Savoring the Scripture

Psalm 35 Prayer for the Persecuted Church, part 2 Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:9-11 NASB Paul, near the end of his life, told Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). And Paul had experienced this first hand as he testified in 2 Corinthians. He had been shipwrecked, thrown in a pit, beaten, stoned, hungry, and more.  Throughout the ages God’s people have suffered for the sake of the gospel and the Lord has at times delivered His people from great peril, and other times He has allowed their suffering for the spread of...

Psalm 35 Prayers for the Persecuted Church, part 1 The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Tertullian This week on the blog, we will be praying for the persecuted church. Most of us reading this blog are living comfortably and worshiping freely. But many of our brothers and sisters around the world are risking their lives to live for Christ. Let’s pray Psalm 35 this week for God’s protection of His people and the furtherance of His kingdom in the world. Charles Spurgeon said, “An inward persuasion of security in God is of all things the most precious in the furnace of persecution.” May the Lord use our prayers and the truth of His Word to supply His saints with the security and comfort that only He can provide. Access this  link  to go to the Voice of the Martyrs webpage for prayer requests and to see information on the countries around the world that are hostile or restricted as pertains to the Christian faith. I encourage you to pick a few countries for which you...

Psalm 34 Here’s the Christian life: we look back to what Christ has accomplished for us, and we look forward to the day when He will appear. Alistair Begg Easter is such a joyous time for believers. We celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, which is the hope of our own resurrection one day (1 Corinthians 15:20). The resurrection of Christ confirmed His deity, the satisfaction of His sacrifice for our sin removing the wrath of God from us, and the defeat of sin and death on our behalf.  Christ’s work on our behalf means we have confident access to the throne of God to plead for mercy and grace, not only for ourselves but for others, and especially for those dearest to us.  Psalm 34 is an acrostic using the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet to begin each verse with a couple of slight variations. Fittingly, there are 22 days until Easter, and I’d like to encourage you to take 22 days starting tomorrow and pray the prayer suggestions I have made using Psalm 34 as a guide. Maybe...

Psalm 33 Prayer for the Local Church  One of our first priorities in corporate prayer ought to be praying for the local church as a whole: for her holiness, unity, boldness, protection, and growth. Megan Hill, Praying Together God has redeemed for Himself a people for His own possession. While we rejoice in our personal salvation, the Lord did not save us to be on our own apart from the community of believers. We are one body sharing one Spirit, called in one hope of our calling, having one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6). We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people, who together edify and build one another up, growing up in all aspects into Him, who is our head, Christ (Ephesians 4:15). How sweet and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity! Let’s pray for our local body of believers to whom we have been united in our Lord Jesus Christ. A People Who Praise Him 33:1-5 Shout...

Psalm 32 Forgiveness  He is blessed indeed who has a substitute to stand for him to whose account all his debts may be set down. C.H.Spurgeon “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm‬ ‭103:12‬). These amazing words have offered much comfort and hope to many who have struggled with the weight and guilt of sin. While this wonderful gift has come to us freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, it was purchased for us by the blood of Christ. Part of our response of gratitude to such grace is to pursue holiness because He is holy. But even after salvation, we still struggle with indwelling sin. It is a healthy habit to come to the Lord and say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24). When He brings our sin to our attention, we need to confess and turn from that sin, rest in His forgivenes...

Psalm 31 A Broken Vessel Faith is the foundation of prayer. Charles Spurgeon In this world affected by the curse, there are many that are vulnerable. The vulnerable are those who are more susceptible to physical, mental, or emotional harm for a variety of reasons. For some it could be because of their age, young or old, or because of their position in their job or family, or worse, because someone has some kind of power or influence over them and is using it in a sinful way. Let’s pray for those who are in vulnerable situations, crying out to the Lord to see their need, strengthen their heart, and deliver them. Deliver Me! 31:1-5 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my ref...

Psalm 30 Victory In the Battle In God’s act of condescension to the psalmist’s need, He realized afresh God’s love for him. VanGemeren Is there anything looming on the horizon for you this morning? Is there a task that must be completed, a conversation that must be had, a doctor’s appointment that you must attend, a season of uncertainty you must forbear? Is there sin you must confess, forgiveness to extend, patience to exercise? We may feel powerless to even step one foot in the direction we need to go, but as God’s children, we can cry, “Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD be my helper!”(Psalm 30:10) and God is able to exchange your anxiety for His peace, your hurt for His healing, your anger for His forgiveness, and your mourning for His gladness. His faithfulness is trustworthy, and by faith we can look to Him to supply all we need for the next step of faith, no matter how small. I Cried to You 30:1-5 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my fo...

Psalm 29 Ascribe Him Glory Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6 NASB  Worship is responding to God in honor, awe, and respect in a way that reflects His worthiness. Worship is not confined to our Sunday morning gathering, but we can live our daily lives in a manner worthy of the God who has called us into His kingdom and glory. In Romans 12, Paul calls us, by the mercies of God, to present our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our spiritual worship (12:1). How we live moment by moment and day by day reveals what we consider worthy of our time and attention. Living a life of worship to God recognizes His authority in our lives, His undeserved grace to us, and the magnificence of the God we serve. In thankfulness, let’s praise Him today, whether we are in difficulty or prosperity, may His “praise be continually in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1). Glory and Strength 29:1-2 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and...

Psalm 28 Prayer During Spiritual Dryness In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭8:16‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬ There are times in the Christian walk where we experience times of spiritual dryness. Sometimes, we are weary because we have been seeking God’s help for a particular issue, and the request seems to go unanswered. Other times, it is our own lack of affection for the Lord or sin that brings a time of struggle in pursuing Him. During these times, it is hard to feel the nearness of the Lord. We read the Word and it feels like we are just checking a box off of our to-do list. We pray, and it seems like God is silent.  What are we to do? We continue seeking Him in His Word and through prayer. We plead with Him to give us eyes to behold His beauty and hearts to love and embrace Him. We keep trusting that, while it may seem we are wandering around in a dry wildernes...

Psalm 27 Prayer for the Anxious and Fearful But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, “Courage, dear heart,” and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s… C.S.Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. (1)  Our imaginations wield the power to envision many scenarios which can lead to feelings of fear, anxiety, or worry. Charles Spurgeon said, “Doubtless the shadow of anticipated trouble is, to the timorous minds, a more prolific source of sorrow than the trouble itself.” In other words, we can cause ourselves more fear and anxiety when we spend our time and energy dreading what might come than walking through the actual experience we are dreading.  It is not always easy to battle fear, especially during certain seasons of our lives. But we have the same God on our side that said to Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and c...

Psalm 26 Prayer for Your Pastors and Elders But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 NASB Our pastors and elders have a sobering and yet joyful task as they lead their local church. They are responsible to the Lord to faithfully shepherd His church teaching them the Word of God, living before them as an example, comforting the hurting, evangelizing the lost, and many other things. A faithful man who is striving to honor God in this role will feel the weight of these responsibilities and rejoice in this great privilege the Lord is equipping and has equipped him to carry out by God’s grace. As part of their local flock, let’s support them in prayer. A Man Proven, Tested, and Tried 26:1-7 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have ...

Psalm 25 Prayer for a Beloved Friend, pt.2 Yet I have come to understand even suffering, through the transforming power of the Cross, as a gift, for in this broken world, in our sorrow, He gives us Himself; in our loneliness, He comes to meet us. Elisabeth Eliott  God is so kind to give us one another in the body of Christ to fellowship with one another, encourage one another, and enjoy life together. But the greatest friendship He offers to us is intimate friendship with Himself. He purchased that friendship with the blood of His Son in order that we would first be reconciled to Him and then be able to draw near to Him and He to us. We will continue to pray for a friend today, but the relationship our friend needs the most is the friendship they have with God, and we will pray for a deepening intimacy with our Heavenly Father. The Friendship of the Lord 25:11-15 For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct ...

Psalm 25 Praying for a Beloved Friend, pt.1 Walking with a friend in the dark, is better than walking alone in the light. Helen Keller Friendship is a beautiful gift from God. I am thankful that He has blessed me abundantly with sweet friends throughout my life. True friends will speak truth, give comfort, be faithful, and encourage one another and much more. Friendship in Christ is even sweeter as we have the joy of being family, who all share the same Father. A wonderful privilege we have toward our sister-friends is to come before our Heavenly Father on their behalf. Today, let’s come before the throne of grace and seek our Father’s help for a friend. Lifting the Soul to God 25:1-3 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.   Heavenly Father, I pray: ▫️My dear friend would lift her soul to You, an...