Welcome to Week 20 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.
May 13
Last week, we acknowledged that the Lord is not automatically our refuge. We may choose to make Him our refuge, or we may choose something else.
The Psalmist declared, "God is our refuge and strength." (Psalm 46:1 NASB)
In your prayer time just now, talk to the Lord about the relationship between "refuge" and "strength." Specifically, does your refuge automatically become your strength? Or do you sometimes take refuge in your weakness?
Talk to the Lord about times when you have made Him your refuge and times when you have made something else your refuge. What has been the difference between the relationship of refuges, strengths, and weaknesses?
The Psalmist declared, "God is our refuge and strength." (Psalm 46:1 NASB)
In your prayer time just now, talk to the Lord about the relationship between "refuge" and "strength." Specifically, does your refuge automatically become your strength? Or do you sometimes take refuge in your weakness?
Talk to the Lord about times when you have made Him your refuge and times when you have made something else your refuge. What has been the difference between the relationship of refuges, strengths, and weaknesses?
May 14
"Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." (Psalm 62:8 NASB)
In this verse, the Psalmist implies a connection between three themes: trusting God, pouring out one's heart to Him, and His role as a refuge. In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about those connections.
Lord, show me how (a) trusting You and (b) pouring out my heart to You go together.
Lord, show me how (a) trusting You and (b) You being a refuge go together.
Lord, show me how (a) pouring out my heart to You and (b) You being a refuge go together.
In this verse, the Psalmist implies a connection between three themes: trusting God, pouring out one's heart to Him, and His role as a refuge. In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about those connections.
Lord, show me how (a) trusting You and (b) pouring out my heart to You go together.
Lord, show me how (a) trusting You and (b) You being a refuge go together.
Lord, show me how (a) pouring out my heart to You and (b) You being a refuge go together.
May 15
"Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." (Psalm 62:8 NASB)
For several weeks, we have been focusing on the Lord as our Refuge. That focus has been primarily at the personal level. That is, we have been thinking of Him as Refuge for the individual.
In the selected verse from Psalm 62, however, the Psalmist makes it a plural phenomenon. "Trust in Him at all times, O people," he says, as though addressing a group. And, likewise, he affirms that "God is a refuge for us," making the application of the truth a corporate one rather than merely an individual one.
In your prayer time, talk to the Lord about His role as a refuge not only for you as an individual but also for some group(s) of which you are a part.
Lord, with whom should I play the role of the Psalmist?
Lord, what would be the look of a group I'm part of trusting You together? Pouring out our hearts to You together? Making You our refuge together?
Lord, what would be the results?
For several weeks, we have been focusing on the Lord as our Refuge. That focus has been primarily at the personal level. That is, we have been thinking of Him as Refuge for the individual.
In the selected verse from Psalm 62, however, the Psalmist makes it a plural phenomenon. "Trust in Him at all times, O people," he says, as though addressing a group. And, likewise, he affirms that "God is a refuge for us," making the application of the truth a corporate one rather than merely an individual one.
In your prayer time, talk to the Lord about His role as a refuge not only for you as an individual but also for some group(s) of which you are a part.
Lord, with whom should I play the role of the Psalmist?
Lord, what would be the look of a group I'm part of trusting You together? Pouring out our hearts to You together? Making You our refuge together?
Lord, what would be the results?
May 16
"But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress." (Psalm 59:16 NASB)
"You have been," the Psalmist says. This is not someone crying out to God as refuge in the present tense. Rather, this is someone looking back and recalling how the Lord has been his refuge in the past.
And the result of that looking back? Joyful singing!
In your prayer time just now, set aside for a moment whatever your present need for refuge may be. Look back and recall a time (or times) when the Lord has been your stronghold and refuge. Think of His lovingkindness in your life. And let that give rise to joyful songs of praise in your heart!
"You have been," the Psalmist says. This is not someone crying out to God as refuge in the present tense. Rather, this is someone looking back and recalling how the Lord has been his refuge in the past.
And the result of that looking back? Joyful singing!
In your prayer time just now, set aside for a moment whatever your present need for refuge may be. Look back and recall a time (or times) when the Lord has been your stronghold and refuge. Think of His lovingkindness in your life. And let that give rise to joyful songs of praise in your heart!
May 17
The language of Psalm 91 takes our understanding of refuge one step further. "For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place." (Psalm 91:9 NASB)
The verse suggests a parallel between "refuge" and "dwelling place." Our instinct may be to think of a refuge as a temporary sort of a shelter -- a place you run to for shelter, but then leave as soon as the crisis is past. A "dwelling place," by contrast, sounds like the spot where you unpack and settle in, where you make yourself at home.
Surely there is this difference between people. On the one hand, those who make the Lord a temporary refuge where they run in crisis. On the other hand, those who make the Lord their home, their permanent address.
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about your own experience and pattern in this regard.
The verse suggests a parallel between "refuge" and "dwelling place." Our instinct may be to think of a refuge as a temporary sort of a shelter -- a place you run to for shelter, but then leave as soon as the crisis is past. A "dwelling place," by contrast, sounds like the spot where you unpack and settle in, where you make yourself at home.
Surely there is this difference between people. On the one hand, those who make the Lord a temporary refuge where they run in crisis. On the other hand, those who make the Lord their home, their permanent address.
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about your own experience and pattern in this regard.
May 18
The Psalmist's use of refuge in Psalm 34 invites us to consider our understanding of our salvation. "The Lord redeems the soul of His servants," he writes, "and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned." (Psalm 34:22 NASB)
We don't know that the Psalmist was thinking in spiritual terms, but when we read the verse through the lens of the gospel, we see the spiritual truth of it.
Consider how the sinner takes refuge in Christ as his or her Savior.
Then, in prayer, ask the Lord how taking refuge in Christ as your Savior is connected to the truth that "the Lord redeems the soul of His servants."
Then, in prayer, ask the Lord how taking refuge in Christ as your Savior is connected to the truth that "none of those who takes refuge in Him will be condemned."
We don't know that the Psalmist was thinking in spiritual terms, but when we read the verse through the lens of the gospel, we see the spiritual truth of it.
Consider how the sinner takes refuge in Christ as his or her Savior.
Then, in prayer, ask the Lord how taking refuge in Christ as your Savior is connected to the truth that "the Lord redeems the soul of His servants."
Then, in prayer, ask the Lord how taking refuge in Christ as your Savior is connected to the truth that "none of those who takes refuge in Him will be condemned."
May 19
As we conclude Week 20, we want to consider the name of the Lord as a refuge.
In the days of the prophet Zephaniah, the Lord expressed this promise for the future: "But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD." (Zephaniah 3:12 NASB)
In something of the same spirit, Charles Wesley sang, "I hide me, Jesus, in Thy name."
Lord, what does it mean to hide in a name? How is Your name a refuge for me? And what wonders does that reveal about Your name?
In the days of the prophet Zephaniah, the Lord expressed this promise for the future: "But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD." (Zephaniah 3:12 NASB)
In something of the same spirit, Charles Wesley sang, "I hide me, Jesus, in Thy name."
Lord, what does it mean to hide in a name? How is Your name a refuge for me? And what wonders does that reveal about Your name?