Welcome to Week 12 of A 2020 Prayer Life!
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
March 18
During this week, we want to continue to pray through the lovely poem by Henry Baker. Inasmuch as Baker writes from the perspective of the sheep, we may make his words our own. The poet begins:
"The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine for ever."
Talk to the Lord -- the King of love, your Shepherd -- about His goodness.
What does it mean, Lord, to affirm that Your goodness never fails? How do I know that that's true?
Lord, help me to understand the difference between "You are good" and "life is good."
"The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine for ever."
Talk to the Lord -- the King of love, your Shepherd -- about His goodness.
What does it mean, Lord, to affirm that Your goodness never fails? How do I know that that's true?
Lord, help me to understand the difference between "You are good" and "life is good."
March 19
Let's continue to use the first verse of Henry Baker's poem to guide our prayer time:
"The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine for ever."
Baker offers a fascinating interpretation of the Psalm. The Psalmist declares that, because the Lord is his shepherd, "I shall not want." Meanwhile, Baker's version exclaims, "I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine forever."
Meditate on both the Psalmist's testimony and the poet's. Talk to the Lord about the truths you discover.
Thank Him for His provident care.
Praise Him for His sufficiency.
"The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine for ever."
Baker offers a fascinating interpretation of the Psalm. The Psalmist declares that, because the Lord is his shepherd, "I shall not want." Meanwhile, Baker's version exclaims, "I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine forever."
Meditate on both the Psalmist's testimony and the poet's. Talk to the Lord about the truths you discover.
Thank Him for His provident care.
Praise Him for His sufficiency.
March 20
Today we pray through the second verse of Henry Baker's poem:
"Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul he leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth."
Clearly Baker is pointing beyond ordinary water and mere grass. Talk to the Lord about this.
Lord, while an ordinary shepherd meets the basic physical needs of his sheep, what is it that You provide for me?
Thank Him for your "ransomed soul."
Thank Him for where He has led you in order to provide for the needs of your soul.
"Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul he leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth."
Clearly Baker is pointing beyond ordinary water and mere grass. Talk to the Lord about this.
Lord, while an ordinary shepherd meets the basic physical needs of his sheep, what is it that You provide for me?
Thank Him for your "ransomed soul."
Thank Him for where He has led you in order to provide for the needs of your soul.
March 21
In his fourth verse, Henry Baker tracks very closely to the original language and imagery of the Psalm. We want to make that verse the jumping off place for our praying today.
"In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me."
Good Shepherd, is there a difference between the places that You deliberately lead me (e.g., green pastures and still waters) and other places that I simply must go?
Good Shepherd, these are times when I feel that I have been "in death's dark vale"...
Good Shepherd, did I know You were with me at those times and in those places? Do I see it in retrospect?
Good Shepherd, help me to make the assurance of Your presence the source of my peace, no matter where I am.
"In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me."
Good Shepherd, is there a difference between the places that You deliberately lead me (e.g., green pastures and still waters) and other places that I simply must go?
Good Shepherd, these are times when I feel that I have been "in death's dark vale"...
Good Shepherd, did I know You were with me at those times and in those places? Do I see it in retrospect?
Good Shepherd, help me to make the assurance of Your presence the source of my peace, no matter where I am.
March 22
Both the Psalmist and Henry Baker make mention of the shepherd's rod and staff. These basic tools of the shepherd were used for guiding, retrieving, disciplining, and defending the sheep.
Think about what the Lord has used in your life to perform each of those functions. Make a quick list of the first things that come to your mind.
Talk through that list with the Lord. Thank Him for the rods and staffs He has used in your experience.
Apart from this Psalm, we might not naturally associate a rod or a staff with comfort. They are not soft or warm. Why, then, do you suppose that the "sheep" regarded these as sources of comfort?
Good Shepherd, have I known Your rod and staff in my life? Have I enjoyed them as sources of comfort? Do I take comfort in them today?
Think about what the Lord has used in your life to perform each of those functions. Make a quick list of the first things that come to your mind.
Talk through that list with the Lord. Thank Him for the rods and staffs He has used in your experience.
Apart from this Psalm, we might not naturally associate a rod or a staff with comfort. They are not soft or warm. Why, then, do you suppose that the "sheep" regarded these as sources of comfort?
Good Shepherd, have I known Your rod and staff in my life? Have I enjoyed them as sources of comfort? Do I take comfort in them today?
March 23
We turn today to yet another verse of Henry Baker's poem.
"Thou spread'st a table in my sight;
Thy unction, grace bestoweth:
And O what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!"
The Psalmist's testimony, which Baker recalls, was that the Lord prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies. Notice that the testimony is not that there are no enemies or that the Lord eliminates all enemies. Rather, it is a picture of God's provisions and generosity even in the context of enemies.
Talk to the Lord about your experience of this. Is this part of your testimony? When have you known His provision even in the midst of facing some "enemy"?
"Thou spread'st a table in my sight;
Thy unction, grace bestoweth:
And O what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!"
The Psalmist's testimony, which Baker recalls, was that the Lord prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies. Notice that the testimony is not that there are no enemies or that the Lord eliminates all enemies. Rather, it is a picture of God's provisions and generosity even in the context of enemies.
Talk to the Lord about your experience of this. Is this part of your testimony? When have you known His provision even in the midst of facing some "enemy"?
March 24
As we conclude Week 12, let us pray through the final verse of Henry Baker's poem:
"And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever."
Thank your Shepherd for His unfailing goodness.
Thank Him for the prospect of being in His house forever.
Sing His praise for all that you have learned about Him as the Good Shepherd.
"And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever."
Thank your Shepherd for His unfailing goodness.
Thank Him for the prospect of being in His house forever.
Sing His praise for all that you have learned about Him as the Good Shepherd.