Psalm 116

I love You Lord, because You hear my voice and listen to my pleas for mercy.
Because You incline Your ear to me,
I will call on You as long as I live (Ps 116:1-2).

The snares of death, they have encompassed me.
I suffer distress—anguish.
So I call on Your name, O LORD,
pleading, “Rescue me, my FATHER” (Ps 116:3-4)!

CHORUS:
You have delivered my soul from death—

my eyes from tears—my feet from falling.

In Your presence—in this world,
I will walk before You, LORD (Ps 116:8-9).

Gracious are You—O LORD, righteous;
Full of compassion You are.
You protect the simple-hearted.
when I was brought low, You saved me (Ps 116:5-6).

How merciful You are; You preserve—You save.
I am engulfed by Your love Whenever I look at You.

CHORUS:

BRIDGE:
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
GOD has dealt bountifully with me (Ps 116:7).

Return, O my soul,
To your rest.

CHORUS:

ENDING:
I will walk before You, LORD (Ps 116:8-9).

Humility

“The head must be bowed low to the dust to admit that we are no better than what Jesus had to become for us” (ref#100, p77).

FATHER, let me daily review my total inability to help myself. You do not help me occasionally, like picking up a just-learning-to-walk child when he falls, no, I am in the troughs of an enemy who labors day and night to devour me (1 Pet 5:8). I need to envision myself daily in the middle of a ring of fire needing You to reach Your hand down and pluck me out.

“The bedrock in Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; weakness, not strength of will; infirmity of character, not goodness; a sense of absolute poverty, not decisions for Christ…(Matt 5:3)” (ref#83, p90).

“If we grow down in humility and up in worship—leave off all sin and the diverting pleasures of this world and persevere because we desire Christ supremely—we could not fathom doing anything to grieve One so infinitely glorious—One who saves to the uttermost and ever lives to intercede one as vile as me” (ref#141, April 9, 2006).

The Sin of Fretting

“Worry is a window into the unregenerate soul [Matt 6:32]—worry is the evidence that satisfaction is being sought apart from God—the soul is searching for satisfaction in idols, the fear that an idol may not be available— worry is the evidence of what one is pursuing, of laying up treasure on earth” (ref#141, “For the Love of Christ,” Jan 22nd, 2006).

FATHER, I know that all fretting and worry is caused by calculating without You (ref#7, July 4th). I also know letting the enemy’s thoughts take root in my head is disastrous but they seem to get planted before I realize. I have to experience Your intervention or I will spin in circles reviewing in my head all the carnal and evil suggestions that are there.

“…don’t take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never anything else that worries us” (ref#7, May 23rd).

In all situations You put in my path the ending is more important than the beginning. My mistake is being at the beginning of a situation and wanting to see a swift and good ending, but You control the situation; I need not be concerned about the outcome.

FATHER, show me the blessings of leaning—leaning on You as the situation unfolds and caring only about Your will in the situation, not a comfortable outcome for me. Worrying is unbelief.

“Worship is what is evoked by the presence of God. It is a response, not a self-initiated, creative activity on our part. Worship is the only activity that can involve the totality of our personality without any residue” (ref#79, p156).

I Am CHRIST’s

FATHER, HIGH and LIFTED UP!—to what uprightness,
to what advantage and approval,
to what confidence, to what wonder,
my fellowship with You has progressed me” (ref#61, May 17th).

I am CHRIST’s, (1 Cor 3:23) His by donation,
For You gave me to Your Son.
His, through the purchase of His blood;
He paid the price of my redemption (ref#34, Jan 12th AM).

I am CHRIST’s, (1 Cor 3:23) His by dedication,

For I have consecrated myself to Him.
I am CHRIST’s, (1 Cor 3:23)

His by relation, “Named by His name” (ref#34, Jan 12th AM).

“Oh for a heart to love Thee!
Oh, for grace to glorify Thee” (ref#61, May 17th)
Always be more precious and more precious,
So that I may increase my devotion to Thee (ref#61, May 17th).

The Bible is Flawless

FATHER, You permitted a fallible man (the Apostle Paul) to write the below quote about other’s words that are written in the Bible. Actually, You not only permitted, but You compelled him to write it.

“Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction,…” (2 Tim 3:16 AMP).

Words written in the Bible never came by human impulse; no man ever wrote out of his own will to do so. Instead Bible writers recorded Your will. They were moved along, actually impelled, by the HOLY SPIRIT (2 Pet 1:21). No Scripture is a matter of any man’s own interpretation (2 Pet 1:20).

FATHER, a great swim coach may not know how to swim. The writers of Scripture were not perfect as You are perfect. But, You made their words perfect by giving them the HOLY SPIRIT who called to their remembrance all that You had
said (John 14:26).

You spoke by the mouth of Your holy prophets (Acts 3:21). It is an insult to You to say their words contain error—or are contradictory.

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Prov 30:5 ESV).

Prayer Facts:
“…in everything by prayer whose essence is that of worship and devotion and by supplication which is a cry for your personal needs, with thanksgiving let your requests for the things asked for be made know in the presence of God,” (ref#37, p467, [Philippians 4:6]).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You are the Fashioner and Maker of all things (Jer 10:16), I will wait for You.

Because You make all the nations of men and determine their allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (Acts 17:26), I will wait for You.
Because there is no human wisdom or understanding or counsel that can prevail against You (Prov 21:30), I will wait for You.

JESUS the Righteous Judge

FATHER, You give dominion and glory and a kingdom to Your Son, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed (Dan 7:14).

You have appointed Your Son to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). When He comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne and before Him all the nations will be gathered and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matt 25:31-32).

He will place the sheep on his right, and the goats on His left. Then Your Son, the King, will say to those on His right, (Matt 25:33). “’Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34 ESV).

But He will say to those on His left, “’Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41 ESV). And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matt 25:46).

FATHER, in a world of unfairness, I thank You for JESUS, the Righteous Judge.

The Divine Weapons of Warfare – Shoes

FATHER, ____ is at war with enemies among men that oppose (him/her). (He/She) is exposed often to fiery persecution. (He/She) must contend with “carnal and corrupt propensities” of (his/her) own nature also. But (his/her) main controversy is with “invisible spirits of wickedness” (ref#16, [Eph 6:12]). FATHER, remind ____ that (he/she) must strive against these fallen spirits for the heavenly things which are promised (him/her) otherwise (he/she) will be deprived of them (ref#15, [Eph 6:12]).

FATHER, may ____ not be hindered by unprotected feet as (he/she) prepares to face the foe. Accelerate (his/her) desires to deliberately shod (his/her) feet with the firm foundation of the principles of the Gospel so (he/she) can march toward the enemy with confidence and uninterrupted cadence (Eph 6:15).

“…you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light” (Ps 56:13 NLT).

Working Out My Own Salvation

FATHER, move me to work out my own salvation—but not on my own. Keep me always accepting what You give. I wish to let You set me apart.

“The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh” (ref#7, July 23rd).

FATHER, Your mystery of sanctification is JESUS. All His sinless perfection You pour into me. And as You pour, I continually change slowly and surely into holiness (2 Cor 13:4).

If there is any effort on my part to be exerted it is to seek to know CHRIST better—“in His divine nature, in His human relationship, in His finished work, in His death, in His resurrection, in His present glorious intercession, and in His future royal advent” (ref#34, Jan 4th AM). The reason You have made me one with

JESUS is so His disposition will rule my disposition (ref#7, Feb 8th). This “working out my own salvation” is to let You, FATHER, more quickly change me. Allow me to experience the closeness of JESUS, FATHER, so that His presence pushes anxious thoughts away that I may see clearly Your direction before me.

Satan Stands Before GOD and Accuses Me

FATHER, it bothers me greatly that satan stands before You and accuses me day and night (Rev 12:10). Even though he hates Your presence, he is willing to appear before You to accuse me (ref#18, [Rev 12:1-11]). And his accusations are true! He lies to me but speaks truth to You. Day and night—continually, he gives me a bad name before You—day and night! How is it that You can 24-7 insist on loving me against all the facts?

This prosecutor, satan, has the evidence to convict me and I have no arguments in my defense for I do go through each day a sinner just as he says. It is an absolute necessity to have CHRIST represent me. Impress upon me the seriousness of my inability to stop sinning and the seriousness of depending on CHRIST. By the “blood of the Lamb” You, FATHER, set me free (Rev 12:11). You cast satan out of

Your court, crushing his indictments (ref#18, [Rev 12:1- 11]). So, I commit my cause to CHRIST, my Advocate (ref#18, [Rev 12:1-11]). In confession, CHRIST, You are my Savior; and because You are my Savior I gladly make You my LORD.