Welcome to Week 9 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.
February 26
We are contemplating the titles and salutations used for God in Scripture, and we are letting them inform and enhance our own relationship with Him. This week, we turn to one of the most familiar and cherished titles. Yet for as familiar as it is, it may be that we have never used it in our prayer lives.
In Psalm 23, David famously wrote, "The Lord is my shepherd." (Psalm 23:1 KJV)
Have you ever called Him "my Shepherd" in prayer?
In your prayer time just now, make that your title for God. Call Him "Shepherd." Make that part of how you address Him during your prayer time this week. And talk with Him today about these questions.
(1) What does "Shepherd" reveal about You?
(2) What does "Shepherd" reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How could my calling you "Shepherd" impact and influence my relationship with You?
In Psalm 23, David famously wrote, "The Lord is my shepherd." (Psalm 23:1 KJV)
Have you ever called Him "my Shepherd" in prayer?
In your prayer time just now, make that your title for God. Call Him "Shepherd." Make that part of how you address Him during your prayer time this week. And talk with Him today about these questions.
(1) What does "Shepherd" reveal about You?
(2) What does "Shepherd" reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How could my calling you "Shepherd" impact and influence my relationship with You?
February 27
We may be less personally familiar with what it is to be a shepherd than we are with what it is to be a maker or a father. Nonetheless, we still have some sense for what the attributes of a good shepherd would be.
Do not over-spiritualize the title at this point. Think strictly in terms of an actual shepherd of actual sheep. And as you do, list some differences between a good shepherd and a bad shepherd. As always, it's best not to hurry through this, lest we shortchange the insight available. Take two full minutes to contemplate and list the differences.
When you have finished that list, next make a list of attributes that would characterize a good shepherd. Invest a few minutes in thinking carefully about and listing the attributes.
Now with those lists before you in prayer, tell the Lord what you have learned about Him as a Shepherd. Praise Him for the kind of Shepherd He is. Call Him "Shepherd" in prayer, and talk to Him about what that means for your relationship with Him.
Do not over-spiritualize the title at this point. Think strictly in terms of an actual shepherd of actual sheep. And as you do, list some differences between a good shepherd and a bad shepherd. As always, it's best not to hurry through this, lest we shortchange the insight available. Take two full minutes to contemplate and list the differences.
When you have finished that list, next make a list of attributes that would characterize a good shepherd. Invest a few minutes in thinking carefully about and listing the attributes.
Now with those lists before you in prayer, tell the Lord what you have learned about Him as a Shepherd. Praise Him for the kind of Shepherd He is. Call Him "Shepherd" in prayer, and talk to Him about what that means for your relationship with Him.
February 28
This week, we are considering the truth that the Lord is our Shepherd. And we want to begin today's prayer time by hearing from the Lord Himself about the kind of Shepherd He is.
Look up Ezekiel 34, and spend a few minutes reading it. Listen for God's heart. Look for His perfect picture.
Reflecting on what you read in Ezekiel 34, list the differences between the shepherds whom the Lord condemned and the Shepherd that the Lord Himself promised to be.
Pray through that list of differences. Tell the Lord what you have learned about Him as a Shepherd. Praise Him for the kind of Shepherd He is, and talk to Him about what it means for your relationship with Him.
Look up Ezekiel 34, and spend a few minutes reading it. Listen for God's heart. Look for His perfect picture.
Reflecting on what you read in Ezekiel 34, list the differences between the shepherds whom the Lord condemned and the Shepherd that the Lord Himself promised to be.
Pray through that list of differences. Tell the Lord what you have learned about Him as a Shepherd. Praise Him for the kind of Shepherd He is, and talk to Him about what it means for your relationship with Him.
February 29
The classic expression of the Lord as Shepherd is found in Psalm 23. We want to immerse ourselves in that Psalm as a way of seeing the Lord more clearly and deepening our relationship with Him.
Look up Psalm 23 and read through it now. As you read, make two lists. The one should be a list of adjectives: What are the attributes of the Good Shepherd portrayed in Psalm 23? The other should be a list of verbs: What are the actions of the Good Shepherd portrayed in Psalm 23?
Now pray through the adjectives. Thank the Lord for how you have experienced these attributes of His in your life.
Now pray through the verbs. Thank the Lord for how you have experienced these actions of His in your life.
Look up Psalm 23 and read through it now. As you read, make two lists. The one should be a list of adjectives: What are the attributes of the Good Shepherd portrayed in Psalm 23? The other should be a list of verbs: What are the actions of the Good Shepherd portrayed in Psalm 23?
Now pray through the adjectives. Thank the Lord for how you have experienced these attributes of His in your life.
Now pray through the verbs. Thank the Lord for how you have experienced these actions of His in your life.
March 1
We continue today to use Psalm 23 to help us see the Lord as Shepherd. Specifically, we want to turn the Psalm into our own prayer. Thoughtfully pray the truths of Psalm 23 as rewritten below.
Lord, You are my shepherd.
Because You are my shepherd, I shall not want.
You make me lie down in green pastures.
You lead me beside quiet waters.
You restore my soul.
You lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Your house forever.
Lord, You are my shepherd.
Because You are my shepherd, I shall not want.
You make me lie down in green pastures.
You lead me beside quiet waters.
You restore my soul.
You lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Your house forever.
March 2
Psalm 100 makes quick reference to the fact that we are "the sheep of His pasture" in the midst of a larger expression of thanksgiving and praise.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:1 -5 NASB)
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During your prayer time just now, make the connections between being "the sheep of His pasture" and the rest of the Psalm.
Why should being "the sheep of His pasture" inspire you to "shout joyfully to the Lord"?
Why might being "the sheep of His pasture" prompt you to "serve the Lord with gladness"?
Why would being "the sheep of His pasture" incline you to "come before Him with joyful songs"?
What about being "the sheep of His pasture" makes you want to "enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise"?
Having made those connections, allow yourself to respond to the Lord as the Psalmist does, with thanks, praise, joyful songs, and glad service.
Why should being "the sheep of His pasture" inspire you to "shout joyfully to the Lord"?
Why might being "the sheep of His pasture" prompt you to "serve the Lord with gladness"?
Why would being "the sheep of His pasture" incline you to "come before Him with joyful songs"?
What about being "the sheep of His pasture" makes you want to "enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise"?
Having made those connections, allow yourself to respond to the Lord as the Psalmist does, with thanks, praise, joyful songs, and glad service.
March 3
As we conclude Week 9, pray through Psalm 23 as it is rendered in the Contemporary English Version:
"You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths. I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe. You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows. Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord."
"You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths. I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe. You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows. Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord."