2 Kings 25

They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon. … And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

Please Father, help me to remember that it is spiritual warfare – it is ugly and costly and painful. Let me not be flattered and complacent with “gracious freedoms” while I (my thoughts, emotions, etc.) or those in my care are still in the custody of the enemy. Hearten me for this thing called war, strengthen my hands, my heart and my mind with Your presence. Oh Warrior Lord, teach me in the ways of the wise and the warrior, for Your Kingdom sake.

2 Kings 24

This sets the stage for the story of Daniel: Jewish kings who had done evil in the sight of the Lord being puny and dispensable vassals for enemies’ kingdoms rather than abundant life in the Promised Land and sweet “real-ationship” with the Most High God. The Lord sets up kings in any time and any place and He deposes them. And when the time is ripe for Your anger, You cast them out from Your presence. I wonder if the people felt the relentless change of power as a threatening thing or as a welcome relief? Were they hoping for a better life with each new ruler? Or did the shifts foster an apathetic mindset which lent itself to living for self? It seems the state of the union faltered more and more with each wicked leader…the leaders led the people to increase in the sin, (granted, with the occasional generational respite of a godly leader) and so the nation goes.

These circumstances cause me to reflect on my home, America. The people, my people are pursuing sin and evil in increasing manner, apart from a few, the leaders seem to open the gates to the floods of immorality, perversion and laziness. Lord, 200+ years ago we began in tough circumstances and yet, You prospered us. We had abundant life and freedom to the “real-ationship” with You; and we have been slowly squandering the privilege on the pride of life, the comfort and lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye. Whatever we want, however we can get it. How have we so cheapened ourselves and our voices that we can be bought for a cell phone? How can we be so deceived that we choose to live in extravagant comfort now without regard to our children and our children’s children? We choose to live now and don’t give thought to 10 years from now. God, help us. I know that Daniel is a great story of Your presence and faithfulness; please Father, raise up Daniels and Daniellas in our time. Please don’t let what began in pursuit of You end without You – not everyone chooses a life without You. Please help us to bless Your Name, to love You with all our essence, to be a true friend to Your people, to obey Your Word – like Daniel, Azariah, Meshael and Hananiah. Please let us choose You over ourselves, and any thing which would set itself up against You. You and You alone, Lord God. Please don’t any of our children be cast away from Your presence. Help us to be useful to Your purposes…good examples and not terrible warnings. Let us use our choices and voices with Kingdom purpose, divine discernment and godly wisdom.

2 Kings 23

Your people had mind-boggling ways to worship lesser gods.  So many places, so many names, so many styles.  You created humankind for worship - something in us draws us toward expressing ourselves, relating in that fashion.  You made people with a desire for the divine, the supernatural, the holy.  That appetite will not go unaddressed or unremedied, it will work its way into decisions, affiliations and lifestyles.  Holy Spirit, cause me to cooperate with Your perfect purpose, keep my focus on the God Most High.  Please, grant discernment to distinguish clearly between worlds that I would have such a distaste for the natural, the worldly, the evil that I will be unable to tolerate inaccurate worship, inappropriate meditations, and inapposite praise.  The plethora of places, priests, and so-called sacred spots causes me to wonder how have I decorated my life with similar things; allowed worldly ways to encroach on my patterns of life and embraced an unclean inheritance of my family.  Please strengthen my hands and my resolve to tear down, burn down and destroy those things which are not God-approved and God-centered.  Let me not work in mercy as I seek to purge my life of those despicable high places.  Holy Spirit, may my gift of worship be always and only offered to my God and Lord. 

2 Kings 22

because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord … when you heard how I spoke … I also have heard you, declares the Lord.
thank You Lord for Your grace, for Your love which hears me, for Your sacrifice which saved me, for Your purpose which includes me. Holy Spirit, please lead me in the way of humility, of penitence of right response to You. To You.

2 Kings 21

Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another …
 
This strikes me as a description of abortion, terrible and fatal violence on the innocent, real pro-choice results. Lord, if you do nothing else for America, please remove this practice from our land.

Lord, two more things really call to me from this passage; one is that Manasseh burned his son in the fire as an offering……what does that do to the other children? What on earth? God help me to be an instrument of Your peace, a Spirit-bearer who brings Your grace, Your comfort, Your healing rather than stoking a ravenous appetite for destroying life. The second call came from “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name forever.” God, where do I place wrong things in the house in which You have placed Your Name? How do I corrupt the holy with the idol? Please, Holy Spirit, guide me into all Truth that I may only make Your Name more glorious in my life, in my worship, in my mind. You and You alone. And I pray for Jerusalem, please make Your Name and no one else’s (real or demonic) known there again.

2 Kings 20

And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me…?”

Lord, You are worthy of obedience and what You say happens because it can’t not happen…all creation testifies to You. I am bothered that Heze took Your word for his passing; but wanted a sign (other than the healing, I guess) that You would be good for Your word. Where do I act like that? How do I focus or only take You seriously on half of what You say to me and ask for proof for the rest? Help me to receive Your words and respond in faith to all of them…walking in the confident hope of a daughter of the King. Thank You

2 Kings 19

(from Assyrian envoy):   "Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?"
… declares the Lord. “For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

Let me not question what You have done or said; but let me stand firmly on exactly what You have said confidently remembering what You and You alone have done. May my life bring You glory and praise. None other; but You. And thank You for what You do for Your Own sake and for Your servant David. I praise You and thank You for allowing me to be a witness to You and Your mighty works.

2 Kings 18

Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign…. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord.
Thank You for this story which shows that no matter how messed up the parent is, You can still redeem the child. I pray that my children and those spiritual children of my heart would trust in You more so than any of their ancestors, may they hold fast and tight and long to You – for You have them. May they bring You praise and make You famous in their lives.
Lord God, the Assyrian king’s words (verses 31-32ish) sounded so much like Your words of the Promised Land. Help me to really recognize the origin of familiar words lest I be led astray in my laxness. This is war, I can’t afford to be careless in my assenting. Your Word, oh Lord, Your Word and no other. Help me today to experience more of You.

2 Kings 17

They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.

They went after the false and became false themselves. God help me. I will become like what I worship, I will be as what I follow. Help me to see, to pray, to intercede, to seek the true, the True. May I lose myself in You and Your truth, never the false nor the deception. 

They also feared the Lord and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places …. So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods….

May I fear You, Lord, so that completely and deeply that I am not able to serve a lesser god, my own god or any of the all sorts of lower-case-g-o-ds that is set up and appointed. Only You. Only, ever You. May I never dilute, dispute or recompute You. You are worthy.

2 Kings 16

He (Ahaz) even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

Lord God, Jotham's grandson was burned as an offering.  Jotham who did what was right yet failed on the high places loses a grandbaby to the lesser gods.  God, for the sake of my children and their children, please show me my blindspots and help me to annihilate them, in Your Name. 

Ahaz took the right instruments and created his own way to You.  or to himself.  Lord, help me to see where I dawdle long at a self-serving idea.  Lord, I don't easily die to myself, Holy Spirit pierce through the tough membrane of my soul that my flesh, my pride, my self-stuff may be exposed to Your all-consuming light and be eradicated, exterminated and obliterated.  today.  I need this today.  thank You.

2 Kings 15

The Lord afflicted the king (Azariah/Uzziah, King of Judah) with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house.  Jotham the king’s son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. ... Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. ... He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord ... The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.  ... Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father.

Again, Lord, may I thank You for the peaceful change of hands our government experiences compared to what could be going on within the White House walls.  Father God, please keep me from doing what is right in Your eyes, taking care of family needs, rebuilding devastated places and having success in my career but not tearing down the high places.  The high places were never long destroyed; they were a constant snare to Your people, an enduring legacy and temptation to the ways of lesser gods.  And Your kings, even when they did what was right in Your sight, managed to not remove them.  I can't imagine that You gave them peace about this or that they thought those places were okay.  But did they think about them?  Did they ask You?  Were they truly careful to do all that You asked?  Were they blinded to these high places?  Where these ancient sacrificing spots just some leftover hangouts and relics from previous generations which seemed to pose no harm, under the deceptive guise of how the folks liked to celebrate?  Were they, in truth, spiritual boundary markers of the enemy, dedicated evil areas which continued to influence Your people and draw them away from the pure worship and relationship You offer.  Were these the football stadiums, the malls, the buffets, the internet, the concerts, _______ parties, sleeping in ...  the shrugging-off of gluttony, infidelity, abuse, pride, prejudice, critical spirits and anger issues because that's how momma or daddy did it?  Were these persistent  thorns the excuses we give and cling to for our families' perpetuation of brokenness - that's the way this family rolls?  God help us.  Help me to see the high places in my life, to be a tearer down of those poles and altars which call to the flesh, where sin and the soul commune.  Lord, I need Your perspective on everything; especially the things I wrongly view as spiritual comfort food but which draw me away from You - even when it is merely a mindless activity.  Time is not mine to gamble with, it is a gift, a trust You bestow on me to steward well.  Show me the high places and fix in my heart and hands that which I need to decimate them, to the praise of Your Name and the release of Your power in long held enemy strongholds.  You are my Stronghold, I need no other.  I desire none other.

2 Kings 14

 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

Father, this makes me think of the church and how one part attacks another in the Body - without regard to the divine nature of what You have established.  One denomination versus another, one layperson against a leader or another layperson.  It's like the elbow wants to pick a fight with the ear.  God, help us to all remember we are on the same side, and it's not any of our sides - it is Your side.  Lord may we treat well all the members of Your Body, Your Bride and be gracious that the world would know us by love and not sarcasm, backbiting nor treachery.  May we walk in the freedom from this world which You paid so dearly for.  Help us to be careful in our gathering with each other (not that this seems to be a problem; but let us not rest carelessly because of that), help us to be faithful intercessors for the rest of the Body throughout the world.  To the praise of Your Name.

2 Kings 13

Lord God, I have a couple of superficial responses to this chapter: all of these J names are confusing (and remind me of a pop-culture family with more than a dozen and half kids); Aram, Arameans, Aramaic the language of the New Testament – I hadn’t recognized how long-standing and prevalent their influence/rivalry was on Israel and Judah – nor how much Israel’s sinfulness welcomed the enemy……the sins of leadership which led the people astray, the seemingly small things which yielded huge consequences. It’s interesting to me that Your holy words are preserved in the language of the enemy. Is that so all would have a chance to know – the captive and the captors alike?

The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

On a more serious note, Lord, even though Elisha’s directions seem a bit capricious, he is almost always referred to as “the man of God” in Your Word, by You. Underscoring that Elisha does speak and act on Your behalf, he does bear Your anointing, he does obey and honor Your Name. What a privilege to be called “the man/woman of God.” Holy Spirit, please help me to follow that hard after You, to walk worthy of the anointing, to present myself as “one of God,” to the praise of Your very great Name. Help me to keep doing what You told me to do until You tell me otherwise (to not grow weary in well-doing or ground-striking or faithfully presenting myself to You), that the destruction of the enemy may be thorough because the defeat is complete. Keep me from mediocrity in obedience that excellence may mark the triumph, for You are worthy, O Lord, my God and my Warrior-Lord. And help me to strive for that virtue of superbness in the times of suffering. I appreciate that Elisha who had twice the anointing as Elijah is suffering from the illness which kills him without whining about how Elijah got to leave this world and how the people keep coming to him for help. He walks the narrow road in his personal disciplines. Thank You for this example and for Your enabling others (me, included) to walk in that noble and godly fashion.

2 Kings 12

But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects … and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusalem.
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

God, as I read how King Joash, (as he was so intent on rebuilding the temple – sort of, v. 6) sent away the sacred objects, the treasures from Your temple and the palace, I was reminded of this second verse. Not that he was abusive or brutal or treacherous, or even disobedient to his parents or his priest. He may not have been heartless or slanderous nor uncontrolled; but he (and probably with good intentions) paid off King Hazael (how long does this guy get to trouble Your people?!) with Your stuff. Even the palace stuff was Yours; but he didn’t check with You. It seems he thought financial might, economic savvy, pretty shineys were the way out of this trouble. I am saddened that he appears to love the power of money and not You. That he never sought Your answer. That his answer came from a place which did not love Your influence in all matters – he had the form of godliness; but he denied its power as he did not acknowledge You nor Your power. He did it man’s way. Okay, I’ll stop. It’s just that I see my tendency in this scenario, to want to handle the daily affairs as a delegator (fix the temple, do your homework, make good choices) and not as one who is involved in the process enough to ensure that the matters are resolved (having milestones for accountability for temple assembling, let’s try factoring that polynomial this way, what are good choices today?). I don’t want to solve anything that You do not author or authorize; but I still do. Help me Holy Spirit to see again and afresh my desperate dependency and soul-deep need for You, Your power and Your answers to all things – really all things, moments, interactions, circumstances, thoughts, plans, reactions, encounters, etc. I cannot do this on my own, and I don’t want to – grant me vision to see where I am deceived and choose to bust a godly or goldly move without You. Holy Spirit, rise up in me with the spiritual discipline to stop the foolishness and wait for You. Thank You! And thank You that You speak to such a wayward soul as me.

2 Kings 11

 But Jehosheba ... took Joash .... She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.  He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

Lord, on this post-election day, I thank You and praise You that our change of leadership is not like the histories I have read in Kings.  Thank You for the peace and orderliness of the elections.  May I be like Aunt Jehosheba, brave, loving, determined, taking the opportunities You provide me to snatch others from the path of destruction and hatred, lead them to You and help them to be hidden in Your sacred presence - even though the enemy still rules the land, the air and the darkness.  No life is insignificant, You desire all to be saved, and You remember mercy.  May my life bring You glory as I live as a reflection of Your priorities, may I operate with the spiritual discernment and power to accomplish the feats You have assigned to me, and may I trust all the more when it is scary and the the resolution takes a long time to appear.  Life or death.  That's really what's at stake.  Thank You.

2 Kings 10

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. …. They (Jehu’s contingent) demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
Again, today, may I count willingly, intentionally and graciously, everything loss compared to the surpassing greatness of You, knowing You and serving You. I know this is a physical scenario which addresses the spiritual; but I don’t want to be a wimp and chicken out of doing the hard or even impossible for me (according to the way You have made me) things You call me to perform. Lord, where a spiritual thing needs to go, something which is reminiscent of ungodliness, an heir to rebellion or a scion of sin, please help me to know that and to annihilate my ties to it or, if appropriate, to utterly destroy it. Allow me to trust the spiritual senses You have given and empowered in me to slaughter anything which You call me to vanquish and vaporize lest I miss Your purpose for my life because I wrongly believe I am not strong enough to obey. Grant me eyes to see what idols I keep close, keep on and keep track of. May they and their influence be demolished by Your power and Spirit that I may be more fully and completely devoted to You. And, Holy Spirit, when I have done the big things, the challenging things, the eradicating things, please help me to continue to walk in obedience to You. Please keep me from slipping into mediocre, comfortable, lazy, convenient, self-centered service to You. You Alone. No other…especially not me. I do not want it said of me that I was not careful with all of my heart to pursue, obey and honor You.

2 Kings 9

When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac come to you?” ... Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”  They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

Lord God, they called Your man a maniac and then believed exactly what You said through him.  I am not sure how to pray about the name-calling ... but you do call Your people to be distinctive and different from the world, so may I also live a life which fosters that same reputation - uniquely Yours and faithful to Your commands, known to be true to You and not swayed by man's verdicts,   obedient and well-used by You.  I know it made no difference to the verity of the situation; but how they responded to the words displayed their belief.  The name-calling was rebooted by their reaction.  Your Word weighs that much, no matter how or from whom it is delivered.  Father, help me to treat Your Word with deliberate reverence, to believe with cloak-spreading conviction and words to match and to walk in the authority You provide me through Your grace and adoption.  You created the heavens and the earth, You set up kings and You depose them, You are God in Heaven and here am I on earth:   Let my words be few - that Your Words may echo, thundering throughout this dusty timeline and into eternity demonstrating Your majesty, Your omniscience, Your omnipotence, Your love and Your ever-loving, everlasting, ever-wondrous Name. 

2 Kings 8

Lord, I see favor in the form of a warning given to a woman who serves Your prophet, I see answers without warning given to kings.  I see tears over what is coming and a trusted counselor committing murder.  I see a traitor who doesn't kill the one who knows his plan.  I see complicated kings, kingdoms and relatives.    Battles, wounds, elaborate gifts and abundant restoration.  But in the midst of all of these various circumstances I see You, nevertheless, for the sake of Your servant David,  not willing to destroy Judah because You promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.  You are faithful, promise-keeping, steadfast and true to Your Word.  With all the treacherousness and betrayals, famines and rebellions, commoners without names and too many named kings, You are the ever-steady thread, the cord of constancy who never changes or hedges on Your Word.  I praise You for Your faithfulness and great is Your faithfulness, Lord unto everyone and unto me.  Thank You Father for Your amazing, gracious, immutability.  Worthy, You are!

2 Kings 7

Oh Warrior God, what a tremendous story of victory and provision without bloodshed. I lift those who struggle with oppressive thoughts and dire circumstances and ask that You would send the evidence of Your spiritual might and victory to their minds and souls that those parasitical imaginations would disappear in the darkness, even as the Arameans did the night of their despoiling. God, teach me the spiritual warcraft of plundering the enemy in absentia in Your Name for the praise of Your Name. Also, I can see the officer who questioned the promise may not have thought his inquiry offensive; but Lord, don’t let me follow his example. Oh, may I receive and believe the wholeness of Your words and promises. Holy Spirit, help me to respond in faith and not even pick at a hangnail of doubt. You are Lord over all, the physical, the spiritual, the eternal and every other realm about which I can’t imagine…I trust You. I trust YOU. You are True.

2 Kings 6

Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”
Please help me to always be graciously inviting others, even those in ministry. Let me know make assumptions about anyone’s attendance to Your work, Your gatherings or Your opportunities. 

Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel.
Father, this is the king who allowed Naaman to go with treasure for healing from You. Naaman was healed, his life and heart were changed – his worship was transformed. He knew it before he left. Somehow, this co-worker-king of his didn’t respond to You and receive his own provision. Help me to be more faithful, more honest and more of a poster girl for You. I don’t want my co-workers, relatives and neighbors to continue to be deceived. Also, I see a connection for the peace of Israel to be promoted, so please help Your Bride to impact the world in this way that peace, Your peace may come to Israel in our lifetime.

And I praise You that You concern yourself with axeheads and car-keys while You maintain Your glory throughout the universe. Thank You!

2 Kings 5

So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

Holy Spirit, help me to remember that what You offer has no price, may I authentically bear witness of that truth in my life.  You alone heal, You alone. May I be Your conduit for healing in this dusty life - that others may know and see You as the Healer and the One Who Can't be Bought.

 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

Lord God, as I seek what You have for me in life, may I not whine and resist that which and whom You bring to me.  May I recognize holy interruptions, divine opportunities and sacred appointments in what seems to be smelly people, prickly situations and tough circumstances.  May I always be mindful and believing actively that this life is not about what I see and smell, touch and dread, feel and fear; but You, Your glory and Your Kingdom purpose.  You died for people.  For eternity sake.  Let that shake the selfish out of my schedule, priorities and plans.

2 Kings 4

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha …
Lord God of the Universe, Who keeps the planets spinning and the stars shining, I thank You that You don’t vaguely recollect me, that You don’t quite know if we’ve met, that You aren’t sure where You’ve seen me before; I thank You that You know me, You know my name, You have sought me out and lift up my face when it is downcast. You are the One Who sees me, You called me out of darkness, You planned for me and kept to Your plan – even as I cost You so dearly. You know my name. I praise You today for that precious thought.

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? …”
Precious Father, In light of all that You have done for me, how You esteem me and what You have paid for me – may this be my attitude to the Kingdom and the world, rather than “what do you want?” Please help me not grow weary of doing good. To the praise of Your very great and priceless Name.

2 Kings 3

Nevertheless he (Joram) clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat ....

Father, Jeroboam has been gone a long time; but he is still identified as the one with the sins which turned Israel away from You.  God, please help me not be that kind of example in any way.  Please help my choices never cause another to stumble or turn away from you.  Rather help me be an encourager of Your people, a lover of Your Word and a doer of Your Will.  May my example lead others to You and discourage them from You.  You only are worthy of obedience and worship; Holy Spirit guide my life so that it reflects those priorities well.  Please don't let me wander off, turn away or sit down on the craggy mountain peaks looking around.  I want to keep steady and pace with Your plan for me. Thank You.

2 Kings 2

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” focus on the important things, not  chatter about the important things.

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. seek spiritual gifts, ask boldly, for as much as I can imagine as He does far more than that.

Yes and amen, my Lord, help me to focus on worthy things, not merely chit-chat about such possibilities. Lord, teach me to desire the spiritual, to consider the eternal, to desire the sacred and ever-after more highly than I do the temporal, dusty, wash and wearing out world I am surrounded by. Grant me vision for the unseen, heart for the invisible and strength for that domain. Grow me up in You, Lord Jesus, grow me up. Thank You.

2 Kings 1

Thank You Father for Your privilege and provision for prayer and intercessors.  Thank You Jesus that You intercede for me and thank You Holy Spirit for Your intervention, too.  Thank You my God for Your revelation of Yourself to me, of drawing me to You and giving me faith to come to You.  I thank You that You distinguish Yourself from the lesser gods in this world., that I don't have to "send out" to another region for wisdom, that You are the Most High God, King of the Universe and All Creation and that You are mine and I am Yours.   Please help me not to seek my answers from You in a second-hand fashion, though.  When I need an answer, may I go directly to You, Your Word and Your Spirit for the response.  Please help me to be transparent and humble to ask others for help in praying; but not for them to be responsible for my direction. 

1 Kings 22

Now Zedekiah … had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’”
Holy Spirit, keep me from the arrogance off Zedekiah who made something for himself and pitched it as from you. Let me never be so insecure or hungry for the approval of men or their verdicts on my value that I make something for myself and sell it as from You. God forbid, please!

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
Lord, grant me vision and understanding to see that when I feel Your Word has nothing good to say to me that the problem is not with the Word or the messenger; but with the subject. Holy Spirit, make my heart and keep my heart teachable. for Your glory, please.

1 Kings 21

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days.”

Lord, help me to understand that my wickedness is like Ahab’s, that I must humble myself before You. I must choose to always humble myself before You, as my mind’s preoccupation is not naturally humble. You give me holiness; but only as I empty myself of me. God, let my need for You never escape my attention.

1 Kings 20

Lord, I pray I find my confidence in You.  That I would not easily nor willingly agree to give to the enemy that which You have entrusted to me.  God, please keep me from consenting to a pillaging by the one who hates You.  I am glad to see the elders and the people hindered King Ahab from willfully opening his treasures to his enemy; but God, where do I give assent in a similar fashion, how do I throw away spiritual honors, gifts and jewel, what am I agreeing to that I should not?  And, when I am asked, as the prophet requested a local to strike him, to do a difficult thing, a distasteful thing, a demanding thing, may I seek Your perspective before I refuse.  God, help me to not miss Your invitation, Your call to action or prayer, You.  Don't let my wisdom, experience and culture blind me to what You bestow on me.

1 Kings 19

Holy Spirit, please help me to pray diligently for my pastor and leaders the day after services; please help me to remember the exhaustion and vulnerability which can greet them after pouring out in service and worship to You. Please help me to remember that I, too, may be more prone to emotional responses after the music dies down, beyond the last words, when the door closes on the service offered with holy hands. May the spiritual, the sacred and divine inform and inspire the temporal. All this to the praise of Your very great Name.

Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Lord, I think I would have answered, “I have no idea.” But he was still very responsive to Jezebel’s threat. He was still believing that she had power over You, her verbal aggression could harm him. Help me to see the mercies in the bad news and disturbing circumstances – like how the messenger found him and not a mercenary. Help me to first turn to You for strength, perspective, direction. Let me not run away and then go a day farther into the wilderness in response to someone’s words. Only You should and must have that influence over me. And, Holy Spirit, please tell me what I am doing here. Lord Jesus, I want to follow Your way and derive my purpose solely from what the Father says – help me to walk in that way, worthy of the “why” and faithful to the call.

1 Kings 18

let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.

Let it be known each day through my life, thoughts, my words and my interactions that You are God and i am You servant.  I pray that all I do will be at Your Word and for Your glory.  Please help me to remember the right response to You is to fall on my face and declare "You are LORD, Lord, You are God!" and then get up and do Your work.  Give me seeing eyes and hearing ears and submitting soul.  You, Lord, are God.  None like You!

1 Kings 17

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  “Get away from here ... And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

Lord, help me to trust You increasingly when Your instructions are distasteful, weird and/or inconvenient to me.  May I rejoice in You while in the unfamiliar, uncomfortable and the unreal circumstances You grant me.  Holy Spirit, I am not my own, let me graciously remember that fact when You trust me with a shaking of my life's situation.

Then the woman said ..., “Now by this I know ....”

Father, this woman had such opportunity to know prior to her son's sickness; but it was through this season that she came to confidently comprehend.  I praise You for Your inestimable kindness in sending Elijah her way, for providing daily for each of them, and for caring to draw her in to such a viable and personal relationship that You would go to the extremes of risking Your reputation with her by threatening, if not taking the life of her son.  I don't exactly understand her comment about her sin being remembered; but I recognize that was a piece of this event for her, for her healing, for her freeing, for her knowing and experiencing You.  You are so gracious to use what is necessary; but not more than what is needful to accomplish Your divine purpose.  God, she was a sinner, had a sin which she toted around in her mind and maybe her reputation - I am that sinner, too.  Thank You for healing, freeing, and letting me to know and experience You in the dailyness of the life You provide.  You are All-Wise, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, All-Kind, and All-Good.  I praise You for Your provision and grace.  I revel in our relationship.  Thank You, my God.

1 Kings 16

… because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin....
Now the rest of the acts of … all that he did, and the might that he showed/ the treason he committed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
… Now Ahab ... did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam ..., that he …….

Lord, the sins are increasing, each king is doing more evil in the sight of Your holy eyes and leading Your children in sin. Whatever they do they do as a leader of people. These kings do not act as individuals, for they represent and influence people. Evil begats evil. We sense a climax with Ahab as he blows the standard of evil away by pursuing his agenda in marriage. He treats the heinousness of the sins of his predecessors as inconsequential. What must it have taken for Your Word to say that?

God, please help me to have no tolerance for sin in my life and in those around me. Let me offer no quarter for the evils which will pile up until they seem trivial due to their manifold presence. Increase my desire, my passion and my priority for holiness, obedience, and purity. You are King. I am servant. May I steward well that which You entrust to me, who You entrust to me. May my actions and reactions bring You glory, extend Your fame and bless people – especially Your people. You alone are worthy to be glorified. May my life be spent in that sacred pursuit.

1 Kings 15

… until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servant …

God’s words are serious. They are not spoken lightly or even as sober suggestions. Help me to receive all of the Word and words You speak/have for me and respond fully, in the right time and not in disbelief. Lord, according to You Word, this realm exists. How can I unconcernedly flit through life merely sampling Your holy writ when You intend life, salvation, sanctification, healing, wholeness, Kingdom purpose with Your communications. Help me to take You more seriously and personally. Holy Spirit, go deeper in me and break up the clumpy spots, lest I rest on the craggy spots thinking I have accomplished something; unchain locked doors of my heart and mind lest continue a spiritual cripple or recluse; remind me of my desperate need for Your grace, supply and forgiveness lest I work out my faith out in fleshly expressions. I need You, I trust You, I believe You. Let me not stray from these truths today, and every day. Thank You for Your faithfulness, thank You for not releasing me to myself. You are good. According to Your Word, Lord, have Your Way with me all the days of the life You have granted me.

1 Kings 14

When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. ... because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

Lord, the child was rewarded with death because of his heart towards You.  But the death was the gateway to the boy being with His perfectly loving, heavenly Father. You saved him from the catastrophe of what was to come - probably even being executed when the new king shows up.   What a grace You extended to this son of the rebellious, selfish king.  Please continue to open my eyes to Kingdom ways.

Holy Spirit, please help me to live out the truth that how I worship informs and impacts every other part of my life - that my worship will bear fruit in all areas of my life.    Please keep me in Spirit and Truth, not swayed by pop culture, political correctness nor pleasurable preferences, that the harvest may be of righteousness and grace - life bearing, life giving and life sustaining.  For Your praise, Your Kingdom, Your Name.

1 Kings 13

...whoever wished, he consecrated him...

You call us, we don't, we don't empower ourselves, we don't seek after You, there is none righteous.  God, keep me from pursuing whatever I wish just because it seems good, scratches a legal itch or sounds right.  I only want to respond to Your call on my life.  Thank You.

1 Kings 12

Thank You God.  You are God of events and of turn-of-events.  I praise You for Your sovereignty and authority which are perfectly Yours.  I praise You that You trump kings and rulers, powers and authorities, men and women.  You are the Most High God. Help  me to see where I am flying in the face of Your specific instructions to me; God, I don't want to act/decide out of fear, worry or manipulation.  I want to obey You and bring You glory.  Please keep me out of the equation, Holy Spirit that I may hear clearly and respond graciously, immediately and obediently.  Thank You and I praise Your Name!

1 Kings 11

So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice…
Holy and In-me Spirit of the Living and Perfect God, please keep me close to Your Word, Your purpose, to You; especially when I feel like You have been silent for any period of time. Let me not turn to my own ways or the ways of the the ungodly around me. I want You.

1 Kings 10

... He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.
Lord, may I do justice and righteousness in the square of Your Kingdom You have entrusted to me.

Happy are your men and happy are these your servants ... .
May I serve You, Lord God of the Universe as these happy men and servants did King Solomon; for You are the greatest King, the King of Kings.  May I always recognize the privilege to be in Your divine Presence and to serve You, O Great God.

1 Kings 9

... My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
Lord, You promised this for Solomon's handiwork; but You have delivered Your eyes and heart to each generation.  Holy Spirit, with Your faithful presence, Your eyes and heart are in me.  Oh, help me to see with Your sight and to feel, decide and respond with Your heart.  You are perpetually God and I thank You for Your gracious and eternal Presence. 

I Kings 8

... so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.


Lord, please interrupt my work, my ministry, my service anytime with Your great and glorious Glory.  Your Kingdom is at hand, and I praise You for that!  Thank You that You are among Your servants in their ministry. 


I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever.

So Solomon said; but he had no idea that You would one day dwell in his descendents.  Father, grant me vision for Your plans, heart for Your passions and strength to live in Your will.  Thank You for the joy which comes from You, Your Word and Your Presence. 

You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand.

That's what You do, You speak and Your words are fulfilled by Your hand.  You do what You say.  I praise You for Your faithfulness and unchanging nature.  You are ever good.  Thank You.

hear...and forgive...
I praise You that You hear and Your forgive.  For against You have I sinned.  You are gracious to forgive, loving to atone, omniscient to know.  Thank You again, Faithful God and Savior.  

... when each one knows the plague of his own heart ...
Thank You Holy Spirit that You reveal the plagues of my heart.  Please continue Your sanctifying work, Your gracious renewing and growing of this little life for the Kingdom of God.  Heal and reveal.  

... that He may incline our hearts to Himself ... 
Oh, God, You incline Yourself to us; but that You would incline our hearts to You.  Please do this, do this, do this.  We won't incline towards You unless You first draw us to You.  Only by Your Spirit, only by Your power, only by Your grace.  I thank You.

... that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.
 You are Lord and there is no other, whether or not we want to know this, acknowledge this or respond to this.  I am so grateful You have given me the privilege of knowing, acknowledging and responding to Your Lordship.   I praise You that You desire all people of the earth to know You, Lord are God.

 

1 Kings 7

Lord, the details and dimensions are amazing.  You wanted these details remembered for all time, the enormity of the work, the measurements, the capacities....  Wow.  All the years and all the resources and all the man-hours culminate in the phrase, "Thus all the work ... was finished."  Then, Solomon brought those precious items his father had held sacred for You and deposited them in the place he had worked so diligently to make for You and for them.  The dedication to this work and then for him to be able to see the work completed, to participate in the installment of the treasures for You - what a privilege You gave David's boy.  How seriously he held his responsibility.  God, I thank You for this picture of devotion, sacrifice and faithfulness for Your great Name.  May I be found faithful to continue the work given to me, may I see it through to the finish (or however long You grant me to labor), may I maintain the careful attention to detail , the excellent craftsmanship worthy of Your Kingdom's work and the high quality service to Your Name and Your purpose.  Also, may I recognize when I need to call in an expert, and not be deceived in thinking that I can do the entire body of work.  Finally, may my work bring glory to Your Name, to Your Kingdom and to Your will.  Thank You Lord that You gave peace to Solomon that he might have sufficient opportunity to build without distraction or additional cost.  May I serve You well in the various seasons You provide me; making the most of each opportunity.

1 Kings 6

... if you will walk in My statutes and obey My rules and keep all My commandments and walk in them, then I will establish My word with you...
 
Lord, You do the establishing.  You created me, called me, enabled me to respond and obey, and You establish Your Word with me.  I praise You for Your wonders!  You are gracious to this one.  Thank You!  Also, can I say I love the little detail  that Your house for meeting people took 7 years and 6 months to build.  Seven is Your number and 6 is man's.   Thank You for the added symbolism of God coming to and being accessible to man in even the timing. 

1 Kings 5

for Hiram always loved David. … Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” … And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon.

Lord God, I thank You for the alliances of my forefathers, spiritual and physical, which have blessed me. May I be found to be like Hiram, a good friend and one who rejoices greatly at Your blessing and provision for others. May I be generous and supportive when others are doing great things for Your great Name, may I dare to join in Your work by prayer (if only), by sharing what You have blessed me with and by hospitality to those visiting. ..or any other way You direct. Your work shall be done, may we be faithful stewards of what You entrust to us. Thank You for the example of Hiram.

1 Kings 4

… Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend ….
Zabud, the son of the one faithful, godly counselor to David was friend to the son of David.
Lord, this comforts me so much, that You would care to have friends for Your people, that that title would be significant in Your Word, that relationship would be relevant in the story of Your glory. But again, You identify a friend to the king, (Jonathan to David, Zabud to Solomon). Thank You for showing me Your priority and preference for us. May I be a friend to those around me, may I be a godly and faithful friend and may I raise those entrusted to me to be friends to kings and others as well. Your way is to be praised. You are trustworthy. I thank You for the beautiful friendships You have blessed me with, I thank You that You have made extreme and eternal arrangements for me to be called friend. What a gift. What a responsibility. I praise You for this today.

And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
Solomon received wisdom from You, subsequently he was a display of Your glory. People learned of You because of what You had done for him. God, may You be made famous through my little life and the splendid gifts You bestow. May I recognize and comprehend Your splendid gifts, in order to steward well that which You have given me for Your glory’s sake.

1 Kings 3

Solomon loved the Lord… may You say this of me, my Lord and my God. 

And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. … the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
Lord, Solomon had to have faith that what You imparted to him in his dream was real, to implement that which You had given him. He worshiped in response to realizing it was a dream – no, he worshiped You in spite of the fact that he recognized that was a dream – it doesn’t say that he knew it was a dream from God….so, it seems regardless of what he thought of the dream, he chose to worship. May I respond to You in worship, no matter what dreams and situations come my way. Faith and recognizing You in everything. Worship is the right response. Also, I imagine there were precedents in dealing with the two mothers’ sad problem. Legal, fleshly, even merely human methods of dealing. But Solomon chose to operate in the wisdom You had given him to do justice. Lord, may our leaders, our communities, our church, I be useful to do justice in Your wisdom.

1 Kings 2

When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “… Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, …”

Lord, help me to speak wisdom and truth into my children and the children of my heart before my time to die dawns. Don’t let me be so busy with matters of state, community, education that I fail to impart the truths to be strong and show themselves as mature and godly Spirit-bearers, to heed Your great Word, to walk in response to Your Kingdom ways and purpose. God, don’t let me miss the moments to speak into their lives, don’t let me be deceived into thinking that they will catch by example or by their own schooling the values You have given to me. I have a trust, may I steward well that which You have graciously bestowed on me.
Also, Father, please help me to keep godly accounts that my kids and those I leave behind, (whether my leaving is due to a departure from a job or a change in where I live or when I die – however You move me), that no one is left killing off problems or issues that were mine in Your power and wisdom to solve.

1 Kings 1

Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” ... Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”

Lord, You said the first shall be last and the last shall be first - and You mean it.  Your plans will not be foiled by my selfish ambitions, vain imaginations and contrived rebellion.  I thank You for Your consistency, constancy and immediacy.  Even when I through the party; Your will will be done.  May I in humility respond to You, my King.  And may I ever be content with where You in wisdom and sovereignty place me, if You choose to place me at all. 

His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?”

Lord, please keep me from choosing peace through ignorance rather than risking a confrontation.  Let me never fear displeasing another when You have purposed me for a divinely inspired question or comment.  I thank You for Your grace and strength of Spirit. You alone are worthy of praise and fearing. 

Psalm 150

Please show me how I can praise You throughout my day, as I fulfill the roles You have entrusted to me. Help me to praise You in my dreams. Lord God, You are worthy of praise from me – constantly – and yet, I fail to praise You faithfully. Show me where I am un-praising You and teach me to praise You through the through and through of my life. I praise You that You have given me breath. Help me to praise You with it.

Psalm 149

Sing to the Lord a new song …
Teach me Your words that I might sing to You a new and worthy song. To praise You with all of my inmost being, to bless Your holy Name.

Psalm 148

All creation is to praise You, Lord. How do they do that? Is it simply being what You created them to be? Doing and fulfilling Your purpose in creating them? Lord, I want to join them in that natural response to You, being and fulfilling Your purpose in my life. I also want to join in the supernatural, the spiritual realm of praise for You have (re)created me there, too. May I walk, and grow by Your grace, Your power and Your purpose, in the fulfillment of Your will for me in the temporal and the eternal worlds. Increase my faith and desire that I may believe and engage in both kingdoms to the glory of Your Name. Holy Spirit, I choose this today. Show off in my life that I may respond in harmony from the heights and the depths,and in all seasons to You.

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. I am challenged by these words today, help me to praise You my God, may I recognize the goodness, the pleasantness and the appropriateness of praising You. May I choose to praise You rather than considering my own estate, my own thoughts and my own well-being. To You belongs my heart, my mind, my soul, my strength. May they be engaged in Your purposes and for Your glory.

He declares His Word to Jacob, His statutes and rules to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know His rules. … but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. Praise the Lord!   I thank You that You have declared Your Word to Jacob and Your rules to Israel and that they were to share them with others. I thank You and praise You for Your adoptive heart towards those not born of the biological line of Israel. Thank You for allowing others to fear You and hope in Your steadfast love. You gave us that gift and have called us Your Own. Lord, let us remember our continuing debt of love, especially to Israel. Thank You for the privilege of sharing the Name of the Messiah, the love of Your Kingdom and the fellowship of Your family. May You be increasingly glorified in my time.

Psalm 146

Lord my God, You are my Help and my Hope. You keep faith forever and You watch over the sojourners. You are the Lover of the righteous. By Your gracious love, I know You in these ways. Thank You. May I live the righteous sojourning life, to the praise of Your very great Name.

Pslam 145

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works, I will meditate.
May this be increasingly true of me. Holy Spirit, teach me please, how to marinade my thoughts and my soul in the glorious splendor of Your majesty.

Psalm 144

Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord! 

Thank You that You are no respecter of persons, that You want all to be saved and that You invite from the ends of the earth to be Your people.  Your people are blessed because we are Yours.  Amazing.

Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; He is my steadfast Love and my Fortress, my Stronghold and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in Whom I take refuge, Who subdues peoples under me.

The Lord is my rock, He trains my hands for war; but He is all of the defense and protection that I need - so I just need to stand firm as He is the Warrior God, my Deliverer, my Shield, the Subduer of the enemy.  Yet, Lord, train me anyway You wish to that I may fulfill all You have created me for.  To the praise of Your very great Name and the expanse of Your incredible Kingdom.

Psalm 143

... for no one living is righteous before You....  Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God! 
I praise You that You would teach me to do Your will, even though I am not righteous before You, apart from Your gracious gift of righteousness.  I got nothing, Lord, I bring You only debt and cost.  I can only give me, and somehow, that is what You desire.  I am undone by Your grace...and You are my God.  You chose me.  speechless.

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands.
Lord, let me intentionally remember the days of old - Your stories from creation forward and from the days of old in my little lifetime.  I want to mediate on all that You have done - grant me vision to see where and how You have been working throughout history that I may ponder Your great and magnificent actions towards humanity and little me. Teach me to exercise the heart of praise and worship You have bestowed upon me as I respond to Your teachings and revelations.  You are worthy, Most High God!

Psalm 142

Look to the right and see there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.

Lord God, none take notice but You.  You made us to be ones who need to be seen, cared for and held dearly.  You made us and You are the One to meet those needs.  You made me for You.  May I glory in Your Name and Your provision today as I am increasingly aware of Your gracious love towards me.   May I love You the way You created me to.

Psalm 141

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you … Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! My tongue needs restraining, refraining, retraining; Lord, thank You for the Guard over my mouth Who watches over the door of my lips…..Who guards my heart and my mind that I may pray such words that would be fragrant before You, that would be savored by You, that would be responded to by You. You are my All in All. I praise You!

... and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! … Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! Father, that the work of my hands would be a praise offering, a thank offering, a worshipful experience of surrender, affirmation and dedication. I praise You again that You guard my heart from evil, You protect my planner-mind from hiring out for wickedness sake and my spiritual palate from evil hors d’oeuvres. What kindness and holiness do You bestow on me. I praise Your very precious and great Name this evening.

Psalm 140

Let not the slanderer be established in the land; and please don’t let the slanderer be elected to office.
…let evil hunt down the violent man speedily! Lord, You use all things to bring glory to Your own Name and You defend and protect, maintain and judge. There is nothing which cannot be used by You. Help me to always see You, Your mercy and Your love in life’s situations and seasons. I praise You and give thanks to Your Name, and I dwell in and with Your presence. How great You are, how blessed am i!

Psalm 139

How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

That You would share Your thoughts with me, that blows my mind. Help me understand Your words and respond rightly to Your invitations. I know that Your thoughts aren’t as precious to me as they should be; Holy Spirit, please guide me in that proper regard of the words of the Most High. Holy Spirit, Your way is right and true. Lord Jesus, may I learn from Your example to so prioritize time with the Father. Faithful One, Teacher and Counselor, I long for Your pure instruction as You lead me in the way everlasting. God, I praise You and Your very great Name.

Psalm 138

I … give thanks to Your Name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your Name and Your Word. On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased.

Even though You are high and lifted up, Your great Name is exalted over all things, You answer me when I call, You strengthen my soul. You are so big, so wildly outside of and so exceedingly beyond my comprehension, why oh why would You answer me? I praise You and I am silenced by Your Presence. Thank You!

Psalm 137

Lord, my God - The ancient people had such a passion for Your kingdom, for what You have given them and for where You had planted them.  Even when they sinned the privilege away, in generation after generation.  God, please provoke in me the same passion for Your Kingdom at hand, that I would set Your Kingdom above my highest temporal joy.  Holy Spirit, marinade me in thoughts and feelings of Kingdomism.  I want to cognitively appreciate what my Father has done in allowing me to live in His Kingdom, His sacred place today.  Stir my heart, stir Your Bride for such devotion.  I praise You.  And Lord, I do ask for the peace of Jerusalem and her inheritance through Abraham.

Psalm 136

God, help me to realize that every act You perform, every nuance of an action, from creation to hard things which are difficult to categorize, are expressions of Your very faithful love. You do not change; but my running, mental commentary is often fickle – when a kindness comes my way or to another, I can easily see Your steadfast love. Yet, when hardships hit and challenges blow down on my family and friends – I find myself without the proper words to offer. I know You are good. You are GOOD. I need God-perspective and God-language to communicate Your faithfulness, Your goodness, Your steadfastness. Help me to focus increasingly on You and not so much on how miserable I feel or how I don’t know what to say. I choose to speak of Your faithful love and enduring pursuit of each one of us. May You be praised in my life today.

Psalm 135

For the Lord has chosen …. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

And You, o Lord, have given me Your righteousness – You are pleased with me because of Your own work. You do what You please. How it pleased You to be pleased with me, I do not understand; but I praise Your Name and I bless Your Name, Divine Choser and Sacred Pleased.

The following is a post from a friend of mine on the same topic.  I thought you might like to see his response.

Let us remember what the Lord has done in our lives and how He brought us to where we are today. He has done these things, Let us Praise Him for He is great. Holy Spirit, reveal to me how great you are and what you did in and through me so I will praise you all day.

Psalm 134

Come, bless the Lord.  Don't just stand there, move out, join in, lift up and bless the Lord.  Your Creator and mine.  Oh, what a privilege!  I thank You, Lord.

Psalm 133

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!  ... For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Unity=Blessing.  You have called us, enabled us, and given your Spirit to us for unity.  Your examples of how we should function and behave are of an individual body made of vastly different and many parts - but still to all work together in obedience to what the head (the Head, Jesus) determines.  After all of this, You further command blessing for those who respond in unity.  What an unfathomably  indescribable, and lovingly unimaginable God I serve.  Thank you for Your grace to include me.

Psalm 132

Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy.... Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.

Righteousness from God-given-salvation yields shouting-for-joy saints.  Lord, You are amazing.  What You have done for Your creation salvation ... righteousness ... joy-happy saints.  I praise You and worship You today.

Psalm 131

I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

Lord, I do tend to occupy myself with things which don’t concern me. Holy Spirit, please give me Your priorities for my occupation and thoughts.

Psalm 130

Plentiful redemption. I praise You! 

But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. For against You alone have I sinned.   Lord, illumine me about my need, my desperate need to be forgiven that I may fear You and respond rightly to You in all my ways. Please don’t allow me or my schedule or my inattentiveness to put the cross in the background or off to the side; Lord, I need to see everything, to think about anything, to decide about all things in light of the Cross. What You have done for me – because of what I have done to You. Your forgiveness is not free. It cost You greatly and it demands from me all that I am. I praise You more.

Psalm 129

May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward!

Yes, Lord, and amen. And may America not be found to be turned backward – even though we seem to be very backward. Increase our love for Israel that we may be rightly turned. To the praise of Your very great Name.

Psalm 128

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.

Thank You Lord for blessing the one who fears You, the one who responds to You, the one who seeks You. How great You are to bless beyond creation and redemption the one who simply responds rightly to You and Your Name. I am awed by Your grace and Your love.

Psalm 127

Unless the Lord ........
How true, my Lord, unless You - we are lost.  Unless You, it's all in vain - if there is any substance at all.  You, oh Lord, are the only One who keeps us from vain labor  I praise You God of Eternal Purpose.

Psalm 126

... our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy ... we are glad ... shall reap with shouts of joy!  ... he shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Joy and harvest.  Thank You Lord, that You are not a conceptual god.  You are worth getting excited over, worth being delighted in, worth our shouts of joy.  And You provide a harvest, the tangible, carry-able, sheaves to bring home.  Thank You Lord God.  You are amazing!

Psalm 125

I pray this passage today for Israel. I pray this for Messiah-followers, too. Firmly established, immovable, surrounded by the Lord and abiding in Him. Yes, Lord, Yes. Remove the opportunities for the righteous to do wrong, may we see and experience the good the Lord does to the upright. Let us desire earnestly to be uninvolved with evildoers that we would not join in their crooked ways. Peace on Israel, in Israel and for Israel.

Psalm 124

Not only have I escaped by God’s help, but the snare is broken. It won’t work again. God dismantles the things which entrap me, He is my Help. I praise You my God, my Help. You are the Destroyer of Snares. I thank You!

Psalm 123

The Source of mercy is God Enthroned in the Heavens. May I look no where else, may I not try to bring mercy that doesn’t come from You, my God Enthroned. May I behold Mercy, my Lord Jesus.

Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” … Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! … For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
God, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Please help me to seek the good of Jerusalem, Israel, Your people, Your Church, Your Kingdom. But first, I ask for peace for Jerusalem. Please help others to seek peace for Jerusalem and Israel as a way of life and not just a political play. Please help the nations choose peace for Your people. Help me to honor You in my prayers and in my life; let my life help Israel – help Israel know You are the Christ, the Messiah and the Most High God.

Psalm 121

 From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

I thank you and praise You Lord, Creator and Maker of All, that You are my Help and that You come.  You come to me.  I need to know that this morning.  I praise You all the more for this perfectly timed reminder of Your faithful coming ... and Your divine wisdom in allowing me to need help that You might answer.  Only You.  Thank You for keeping my life and keeping me from all evil.

Psalm 120

In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.  You answer me.  I praise You in this moment that You, God and King of the very Universe would answer me when I call to You.  Amazing.  Why don't I call on You more?

Psalm 119:161-176, Sin, Taw

Sin ~ Life is unfair and difficult; but Your Word awes me.  Knowing, rejoicing, loving and obeying Your Word yields a life with treasure, truth, praise and righteousness, confidence, peace, and hope. I will rise and glide not sin, stumble nor stagger.  Increase my affinity for Your Word, my Lord, let me respond to the supernatural addiction of that which You are.

Taw ~ Let my soul live and praise You, and let Your rules help me.  I choose to let Your rules help me that my soul may live and I may praise You evermore. 

Psalm 119:129-160, Pe, Tsadhe, Qoph, Resh

Pe ~ The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Thank You Lord that Your words are eternal and ever-meaningful. They never run out of folds to unfold and so they are always relevant, always meaningful and always applicable. May I receive the understanding which Your divine communications supply. I seek Your unfolding wisdom today.
Tsadhe ~ Your righteousness is righteous forever … give me understanding that I may live. Lord, grant me vision to perceive, to apprehend, know these truths.

Qoph ~ According to Your steadfast love, hear my voice – not because I am persistent, or up early or late crying out to You, I am not worthy on my own, not faithful enough, not good enough … I simply am not enough of anything and will never merit Your attentions. But by Your faithful love, Your perfect character do You hear me. I thank You that You have given me worth, that You have chosen me, that You are God. I am undone at Your steadfast love … by You, not me … You are irresistible.

Resh ~ The sum of Your word is truth. Not any shade, hint, or questionable area. Always true, always right, for all people at all times. Only You. Help me to live in response to this today.