The Lord Our Answer (Psalm 20, Part 2)

The Lord Will Answer Us (verses 6-7)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2020:6-7&version=NIV

Since we find it so easy to put our trust in our stock portfolios or in the security of our jobs, we are more likely to rely on the Lord when we have nothing. May we release our confidence in things, and rely on God alone. May we find our only hope and defense in the name of the Lord our God.

Thank You for the confidence You give to us, Lord. Thank You that You do hear and answer us. Forgive us for our reliance on material things. Help us to trust in Your name alone.

The Lord Our Answer (Psalm 20, Part 1)

In our battle against temptations we can pray this psalm. May we find our answer in a right relationship with God.

Lord, Answer Us (verses 1-5)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2020:1-5&version=NIV

God’s divine name indicates His self-revelation. The more we know His name, the more boldly we can pray to Him. Through Jesus, God’s Son, the people of God come from all nations to form the transnational body of Christ. In our madly rushing society may we pause at the cross. Our victory is our confession of Jesus Christ as our Savior.

May you, Lord, answer us when we are in distress; may Your name protect us. Send us help from Your sanctuary. We pause at the cross of our Lord Jesus. Accept the sacrifices of our hearts. Give us the desires of our hearts as we lift up Your name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6YY2hsd-WQ

God's Work and Word (Psalm 19, Part 3)

Our Response: Prayer (verses 12-14)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2019:12-14&version=NIV

God’s Word helps us avoid sins and offers a way of restoration with God. We delight in God’s Word because through it we discover God and our place in His creation. May God’s Word provoke in us a response of prayer.

Thank You that our Lord Jesus Christ forgave our sins, making us blameless. May these words of our mouths and this meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord;

In every star thy wisdom shines;

But when our eyes behold thy word,

We read thy name in fairer lines.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

God's Work and Word (Psalm 19, Part 2)

God’s Word: Scripture (verses 7-11)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2019:7-11&version=NIV

God’s Word brings refreshing. On it we can build our lives, as its precepts bring joy and insight. God in His Word reveals His will and evokes reverence, trust, and obedience. These contrast to post-modern concepts of compromise and relative truth.

Father, thank You for Your Word. Your law is perfect, refreshing our souls. Your statutes are trustworthy, giving us wisdom. Your precepts are right, enlightening us. Your righteous ordinances are sure. May the joy Your Word brings attract others to that Word.

God's Work and Word (Psalm 19, Part 1)

As we do God’s work, may the light of God’s Word illuminate our prayers.

God’s Work: Creation (verses 1-6)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2019:1-6&version=NIV

A star in the heavens revealed the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ as it guided the Magi from the East. With the resurrection of Christ, the Son of Righteousness rose as the sun rises in the east. Look at the sun and it blinds you, look at the Son and He enlightens you.

Thank You, Creator God, for Your majestic creation. The heavens declare Your glory; the skies proclaim the work of Your hands. May this locale of incredible natural beauty revealing the glory of Your creation turn the attention of those in our community to You.

http://www.geneva.edu/object/newsong_live_psalm19

Rejoice in God's Victories (Psalm 18, Part 3)

The Rejoicing (verses 46-50)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2018:46-50&version=NIV

Ultimately dependent on God’s gracious mercy for our lives, we praise Him. We experience His presence in our lives in direct proportion to our dependence on Him.

The Lord lives! Praise be to our Rock! Exalted be God our Savior. Thank You that You are the God who saves us. Therefore we will praise You among the nations.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;

Thy mercies, how tender! How firm to the end!

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

Robert Grant (1785-1838)

Rejoice in God's Victories (Psalm 18, Part 2)

The Righteousness (verses 20-29)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2018:20-29&version=NIV

May the One who, Himself righteous, suffered on the cross for our sins make us righteous. God’s grace provides the resources we need to cope. As we fear God we depend on His gracious mercy for our lives.

Lord, deal with us according to our righteousness. Help us to keep Your ways. All Your laws are before us; help us not to turn away from Your decrees. Help us to be blameless before You and keep ourselves from sin. You, Lord, reward us according to our righteousness. Thank You that You save the humble.

The Rout (verses 30-45)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2018:30-45&version=NIV

The integrity and purity of God’s Word gives victory to those who come to Him in righteousness. He has made our way blameless through His Son’s death and resurrection. May we experience the messianic King as God’s chosen and perfect way.

Thank You that Your way is perfect; Your Word is flawless. Thank You for shielding all who take refuge in You. You arm us with strength and keep our way secure. Thank You, Lord God, that all Your actions are filled with justice, truth, tenderness, mercy, and holiness. Help us to follow Your way.

Rejoice in God's Victories (Psalm 18, Part 1)

In victorious compassion Christ descended to our level to give us victory for which we rejoice.

The Refuge (verses 1-3)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2018:1-3&version=NIV

God provides us an unshakable refuge. In Him we can rest secure from all attacks. May it please us more that God is our strength, than that God gives us strength; that God is our salvation, than that we are saved.

We love You, Lord, our strength. You, Lord, are our rock, our fortress and our deliverer; in You we take refuge. You are our strength and our salvation. We call to You, who are worthy of praise.

The Rescue (verses 4-19)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2018:4-19&version=NIV

Creation is no longer stable, with earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis. This instability undermines any sense of human self-reliance. Since God is concerned with our distress, rescuing us through His Son, we must place our trust in God alone.

In our distress we call to You, Lord. Our cries come before You. Thank You for reaching down from on high and taking hold of us, drawing us out of deep waters. You, Lord, are our support. Thank You that You rescue us because You delight in us. We know that You who established the earth can remedy any disruption.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=corqRijNzxo

A Prayer of Confidence in God's Protection (Psalm 17, Part 3)

A Prayer of Hope (verses 14-15)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2017:14-15&version=NIV

We too often follow our society’s insistence that what we believe is personal opinion. As a result, our lives have little to distinguish us from the world around us. May we see God’s face and by it be changed into His image. Jesus Christ is our hope.

Lord, by Your hand save us from this world who seek rewards in this life. Give us satisfaction with seeing Your likeness. Thank You that we see Your face in Jesus.

Even before I make the request, my predicament does not escape you, nor are you ignorant of all the designs in my heart that I experience in the night and ponder by day.

Diodore of Tarsus (4^th c.)

A Prayer of Confidence in God's Protection (Psalm 17, Part 2)

A Prayer for Protection (verses 6-9)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2017:6-9&version=NIV

God protects us in our troubles, providing refuge and answering our prayers. With Christ our Protector may our prayers keep pace with our confident expectation of God’s refuge.

We call on You, our God, for You will answer us. Turn Your ear to us and hear our prayers. Show us the wonders of Your great love. Thank You that You save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You. Keep us as the apple of Your eye. Hide us in the shadow of Your wings as we face opposition to Your love.

A Prayer for Deliverance (verses 10-13)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2017:10-13&version=NIV

The outward expression of sinful people reflects their inner being. While we may be weak and foolish like sheep; we have a wise and strong Shepherd, who rescues us from sinful people, and we can pray to Him for deliverance.

Thank You, Lord, that we have a wise and strong Shepherd. Rescue us from sinful people. Rise up, Lord, confront them, rescue us from the wicked.

A Prayer of Confidence in God's Protection (Psalm 17, Part 1)

May we pray this prayer in confidence that God will protect us.

A Prayer of Innocence (verses 1-5)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2017:1-5&version=NIV

We can claim innocence because the condemnation we deserve was taken by Jesus on the cross. God examines us through the Word of God made flesh in Jesus Christ. Only by God’s grace and His Word can we follow His path of truth.

Hear our prayer, Lord. Listen to our cry. Remove deceit from our lips. Our vindication comes from You. Your eyes see what is right. Probe our hearts, examine us and test us. Though people try to entice us, keep us from violence. Keep- our steps on Your paths. Keep our feet from stumbling. Help us to obey Your Word.

http://www.geneva.edu/attach/42411?type=support&primitive=0

God's Path of Eternal Presence (Psalm 16, Part 3)

God our Joy (verses 9-11)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2016:9-11&version=NIV

We can rest in God with peace and joy, knowing that we are with Him for eternity. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the confidence that our relationship with God will not end at death. With our line of sight fixed on God we can enjoy His pleasures forever.

Our Father, with glad hearts we rejoice in You. Thank You that You will not abandon us to the grave, nor will You let us see eternal decay. Thank You for making known to us the path of life; thank You for filling us with joy in Your presence, Thank You for eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Continue to fill us with joy and the pleasure of Your presence.

Thanks be unto You, Lord Jesus, for Your bitter sufferings, Your shameful death, and Your joyous resurrection. Enlighten our eyes to see in You the way unto life. Uphold us by Your truth, so we may not fall into idolatry and false worship, and preserve us in the true faith unto eternal life. Amen.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

God's Path of Eternal Presence (Psalm 16, Part 2)

God our Security (verses 5-6)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2016:5-6&version=NIV

Because God is our security we have a delightful and eternal inheritance. May we enjoy the pleasantness of dwelling with God and His inheritance.

You, Lord, are our portion. Thank You for the security we have in You. Thank You for our delightful inheritance.

God our Counsel (verses 7-8)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2016:7-8&version=NIV

Just as Jesus regularly waited on His Father for direction may we seek counsel from God’s Holy Spirit. The more we think of God, the more our desires for Him will increase, and we find ourselves set on His firm foundation.

Lord God, we praise You for Your counsel and instruction through Your Word. Keep our eyes always on You Because of Your presence with us, we will not be shaken.