April 26, 2020
We are taking 21 days as a church to focus on prayer. During this time we are going to use the prayer and songbook of the people of God, the Psalms. Read and meditate on the psalm each day with us and then, in response, pray that Psalm in your own words. Our devotional authors have provided an example of their own prayer of the psalm to help! Our desire is to see our people grow in their prayer life during this time.
Psalm 17 is a special use of the psalm of lament; it is a prayer of protection and a protest of innocence. Though David sometimes suffered under the heavy hand of God due to unconfessed sin in his life, there were other occasions in which he insists that his present troubles are not caused by any fault in his life. In such a case he calls upon God to vindicate him.
God indicates through this psalm that He has special concern for people who experience undeserved suffering, even though He allows the trouble to come for reasons that may never be known in this life.
David’s prayer begins with a plea for vindication. By protesting his innocence, David hopes to convince God to move on his behalf and deliver him from his trouble.
In verses 3-5, David acknowledges God’s testing. God knows David’s needs as well as what is in his heart; David’s prayer helps him to focus on the source of his strength and reaffirm his determination to live a pure life.
In verses 6-9 David presents in poetic language the mercy of God. David asks for God to show the wonder of His great love and hide him in the shadow of His wings.
David renews his plea for vindication in verses 13-14. In the last verse David, having rejected the idea that the pleasures of this life are ultimately fulfilling, anticipates the day when he will awake in glory and be made in the likeness of God.
This psalm is a protest of injustice and a plea to God for His justice to prevail. Christians can be equally honest with God in prayer: taking our concerns about injustice and suffering to God is a basic part of the Christian response to evil and suffering!
If we experience injustice, we can approach God, knowing that eventually He will correct the situation. And while we may not see that correction in this life, we can rest assured that God will one day correct all injustice and have complete victory!
Read Psalm 17 then pray, seek God’s protection, and be honest with God. It will make a difference in your relationship with Him and in your prayer life!
Psalm 17
In the Shadow of Your Wings
A Prayer of David.
1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!
3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They have now surrounded our steps;
they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
12 He is like a lion eager to tear,
as a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O Lord,
from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;
they are satisfied with children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Prayer:
Father hear my prayer! I do not understand why Christians go through suffering and frankly I do not like it. But I know your ways are greater than mine and your knowledge exceeds my comprehension.
Lord I trust in your mercy and grace for I know your justice will prevail. Your justice may not occur in my lifetime, but the final victory is yours. I think you Lord for being a righteous judge, a saving Lord, and a comforting spirit.
Lord please protect my family, my church family, my friends, and myself through the Covid-19 pandemic. Father I know what satan meant it for harm, but you can turn it into good. Help us to see your hand at work. May people see your mercy and grace! May this pandemic draw people back to you and a spiritual awakening occur throughout the world. May your name be glorified.
In name of Jesus I pray, amen!
It’s comforting to wake up, read his word and pray. Amen, amen!!
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is so wonderful to read in Your Word each morning. You know my heart is heavy. I have suffered so many wrongs in my life, despite all of my efforts. Satan has put his nasty grip on my family and tried to destroy it. But because I am a child of Yours, I know he will not win. I am asking for Your Power and Strength to help fight against Satan. I see him at every turn , yet I know You are with me. Please cover me with Your Protection and shield me from his arrows. I will stay by your side forever, til this life ends. I look forward to the day when every knee shall bow at the very mention of your name. “For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able…” Thank you for Your love and many blessings. In Jesus’
name. Amen.
Amen.
Dear Almighty Father,
Jan’s prayer has said it so well and from her heart. The pain she expressed, I too, live with in my own family , as you know. I pray for the release of Satan from her loved ones as well as my family also. We know that You desire all would return to you and repent. Strength from your HOLY SPIRIT to overcome , Father, in the name of Jesus Christ , AMEN.
Amen!!!
Thank you God for sending Jesus to give me life and make me an overcomer of my circumstances. I thank you for a love that I can’t be separated from You. Through prayer and friendships in Christ you bless my walk as I continue to seek you daily. Please give me courage to truly believe your promises, especially this one about always being there, when I am uncertain of certain situations in my life.
In the name of your loving Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Thank you Lord for being a loving and just God.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are righteous and holy. You hear my prayers for help and protection, and you know the concerns I have for my family regarding the evil in our world. You provide a safe place for us in the shadow of your wings where we are protected from the enemy that is near. Thank you for your constant care.
You bend down and listen as my heart pours out to You.
Guard, protect, and arise, O Lord! Stand against the evil forces and invisible enemy that lurks in our world. I pray for healing and renewal of our land and our hearts during this COVID-19 outbreak. I pray this time will be used to draw Your people closer to You and for others who don’t know you, to find you. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Thank You, Father God, for the sunshine of this glorious Sunday. We all are missing our church homes and our church families and that sweet, sweet joyful worship. Keep us strong during this time of trial. Help us to recognize your many blessings in all of this. Walk with America and the stricken world to the other side of this pandemic and help us be more like you in it and through it and remember all of this on the other side. There are lessons here; help us open our eyes that we may see your plans for us. In your precious Son’s name we pray. Amen and amen.
Amen!!
I know God has a plan through all this pandemic. I pray people will come closer to God through this. Amen
Lord, you are our steadfast love. All of us have at times justly suffered for our unconfessed sins. And yet, at other times, we all have suffered for no particular reason. We can find living hope in biblical figures such as David who sinned egregiously at times, and yet whom you yourself called “a man after God’s own heart’. Acts 13:22.
Lord help my steps to hold fast to Thy path. I am so thankful that You answer me when I call. I pray for protection, guidance and peace for us all during these crazy times.
We are the apple of His eye.
Thank you Lord!! Yes indeed.
Amen and amen thank you Lord
I so agree with my dear friend Chuck Hinton. I thank you for the example of great hope as David was forgiven of deep sin and sought you with a heart that truly loved you. I too love you and am desperate for your forgiveness and direction every day. Thank you Lord for always being there for me when I cry out to you! Thank you for your unending Mercy.
Lord as you say in 2 Peter 2:9 You Lord know how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished, however You also say that You wish non to parish. Oh Lord how much Your love is. I humbly wait on what You are doing. Power and Glory to You Jesus. In Your Name I pray Amen.
Thank You for loving us, protecting us, leading us, and saving us. Although we are undeserving, we can trust and have faith that You are with us always. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Thank you dear Jesus for loving me and protecting me through the storms. You are the Great Shepherd, the Great Healer, and the Great Sustainer. I know You will do what Your Words says.
Oh, pure and holy and righteous Father, hear the pleas of this filthy sinner.
Cover me with the blood of forgiveness.
It’s your desire that none be lost.
Before you use your sword, call out to them, one more time.
Remove the scales from their eyes, the wax from their ears.
Soften their hearts to hear your voice calling to them.
Save one more for your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Amen!
Lord, give me compassion for those who are suffering unjustly. May my response to injustice be the same as David’s: to come to you and cry out to you, expressing my trust in you.
Our Father in Heaven we come to you in the name of Your son Jesus, we adore you, we praise you we give you all the glory not because of who we are but because of Who You are , You are our loving and most gracious Heavenly Father, You are our King and master, You are our Savior and Deliverer from this crisis, You are our provider for everything we needed, physically, emotionally, and spiritually throughout this lockdown. Give us the courage to forgive others so you will forgive us with our sins. We acknowledge what you’ve done in our lives for the past weeks, we pray that we will not be the same who comes out as when we came in. Help and guide us to the new normal, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, Amen!
Amen!
Lord I thank you that no matter what, I am the apple of your eye and you hide me in the shadow of your wings. I thank you that I can cling to that throughout this pandemic, knowing you are always near. Help me to see the blessings each day, and thank you for your steadfast love that never ever fails.
Amen!
I am the apple ? of Your eye. ??
Each and every one of us are the ?apple of Your eye.??
❤
Revive us again O Lord! Even so come Lord Jesus!
God, Our Father in Heaven. thank you for waking me up everyday with a healthy, positively and hopeful day. I know that I am the apple of your eye and that you will protect us and guard us and hide us through the shadow of your wings, especially right now with the Covid-19 pandemic, I know that you will help us get through it and that you will defeat this virus and will proclaim your Victory O Lord. Thank you for your unending Love and blessings always. We love you in Jesus I pray, Amen!
It is times like these that we can lean on your promises knowing that we are your children covered by your grace. Thank you Father for loving us. Amen
dear Lord help me to like your servant King David, amen.
Thank you Lord for opening my eyes so that I may see and my ears so that I may hear. I am so grateful for this time to meditate on your word. I have sinned and fallen short. Please create in me a clean heart. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
I pray vs. 3 everyday through the finished work of Christ on the cross. If it is by my strength alone, I can never make such claim. I am brought low and also empowered to say “keep me as the apple of your eye”, “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me”, “You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty”. And finally??” I through His righteousness, I will see His face when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing His likeness”. What a glorious and joyful claim all because of the Finished Work of my Savior! Father, I surrender, help my focus to be directed by your kingdom goal because you said in Jeremiah 29:11 that you know the plans You have for me. Justice rests in you father, fight our battle and save us in Jesus name. Amen!
Amen!
I thank the Lord for this great Psalm. As I have suffered through some severe pain the last couple of weeks from kidney stones, I have done a lot of talking with my Lord. I know that whatever His will be done that His Grace is sufficient, 2 Cor. 12:9-10, for me. For by His Grace I have my salvation, Ephesians 2:8-9. My most earnest prayer is that my love ones & friends that don’t know Him will come to accept Him through my witnessing to them. Let us keep our lanterns trimmed that people will see a light in us that they may come to know Christ for His Glory! In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray!
It is refreshing to know that God has His protected hand on his followers. I’m assured of that because He said so in His Word. I pray that through this situation with the virus, that moment by moment, many come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. I am so happy that CFBC is having church services and our Life Group is on board with a weekly class to keep us connected. As Pastor Morris said today, stay engaged and my thought is don’t lose sight that God will turn all this around for His good and keep us safe. Thank you for the daily devotional. God Bless, Carolyn
15 … “when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.”
Father, I can be so self-consumed & “to-do” consumed. When I wake, please PULL me into You so that I will be satisfied, satiated, completed, filled, with Your likeness. Give me a desire for You & Your Word. I do not have it on my own.
Seven days into this challenge and my prayer rhythm is growing stronger each time!
Thank you Lord that you, “keep me as the apple of your eye,” ( v. 8). You have so much affection for me, that you are near me, so closely gazing upon me that I can see my own reflection in your eyes. I am your creation with meaning, purpose and made in your image. I can have confidence that when I am in trouble and feel alone, you have not turned your back on me. You are with me, waiting to hear my voice, wanting to speak into my life. You hear my every word, thoughts, you know my every need and you desire me to know you, so that I can follow you because you have a good plan that includes what is in my best interest.
Thank you father for Lord God for another day and thank you for all the blessings that are new every morning. Thank you that you see past my iniquities and love me anyway. You are my strength and my hope. I know that this season of social distancing is temporary and that it will end when you think we’re ready. Thank you for your protection, your love and your grace.
Amen!
Lord forgive us when we in our flesh look for judgement on our enemies instead of mercy. Teach me Lord how to honestly pray for those that despitefuly use us and abuse our love for you for if we do not forgive then neither can we expect your forgiveness, for we all have sinned and fallen short of your glory. May your name be lifted up and glorified as our enemies see this and repent of their ways for this is why you have asked us to pray rather for our enemies and called us upward in this matter. Please hurry dear Lord and give them a heart of flesh and vindicate us in this way. As David said we shall then be satisfied when we awake in your likeness.
Lord, please be with all those suffering because of the virus. I pray that these trials will strengthen our faith and resolve to be a witness for you.