Prayers for the Week – Psalm 101

My friends, welcome to this week’s Prayers for the Week post.  Today we are taking a look at Psalm 101, a reminder to all of us who look to God:

¹ I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music.
² I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;
³ I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.
⁴ A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.
⁵ Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.
⁶ I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.
⁷ No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.
⁸ Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord. ~ Psalm 101 (ESV)

What is God telling us in Psalm 101? On first look, it can be easy to say that those that do wrong in the world should be destroyed; and for many, I think that is exactly what they will glean from this Psalm.  To me, though, it goes beyond that.  Really, it goes into what is in our own individual hearts, minds, thoughts, and souls.  Look at verse 4 again:

⁴ A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.

I read that and remind myself that far too often my heart knows too much of the evil of this world.  Far too often I let Satan invade.  This is a reminder for me that I need to keep him (Satan) out and make sure that I let Him (Jesus) in!

The same with verses 5 and 7; rather than looking at someone else and seeing their slander and their lies, I will first look at myself and get rid of any temptations I have for gossip and slander, temptations to tell a “little white lie” instead of gently speaking the Truth.

Remember the words of Jesus as pertains to judging others:

¹“Judge not, that you be not judged. ²For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ~ Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)

A word of caution to us all.  It is clear that we can all interpret the Bible any way we choose to.  Some will look at Psalm 101 and see that as clear evidence to continue their verbal attacks on those in charge.  Others will read Psalm 101 and see it as clear evidence that President Trump is doing just what God is telling him to do.  The simple fact is this: none of us know what God wants of President Trump, or if President Trump is even listening to what God wants to tell him.  Remember the words of Jesus from Matthew 7, and remember them wisely — if you are judging others, how you judge them will be used to judge you.  Can you stand up to that kind of judgment?  I don’t think any of us can.

Now, please continue reading, and praying with us our prayer requests and praises.

Prayer Requests and Praises:

• First off, we have a praise report from Jodi: Received a letter from Chase today that the debit card fraud was indeed fraud, and the matter is finally settled. Whew! Thank you all so much for your faithful prayers!
• Trena had a prayer request and subsequent praise! PRAYER REQUEST: These precious girls have a BIG day ahead! They are hoping to become United States citizens TODAY!!! Our appointment/interview is at 9:00 (CST) this morning and we would greatly appreciate your prayers! I began the process with Julia 7 years ago this month. It will be so nice to have total completion of the process!
  • The praise is that the process was a success, and they are now American Citizens!
• A quick prayer request for all of the anonymous prayer requests that are out there. The overwhelming number of them we never hear about, but it’s always a good reminder to pray for those that are unable to share their fears and concerns for whatever reason. Just remember them in your prayers, and know that God knows the details, and we don’t need to. Thanks everyone!
• We have a prayer request for our friend Tina — her heart surgery is scheduled for Thursday 2/2. Prayers please for her and for her husband Ted who is wheelchair bound. Some in the neighborhood are working on a schedule of providing some meals for them to help them out.
• Continue praying for Angela’s prayer request: Please keep my grandson Blake in prayer he means everything to me. A few months ago he had pneumonia and has not completely healed. He went to the Pulmonologist this week and it was discovered after a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) that his total lung capacity was at 40%, which is alarming. We are all very concerned. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
  • Angela tells me to please keep praying, Blake is still not fully healed!
• Please continue praying for Shannan’s prayer request: Prayer request that my previous agency owner will do the right thing and make right on the commissions she owes to agents.
  • So far, nothing has changed.  Please pray for the agency owner to do what is right.
• Continuing prayer request for Sheila: Prayer requests Jagan visted High Tech and Champs high school and loves both of them . Please pray she gets in and will have a choice on which one to pick. The only obstacle is its a lottery, however, I know with your prayers Jagan will get into both schools.
  Thanks in advance.
• Continuing prayer request for Robin: I have a co-worker/friend who knows a family suffering a tremendous loss. The oldest daughter died in an ATV accident, middle and youngest seriously injured. This occured yesterday and although the family knows Jesus this has rocked their world. Prayers deeply appreciated.
• We have a prayer request from Brenda: Hi Mike, would you please add our friend (and Susan’s husband) Ronnie to the prayer list? He will have open heart surgery on Monday to repair a leaky valve. Thank you. Love you.
• Lori has a prayer request: Pray for our Country; I am afraid this divide may become an abyss. I know as Christians we have nothing to fear but I still want to bring so many, many more with us. We’ve got much, much WORK to do!
• Continuing prayers for Caroline: My most precious cousin Angela has just minutes ago told me that her beloved husband David Rea has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. He is scheduled for surgical biopsy at Duke tomorrow and they ask for help in praying for a miracle. Her mother just died last month, and she is still reeling from that excruciating loss. Thank you for lifting up David at this dire time. It is a cancerous tumor, so please keep praying with a fervent pitch for God’s Healing Touch upon David.
• Robin had another prayer request: Please add Christy: she had knee surgery and she is diabetic. She has had issues with the wound and is now battling MSSA, not MRSA but very serious. Her aunt is in my bible study. Thank you.
• From me, praise for Stephanie and her family: Shane is home!
• Continued prayer request from Jodi: Please continue to pray for my father-in-law as he heals from a severe head injury, and please pray also for his wife as she is enduring a lot of challenge in this process.
• Continuing prayers for Amanda and her husband Daniel and daughter Cate.  Here is what she wrote: My husband’s tumor indicators are still increasing after switching chemotherapy drugs. Please pray that this chemo at least stops the cancer from spreading and growing but better yet that God cures and heals him. Please pray for his emotional and spiritual well being as well. He’s taking it pretty hard even though it’s only one indicator and isn’t always correct. There are several new treatments coming in the next several months and we need to keep the cancer in check at least until then! Thank you all so much!

Now, please join with us in one voice as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those that trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory
Forever and ever. Amen.

Source: Prayers for the Week

Comments

comments