100:1 when talking about my singing ability. I might say something like, “Well, I don’t know if I can sing, but I can make a joyful noise.” However, I think the words in Psalms 100:1 don’t really have anything to do with singing ability, but have a deeper meaning. I think the verse sets the tone for the entire psalm. In Matthew 12:30 (KJV),Jesus gives us these words: "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." It occurs to me that if we follow these words of Jesus, this verse and Psalms 100 will be like a summary of our behavior in life. So, how do we do that? What does that look like? In Psalms 100:1, we are all called to make a joyful noise. As with many other things in life, God doesn’t tell us exactly what to say or how to do it. He just says to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord….” I don’t know God’s intentions for sure here, but as for me, I think a joyful noise can be anything thing from laughter, to humming, to singing, to praising, to complimenting, to thanking, to glorifying God. What do you think? In Matthew 7:20 (KJV) Jesus says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” And, in Galatians 5:22, one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. So, this sums up the reason why we are called to make a joyful noise. If we know God and love God, it is often so easy to make a joyful noise. When our heart is full of love and thankfulness, we want to sing out or praise God spontaneously. If God lives within us, we will be joyful and people as well as God will know that we are His. At the end of Psalms 100:1, we are reminded that everyone in all the lands are called to be joyful and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. I am glad. It is nice to see others happy and it is even catching, just as a smile is apt to provoke a smile in return or a compliment is apt to provoke a compliment in return. Songs are like that too sometimes. We might hear someone singing a song and we just want to join in and sing along. Part of me wonders if the last part of the verse doesn’t just refer to people, but to all God’s creations. I feel joyful when I hear waves crashing against the shore, leaves rustling in a gentle breeze, hummingbirds humming and fluttering about, the gurgle of a babbling brook, or a crackling of a campfire. To me, they are all “singing out” and testifying of God’s glory and greatness. If they can do it, can’t we do it all the more? Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Creator and Heavenly Father. Thank you for calling us to be joyful. Help us to fulfill this calling not only when we are getting our way, but during all times to show others that we are yours. Help us to us to get close you and to “sing out” and testify of your glory and greatness. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Psalms 100:1 (KJV): *What does Psalms 100:1 mean to me? *Why do I think we are called to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord”? *Do I “make a joyful noise unto the Lord”? *What can I do to better fulfill the calling in Psalms 100:1? Now, it is your turn. What are your thoughts? Please, leave me a comment. I enjoy reading your thoughts and comments. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations blesses someone. If you find value in these words, please share them with your friends and family. Consider making an announcement at church that the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations is here. I pray before each post and pray that I write down God's message and His words for the blog and not my own. You may even want to sign up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. Also, if you have a prayer request, idea, suggestion, question, or topic request, please feel free to contact me. Thank you. God bless. 
“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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