Welcome to Week 18 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. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. 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. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
April 29
The Psalmist said, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1 NASB)
In your prayer time just now, make "Refuge" your title for God. Call Him "Refuge." Make that part of how you address Him during your prayer time this week. And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What does "Refuge" reveal about You?
(2) What does "Refuge" reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How could my calling you "Refuge" impact and influence my relationship with You?
In your prayer time just now, make "Refuge" your title for God. Call Him "Refuge." Make that part of how you address Him during your prayer time this week. And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What does "Refuge" reveal about You?
(2) What does "Refuge" reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How could my calling you "Refuge" impact and influence my relationship with You?
April 30
When you think of the word "refuge" apart from Scripture, what places come to your mind? What attributes characterize those places?
What makes a refuge qualify as a good refuge?
What might make a refuge inadequate or a poor choice?
Having considered the attributes of refuges, now spend your prayer time meditating on what sort of refuge God is.
Praise Him for the attributes that make Him a wonderful refuge.
Confess to Him the lesser refuges you have sometimes sought.
Thank Him for the times and ways that He has been a refuge to you.
What makes a refuge qualify as a good refuge?
What might make a refuge inadequate or a poor choice?
Having considered the attributes of refuges, now spend your prayer time meditating on what sort of refuge God is.
Praise Him for the attributes that make Him a wonderful refuge.
Confess to Him the lesser refuges you have sometimes sought.
Thank Him for the times and ways that He has been a refuge to you.
May 1
"Refuge" is not a traditional relational title, yet still some counterparts are implied. If God is my refuge, then I must be a "refugee" or "fugitive."
In your prayer time just now, make those titles how you identify yourself as you call God your "Refuge." And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What do those counterpart titles reveal about me?
(2) What do they reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How might those titles impact and influence my relationship with You?
In your prayer time just now, make those titles how you identify yourself as you call God your "Refuge." And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What do those counterpart titles reveal about me?
(2) What do they reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How might those titles impact and influence my relationship with You?
May 2
While the word "refuge" is used multiple times in the Psalms as a way of describing the Lord, in the Old Testament Law it is used many times as a designation for certain cities.
By God's design, Israel had within its borders a handful of cities and towns that were identified as "cities of refuge." The legal principle was that, if a person had killed someone accidentally (see, for example, Deuteronomy 19:4-7), a relative of the deceased might seek revenge. And so the innocent person was to flee to the nearest "city of refuge" where he would be kept safe from the avenger.
That understanding of "refuge" would have dominated the Israelite mind. When the Psalmist calls God his refuge, therefore, we might borrow from that bit of case law found in the Old Testament. Picture the Psalmist as an innocent person who needs to run somewhere to be kept safe from whatever is out to get him.
Most of us are not likely to experience the tragedy of accidentally killing someone. But we know the experience of feeling like innocent victims. We know what it is to feel threatened by someone or something. And so we recognize the impulse to find somewhere to hide.
The Psalmist does one better than the Law's "cities of refuge." Rather than just somewhere to run to, the Psalmist affirms Someone to run to. During your prayer time just now, make that the theme of your honest conversation with God.
Call Him your Refuge. Lay out before Him the things that threaten you -- the things that threaten your health, your future, your well-being, your soul, your relationships, etc. And affirm that you run to Him for protection and safety.
By God's design, Israel had within its borders a handful of cities and towns that were identified as "cities of refuge." The legal principle was that, if a person had killed someone accidentally (see, for example, Deuteronomy 19:4-7), a relative of the deceased might seek revenge. And so the innocent person was to flee to the nearest "city of refuge" where he would be kept safe from the avenger.
That understanding of "refuge" would have dominated the Israelite mind. When the Psalmist calls God his refuge, therefore, we might borrow from that bit of case law found in the Old Testament. Picture the Psalmist as an innocent person who needs to run somewhere to be kept safe from whatever is out to get him.
Most of us are not likely to experience the tragedy of accidentally killing someone. But we know the experience of feeling like innocent victims. We know what it is to feel threatened by someone or something. And so we recognize the impulse to find somewhere to hide.
The Psalmist does one better than the Law's "cities of refuge." Rather than just somewhere to run to, the Psalmist affirms Someone to run to. During your prayer time just now, make that the theme of your honest conversation with God.
Call Him your Refuge. Lay out before Him the things that threaten you -- the things that threaten your health, your future, your well-being, your soul, your relationships, etc. And affirm that you run to Him for protection and safety.
May 3
We have considered before the principle that, in any relationship, there are reasonable expectations. And if the person with whom we are in a relationship is good -- i.e., a good friend, a good employer, etc., -- then our reasonable expectations are higher.
Earlier this week, we contemplated the attributes of a good refuge. And we concluded that if the Lord is our Refuge, then surely He would be characterized by those attributes.
Accordingly, what can you reasonably expect from the Lord as your Refuge?
Spell it out. Make a list.
And then talk through those expectations with Him.
Earlier this week, we contemplated the attributes of a good refuge. And we concluded that if the Lord is our Refuge, then surely He would be characterized by those attributes.
Accordingly, what can you reasonably expect from the Lord as your Refuge?
Spell it out. Make a list.
And then talk through those expectations with Him.
May 4
The Psalmist says, "Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." (Psalm 5:11 NIV)
Earlier this week, we acknowledged that, if God is our Refuge, that makes us refugees. Ordinarily, the plight of a refugee is such that we don't associate it with being glad and singing for joy. And yet, if a desperate refugee has found a wonderful refuge, then it would, indeed, be a cause for celebration and gladness.
Our risk is that we will not recognize how good a Refuge He is. And so, even after running to Him, we continue to be anxious and afraid, rather than relishing and enjoying the "place" we have found.
In your prayer time just now, talk to the Lord about the sort of Refuge He is, and about the residual fear and anxiety you may feel even after running to Him. Ask Him to help you relax, trust, and enjoy.
Earlier this week, we acknowledged that, if God is our Refuge, that makes us refugees. Ordinarily, the plight of a refugee is such that we don't associate it with being glad and singing for joy. And yet, if a desperate refugee has found a wonderful refuge, then it would, indeed, be a cause for celebration and gladness.
Our risk is that we will not recognize how good a Refuge He is. And so, even after running to Him, we continue to be anxious and afraid, rather than relishing and enjoying the "place" we have found.
In your prayer time just now, talk to the Lord about the sort of Refuge He is, and about the residual fear and anxiety you may feel even after running to Him. Ask Him to help you relax, trust, and enjoy.
May 5
As we conclude Week 18, we want to meditate a verse Charles Wesley's "Jesus, Lover of My Soul."
"Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing."
Pray through that verse. Say it to the Lord.
Then say it again in your own words.
Then say it with your own elaboration on each line. That is, expand on each thought in terms of your own circumstances and your own relationship with God.
"Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing."
Pray through that verse. Say it to the Lord.
Then say it again in your own words.
Then say it with your own elaboration on each line. That is, expand on each thought in terms of your own circumstances and your own relationship with God.