praying the Psalms

The Bible seems to come alive the more time I spend there. For years I have been reading Proverbs on a daily basis. Those verses come alive. Some days are more clear than others. Yet God knows and so many days gives me just what I need in what I read.

Recently I picked up a book titled Praying the Psalms by Daniel Henderson and his organization Strategic Renewal. Powerful tool. (Check out www.strategicrenewal.com for that and other resources as well as great content on prayer). This book guides you through use the Psalms in your prayer time.

Henderson has experienced great moves of God, and I have been encouraged to renew my commitment to prayer and to lead our church to pray more together. There are some specific reasons why. Let me try to share…

Often we seek the hand of God. Meaning we ask Him to work and do so many things. Then we often miss spending time with God or seeking His face. If we would seek more of the face of God, we would see more of the hand of God. Yet by seeking the hand of God, we see less of the face of God.

Does that make sense? We want from God, but we don’t want to be in the presence of God. Or maybe it is just not the priority. Seek His face and time in His presence. Then note how you see the hand of God.

In this devotion I will simply give you a few verses to use in prayer. Pray the Psalms. Like tell God what the verse says and thank Him for that truth.

Psalm 3:3-4 NLT

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. 4 I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude

Psalm 5:7-8 NLT

Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe. 8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.

Psalm 10:16-18 NLT

The Lord is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land. 17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. 18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.

There is SO MUCH more out there. But that is a taste.

Seek the face of God today through prayer. Powerful prayers of truth and full of Scripture. Check out Henderson and Strategic Renewal.

Finally, please pray for the trip to Cuba next week and the retreat I will help to host May 5-7 for the FCA sports ministry staff in Cuba. Thank you! God is good!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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