Psalm 27  I have looked at this psalm many times, analyzed it, meditated on it... now I simply want to pray it...

Lord, You are my light - the radiance that fills my heart and shines on me.
You are my salvation - spiritually, physically, emotionally , relationally , so I do not need to fear.  Thank You!
No matter who comes against me, or against Your church, they will fail.  They will stumble.  For You are God alone and we can stand in full assurance of Your salvation.

I seek to dwell with You.  To abide in You always. I want to behold Your beauty, to hide in Your secret place.  I will sing and offer praises to You.  When I cry out to You,You hear me and are gracious to me.  When You ask me to seek Your face, I will... I do.... I am even now seeking Your face.

Please do not hide from me, do not abandon me or forsake me, even when I falter or fail.. but take me up and teach me Your ways.  Lead me in Your path. Deliver me from evil ones.  

I do not despair , even in these days of political unrest , immorality , and rebellion... for I know that You are good and we will always see Your goodness overcome evil and Your Light overcome darkness.  I will wait for You Lord.  I will be strong and take courage in You.  Yes, we, Your church will wait for You!

Amen.

Psalm 26   David professes his unwavering faith in his Lord. ...

" Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord, without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart."

Dare we pray this prayer?   Dare we ask the Lord, the Holy God, who knows us intimately and completely to judge our integrity, our faith, and our whole selves?  David boldly does this...
Yet only in this way, " For Thy lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth."
It is in the light of God's love and compassion that David can see himself - to view his own life as it were from God's point of view...

David takes an inventory of himself:
I don't put myself on the same side of those who are deceitful or those who pretend.
I hate those who gather together just to do evil and I don't sit and watch with those who practice wickedness.
I purify myself as required by the law and I worship accordingly.
I proclaim thanksgiving and declare the wonders of God.
I love the Lord's house because it is where God's glory dwells.


David's prayer is a humble plea:
" Do not take my soul away among the sinners, nor my life with men of bloodshed..... Redeem me and be gracious to me."

"As for me, I shall walk in my integrity"  David repeats.  It is not a statement spoken in pride or boasting, but a declaration of intent...
I am completely Yours, Lord!  I surrender all of myself to You.  It is in You that I am complete.
Integrity also can be defined as simplicity, uprightness, innocence, perfection, or complete truth.


Father, I also surrender to You, for You have shown me love and compassion. You have delivered me completely from sin.  You have made me righteous through grace, by the sacrifice of Your Beloved Son.  I don't not want to be associated with evil in any way.  Redeem me and be gracious to me.  Help us in this land Father, where wickedness and deceit abound more and more... redeem this land we plead.  For Thy Name's sake, amen.

Psalm 25  Such a wonderful prayer!

I want to meditate on verses 4-5  " Make me know Thy ways, O Lord; Teach me Thy paths.  Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation;" 

It is the Lord who we wait for - He is the God we trust, the One who is compassionate and full of lovingkindness;  the One who forgives our sins;  the One who is upright and good; the One who "instructs sinners in the way"and "leads the humble in justice".

"All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies."

Oh Lord, pardon our iniquity, "for it is great".
May we fear You appropriately.  Will You instruct us in the way we should choose?
May our souls abide in goodness.  May our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren live in Your Presence.  Make them to know Your Word and Your promises.  Write Your Word on their hearts. Oh Lord, our eyes look to You.  Turn to us and be gracious to us. Bring us out of distress and affliction.  Forgive all our sins.  Guard our hearts.  May we not be ashamed Lord, for we wait for You.
Amen

Psalm 24  " The earth is the LORD's , and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it." 


The earth - every mountain, every ocean, every nation, every city, every rock..
" all it contains" - all the gold, all the plants, all the animals, everything is His!
" those who dwell in it"  are His - Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist,  all are His!

He created it all.  He sustains it all. He was there in the beginning and will be there at the end.... and beyond.

But, who can "ascend into the hill of the Lord"?   Only those with "clean hands and a pure heart". 
Those who live by the truth... " who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood"; 
Those "who seek Him, who seek Thy face". 

The "King of glory" ; " the  Lord, mighty in battle";  the "Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory."

This is who we serve.  This is Whose Spirit dwells in us.  This is our God.

We are His Body, when we have believed on the Name of Jesus Christ and have been reborn by His Spirit.

Look at your hands... they are His.  Are they clean?  Oh, may we have clean hands, Your hands, Jesus.

Look at your heart.. is it pure? Cleansed from all falsehood?  Are you seeking Him alone?  Do you love Him with all your heart and soul and strength ?

Only, by the blood of Jesus and His redemption do we have any hope of salvation... for "He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation." 

King of glory, come in!  Come into our hearts and thoughts and deliver us from all that things that keep us from having clean hands and pure hearts!  May we repent and truly turn away from all unrighteousness.  May we be filled by Your Spirit. We belong to You alone. Keep us in Your hands we pray, in the Name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Psalm 23  The Shepherd's song....

Lord, You are my shepherd - my "ra'ah"  - You tend Your flock, You are the ruler;  You are my friend and companion, You are the keeper of Your sheep.

Because of Your constant care and attention, I do not lack anything.

You bring to the green pastures, where I can receive not only  food, but undisturbed rest so that I can gain health, secure in Your Presence.

You lead me to still water, where my thirst is met, and I am content.

You restore my soul... ministering to me when I am in need, lifting me up when I stumble and fall.

You guide me in the right paths, so that I stay safe and strong in Your ways.

You take me through the valleys, never forsaking me, so that we can go up onto the mountain heights together.

Your Presence takes away fear.
Your rod and staff are the symbols of Your authority over all of creation, and this comforts me.
You see the enemies and deal with them so that I can enjoy Your blessings even in their presence.

You anoint me with Your oil... healing and protecting me... always aware of my frailness.

"My cup overflows." I am satisfied and content.. and grateful for Your provision and care for me.

Your goodness and love follow me, pursue me, chase me, "dog" me... Keeping me within the boundaries You have chosen for me.

I belong to You for now and forever.  I will dwell with You eternally.
Bless Your Holy Name.
amen

Psalm 22  How did it come about that David wrote these words?  What anguish was he facing that made him feel that God was forsaking him?  Jesus cried out these words on the cross.... and we recognize His anguish,  but we do not know what the circumstances were when David first penned these lines.  Yet ,  he must have felt the same stark emotions, either in his reality or in his spirit, right?

Don't we all?  At some time in our lives.. whether caused by our own mistakes or by circumstances outside of our control.. we feel abandoned.  Our prayers are unanswered and we are weary but unable to rest.  Like David.

Yet, David turns from his sighing and turns to praise:

" Yet, Thou art holy. 
O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
In Thee our fathers trusted;
They trusted and Thou didst deliver them. 
To Thee they cried out , and they were delivered.
In Thee they trusted, and were not disappointed." ( v3-5)

In spite of how we feel about ourselves and in spite of how others treat us, sneering and saying, "Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." This is actually not bad advice...

For we also are brought forth from our mother's by Him and for Him.
We are also surrounded by enemies and yet not overcome.. for God is our Savior!
He does not despise us.
He does not hide Himself from us. 
He does hear our cries. 
We will find satisfaction in Him!

So praise Him!
Tell His Name to your brothers!
Praise Him in the assembly.
Glorify Him.
Stand in awe of Him.
Pay your vows to Him.
Seek Him and praise Him.
Worship and declare His righteousness.
Serve Him and declare His greatness to the next generation.
Amen.

Psalm 21  Exalt the Lord and sing praises to Him for He:

Makes us glad in His strength
Gives us joy in His salvation
Blesses us with our heart's desires
Answers our prayers
Meets us "with blessings of good things"
Crowns us with golden crowns
Graces us with real life
Reveals His glory through His great salvation, His splendor and majesty in His Presence

He is the One who blesses us, makes us joyful and glad in His presence.
He is trustworthy and loving towards us.
He deals justly with the enemy.
He destroys the wickedness.
He causes evil plots to fail.

Yes, be exalted Lord!  Praise to You, God Almighty!

Father, our strength is little, but You are strong, stronger than everything and everyone!  You alone can save us from sin and death, and we rejoice that You have chosen to do just that by Your grace and mercy. Thank You.  Then You go beyond that and hear our heart's desires, our petitions, and our pleas for help... and You give us even more blessings.  You love us and grant us entrance into Your Presence. Oh may we grasp the wonder of Your love freely offered to us.. Be exalted O Lord! Amen.

Psalm 20  Another excellent prayer - to pray for family or friends, or for anyone;

May the Lord answer you when you face troubles.
May the power of His Name lift you up higher and bring security to you.
May He send you help and support from His faithful followers.
May He think of Christ and His sacrifice that is acceptable on your behalf.
May He grant you the desire of your heart.
May He fulfill your purposes.
May the Lord fulfill your petitions.

For:
He brings about victories.
He brings joy!
He is our banner!
He saves His chosen ones.
He answers our prayers.
His strength saves us .

We boast in His Name, not in chariots or horses, nor in our own might... for we have none.
While the enemy is humbled and falls, we will rise and stand upright before our King, Who answers us when we call.

( My paraphrase).

Lord God, Almighty and Holy Father,  I turn to You in troubles and in peace, and You are my Refuge. You hear my prayers and You send me help.  You have redeemed me with the blood of Your own Son. How can I thank You enough?  To ask that You grant me the desires of my heart seems too much, but it is what You have offered.  Thank You.  To ask that You fulfill Your purposes for me... is such an awesome privilege .  Lord, my prayer is that Your will be done in my life, always and forever, and that I might walk with You every moment. May all glory and power and honor be Yours. Amen.

Psalm 19  Love this psalm!   God speaks to us through His creation... if we just listen!
The heavens declare His glory.
"Their expanse" declares "the work of His hands."  The beauty and the greatness of the universe, so far beyond man's comprehension, let alone his grasp... reveal to us the greatness of our God.  His Word tells us here that we can gain knowledge, unveiled to us from day to day and night to night.
We just have to listen...

As the sun rises and travels across the sky to set once again, it proclaims to us God's faithfulness, power, and glory. Nothing hides from its heat, verse 6 tells us.  All of life is affected by this one tiny star, one of thousands in God's creation.

Yet, even greater things are given to us... for God speaks to us through His law.
His law is "perfect "  - without blemish, complete, unspoiled Truth.
It is able to restore the soul - To bring us back home -
It is able to make us wise
It can make our hearts rejoice - for it is right.
It can enlighten our eyes - for it is pure.
It endures forever.
It is true and righteous.
It is desirable... more than the finest gold or the sweetest honey.

The Word of God gives man warning and hope.  It warns us of the consequences for not keeping His Word and the reward for keeping it.

Like David, we cannot even discern our own errors until the Lord opens our eyes.  Lord, "acquit me of hidden faults... keep ( me) back from presumptuous sins"  O thank You Lord for the salvation through Jesus Christ, Who shed His blood, to pay the penalty for all our sins.

"Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. " 
Amen

Psalm 18 David praises and thanks the Lord for all He has done for him. We are instructed to remember and declare the mighty acts of God and to praise Him.  David practices this in the psalms he wrote.  This one is a good example of that and gives us words to speak .

We love You , Lord for You are:

our strength
our rock
our fortress
our deliverer
our refuge
our shield
the horn of our salvation and our stronghold.  You are worthy to be praised.

We call on You in our distress and You hear us.
You shake the earth, You bow the heavens, You come down to us.
You conquer darkness.  You bring Light.
You speak the thunder.  You scatter the lightning.
You lay bear the foundations of the world.

You draw us out of the waters.
You deliver us from the enemy.
You are our stay.
You  bring us to safety.
You rescue us.
YOU DELIGHT IN US!

You reward us according to our righteousness.
You recompense us for the cleanness of our hands.
You see when we have kept Your ways.
You see our efforts to flee sin and remain blameless.

You show Yourself kind to the kind.
You show Yourself blameless to the blameless.
You show Yourself pure to the pure.
You show Yourself astute to the crooked.

You save those who are afflicted.
You illumine our darkness.

Your way is blameless.
Your word is perfect.
You are a shield to those who run to You.
You are a rock.
You gird us with strength.
You make us blameless.
You set us on high places.
You train us for battle.
You give us a shield of salvation.
You hold us in Your right hand.
Your gentleness makes us great.
You enlarge our steps.
You keep our feet from slipping.
You gird us with strength for the battle.
You subdue the enemy.
You deliver us from contention.


"The Lord lives and blessed be the rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation..."
I give You thanks!
I   will sing praises to Your Name.
It is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord that we can pray these words,
Amen.

Psalm 17  David does make the Lord his refuge and hiding place.  He prays to the only One who hears and can help...

" Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry; give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips."   David knows that he must search his own heart before he prays, to be assured that his requests are right and honest before the Holy One.

"Let my judgement come forth from Thy presence..."  David trusts the Lord's judgement more than his own for God :
looks with equity(v2)
tries the heart(v3)
visits us personally(v3)
tests our integrity(v3)
sees our intents and purposes(v3)
knows our paths(v4-5)

and hears our cries...(v6)

David directs his prayers to the One who answers -
The One who hears our speech
The One who shows lovingkindness
The One who is Savior to those who hide in Him
The One who is so close that our reflection is seen in His eyes
The One who gathers us under His wings.

The One who confronts the wicked and delivers His own.
The wicked live for this world only - this is his "portion" - they may receive wealth, they may have great families, they may leave "their abundance to their babies"...  but they do not have hope like those who trust in the Lord.

"As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake." 

Contrast the portion of the wicked - worldly treasures, children, even wealth ( v14)  with the portion that David claimed in Psalm 16:5 " The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup..." 
Which is better?  "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere." as the song goes... Psalm 84:10 is the source , " For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside.  I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness." 

Yes, this is true and we believe it... but do we live it?  Do we view the Lord, our God as our portion or do we put our claims on the treasures of this mortal life?

Father in heaven, Your kingdom come and Your will be done.  Let Your Name be honored and praised in all the earth.  Lead us in Your paths and be our portion.  Renew, renovate, and transform our thinking by the power of Your Word, I pray, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Brother Lawrence says in his letter recorded in the book, The Practice of the Presence of God, "... if in this life we would enjoy the peace of paradise we must accustom ourselves to a familiar, humble, affectionate conversation with Him."  The psalms that David wrote are surely evidence of such an intimate relationship.  This psalm, number 16, is a testimony of that.

" Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in Thee. I said to the Lord, 'Thou art my Lord; I have no good besides Thee'" ( 1-2) 

"The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup." (5)

" I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;..."

" I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (8)

" For Thou will not abandon my soul to Sheol" ( v10)

"Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever." ( v11)

My Adonai, my Sovereign Ruler,  I take refuge in You.  You are my shelter, my protector, and my confidant, in Whom I put my trust.  You are my inheritance, my portion, my cup, my lot, my heritage, for You have determined my beginning and my end.  You have given me a place in Your kingdom, in Yourself, and it is beautiful and perfect for me.  You counsel me, You are my advisor, and You guide my path and give me purpose.  I set You before me as my compass and my finish line. I am heading straight for You.  You are before me and beside me, so I do not need to worry or fear, but rejoice and rest securely in Your care.  You will never abandon me, even in death.  You will instruct me along this path, this road, this race;  of life.  You will bring me into Your Presence where there is fulness of joy and eternal pleasure.  

How can I ever thank You enough, O Lord, for Your kindness towards me?  Like others before me, I want to live in this familiar, humble, intimate relationship with You. May it be so.. amen.

Psalm 15   O Lord, I want to abide in Your tent and dwell on You hill!  
May I walk with integrity and do righteousness. 
May I speak truth in my heart.
Keep my tongue from slander and my hands from evil.
Keep me from reproach against my friend.
May I honor those who fear You and turn away from those who hate You.
Help me to always keep my promises, even if it causes me harm.
May I always be fair and honest in my interactions with others.
May I not be shaken.

I know that these things are important to the Lord, for they are repeated over and over in His word.
David writes them in this wonderful psalm. But even David was not able to do this on his own.

Father, fill us with Your Spirit that we can abide with You and You in us. I ask this in the name of the Righteous Savior, Jesus Christ, amen

Psalm 13  Even in the times when we think that the Lord has forgotten us, when He hides His face from us, when we feel such sorrow... God is faithful.  Like David, we must have faith to say, " but I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. "



Psalm 14 " The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'"

The Lord sees that man is corrupt.
He knows that none do good.
He sees our lack of understanding.
He sees the corruption and abominations.
He knows the wickedness.

But, He is with those who are His, the righteous.
He is our refuge.
Like Israel , we wait for Him,  for the day of His return.  We long for that glorious day when
faith will be sight.

Father, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen

Psalm 12  " Help Lord..."   David prays and we echo his cry.
".. for the godly man ceases to be..."   A truth in our time as well.
".. for the faithful disappear.."    
"They speak falsehood to one another." 
"With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak." 

Like David, we can entreat the Lord to "cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; who have said, 'With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?'"

And the Lord's response is , " Now  I will arise, says the Lord; I will set him ( the afflicted) in the safety for which he longs;" 

The Lord's Words are pure, refined, and preserved.  He will cut off the wicked and raise up the humble.  He will overcome for us.  He will be our refuge and our strength .

Those who think they can ignore God will find out that He is the Sovereign ruler of heaven and earth.

Thank You Father, that You are Lord of all.  That You are righteous and just.  You are kind and merciful.  Help us Lord, in this land where You have caused us to dwell.  Cut off the boastful and deceitful man or woman that they may cease their lies and flattery.  May they humble themselves and repent.  May they seek You and find You. May they bow before You, for You alone are worthy of praise and worship.  In the Name of Jesus our Lord we pray. Amen.

Psalm 11  " In the Lord I take refuge...."  David says,  and we know that was true for him.  Is it true for me?  Do I flee to Him for protections?  Do I confide in Him?  Do I have hope in Him?

When the world tells us to hide...when they are prepared to shoot us down or shoot at us.. when they want to destroy the foundations on which we live... do we trust God?

" The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold,  His eyelids test the sons of men.  The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.  For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face."

Todays newspaper tells of lying politicians, violent attacks, and threatening nations... But we have a God who loves us.  Who justifies those who believe in Jesus..

  Lord, I turn to You and seek You!  You never change.  Your plans and purposes will be completed.  I turn to You for refuge and for hope.  I will trust You for my life, my family, and my church.  There is no other God that abides in heaven and sits on the throne.  You alone see our hearts and know our needs.  Thank You for the gift of righteousness through Christ the Lord.  For I hold to the truth that I will behold Your face. O glorious thought.  amen.

Psalm 10  The wicked :
pursue the afflicted;
boast of their desires;
curses the Lord;
thinks that there is no God;
prospers;
snorts at his adversaries;
believes himself unmovable;
is full of curses and deceit;
speaks mischief and wickedness;
kills the innocent;
spies on the unfortunate;
lurks in dark places;
believes that God can't see him..

But, Lord, You do see him. And Your judgements are righteous.  You will break the arm of those who do evil. You are "King forever and ever"!  You make nations perish.  You hear the cry of the humble.
You strengthen our hearts.  You vindicate the oppressed.  You stop the terrorists.

"Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Thy hand.  Do not forget the afflicted."

Father,  You are God and Your nature is love.  You see the wickedness on this planet and You will judge rightly.  You see those who are suffering and those who live in constant fear of suicide bombers and hate-filled terrorists.  You see the hearts of us all.  Mighty God, have mercy on us.  Bring people to Your Son, to know the truth.  Open blind eyes and break hardened hearts. Bring repentance to our world.  You are mighty to save and Your grace is sufficient.  Thank You for the assurance of Your perfect plan and wonderful hope in Christ our Lord, Amen.

Psalm 9 " I will give thanks to the Lord with all of my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders." ( v1)

Thank You Lord, that You are perfectly just.
Thank You for maintaining just causes.
Thank You for judging righteously.
Thank You for rebuking nations and destroying wicked men.
Thank You for stopping enemies and uprooting evil.

Thank You for revealing Yourself to us.
Thank You for showing us Your glory and You eternal abiding presence.
Thank You for giving us hope in You, who rules sovereignly and will execute righteous judgement.
Thank You for being the stronghold for the oppressed.
Thank You for being faithful to those who put their trust in You.
Thank You for never forsaking us who seek You.

Thank You for hearing the cry of the afflicted.
Thank You for being gracious to us, to me.

I rejoice in Your salvation, my Lord and my God.
I praise Your Name, O Most High.
I sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
You have made Yourself known.
You have executed judgement.
You have remembered the needy.
You have trapped the wicked in their own traps.
You will not allow man to prevail.
You will judge the nations.

" Put them in fear, O Lord; Let the nations know that they are but men,"

I will give thanks to the Lord with all of my heart!  Amen!