21 Days of Prayer
Key Verse:
Psalm 13:3-6 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:3-6
Prompt:
This week's focus: Live by Faith
Today, praise God for your salvation! Thank Him for His goodness and unfailing love! It is because of Him that we can live a life of faith.
Ask God to help you trust Him in every season. Ask Him to use you today to help others see God’s unfailing love so they can place their trust in Him for all eternity.
More:
Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.
Where does your mind go when you hear the word “father?” Do you think back on fond memories of your childhood? Maybe you think about wisdom given to you by a father figure as an adult. Or, maybe you have no experience with an earthly father at all. For me, the proud dad of a beautiful eight-month-old boy, the word “father” takes on an entirely new meaning now than it did eight months ago. I constantly compare my relationship with my son to the relationship I had with my father as a child. As confident as I am in my skills as a dad, there is always room for improvement, especially in comparison to how our Heavenly Father cares for us as believers. After reading these 2 chapters, I believe Psalm 12 has something substantial to say about the character of the Lord as our Father.
“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
As accident-prone as I was (and still am), I can remember many times that both of my parents were there to wash my scrapes and tend to my bruises and broken bones. However, it was my father who was there by my side taking care of me when I was most hurt, usually from activities of the fun and dangerous kind...that my mother was unaware of! Somehow, he always seemed to patch me up and fix whatever was that I had broken before we even made it back to the house. He was always there to protect me the moment I needed him. How many times do we find ourselves in situations where we exhibit just how weak and needy we are as humans? It is exceedingly comforting to think about the Lord hearing our “sighs” when we call out to Him. Similarly to how an earthly father is supposed to care for his children, this passage says that the Lord will rise up and lead us to safety from oppression and our neediness. Even though we are focusing on chapter 12 in today’s devotion, we can take a look back at Psalm 10:14.
“But you have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”
God both hears us and sees us in our troubles and hardships. When we submit and commit ourselves to Jesus and his word, He is faithful to care for us as a father cares for a helpless infant. We can be assured of this in Psalm 12:6-7.
“The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.”
When we read scripture that is meant to encourage us in our most vulnerable state, we can take heart in the fact that God’s Word is true, and He will not only keep his word, but He will preserve it for others to read for generations. Today we can be thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping us safe and patching us up spiritually, especially when we find ourselves needing it the most.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
- Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
- SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
- OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
- APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
- PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.
- Prayer: Father, we know that you will maintain us. We know that you are faithful to adhere to your word. We know that when we call out to you humbly and in faith, spiritual mountains can and will be moved. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your unending mercy and unyielding love. We praise you and honor you. To you be the glory. Amen.