David's Prayer to Understand God's Word (6/30)

Psalm 119:34 “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”

I just notice this topic, David's prayer to understand His word. NCV seems clear: “Help me understand, so I can keep Your teaching, obeying them with all my heart.” So I did some research and I was so inspired that there were quite a bit of them. So I want to share them.

Psalm 119:27 “Make me to understand the way of thy precepts (a command or principle intended as a general rule of action): so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.” Ps. 119:73 “Thy hands have made me and fashioned (shape or form) me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.”

Ps. 119:125 “I am Thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies (history of God’s past wonders).” Ps. 119:130 “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple (people who lack education).” Ps. 119:144 “The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.”

Finally, a prayer for understanding His Word from Psalm 119:169-176.

“Let my cry come near before Thee, O Lord give me understanding according to Thy word. 170) Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to Thy word. 171) My lips shall utter praise, when Thou hast taught me Thy statues (God’s likeness). 

172) My tongue shall speak of Thy word: for all Thy commandments are righteousness (right way of living). 173) Let Thine hand help me; for I have chosen Thy precepts (laws or rules to follow). 174) I have longed (hungered) for Thy salvation (deliverance), O Lord; and Thy law is my delight. (I am happy when I follow You.)

175) Let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee; and let Thy judgments (laws) help me. 176) I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments. [End of reading KJV on Psalm 119:169-176]

David, the psalmist here may simply be acknowledging that David was prone (easily) to go astray from being guided by God’s Word. These may be why David had wanted the prayer for understanding God’s Word. David prayed to go against the enemies who would tried to influence David to be lazy in God’s Word. David loved God's Word.

Now we are interceding against our spiritual enemies who tried to make us too lazy to read or study the Bible. We might become too involved with activities that might lead us astray from God’s daily guidance with His Word.  God help us! Let us not forget Him and His Word!

Intercede for a Troubled Heart (6/28-29)

Psalm 119:147 "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your Word." 

David, the Psalmist, had a trouble heart. It means something was bothering him. David knew where to go… God. David prayed and David kept God in his heart. No wonder, God called David, the apple of His eye. God loved David.

So likewise (in the same way), we know where to turn to when we have a trouble heart. Is there something that is bothering you? It would be a good time to intercede what is bothering you through this prayer. God loves you when you keep God in your heart.

Let our intercessors join together and pray for one another whose hearts are troubled.

Prayer of a Troubled Heart:
O Lord God, hear my cry when I called for You. I will allow no trouble, crisis, or suffering to shake my hope in You. You are my Salvation and my deliverance. You are my strength.  

In times of anxiety or threat of my situations, I will put myself unto You. And in my earnest prayer, I will tell You all that is in my heart.

I will wait upon You, O Lord God of heaven, for miracles that Your Word have promised us. You are merciful and Your love is eternal. My heart longs to be near You and to have a talk with You.

I am able to enter Thy court because it is through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ and through His blood which cleansed us from all unrighteousness. And through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us who helps us to draw near to You, O Abba, Daddy ...

You promised that I will be satisfied with Your goodness and blessings (Ps. 65:4). When I enter into Your Presence, I found peace from my troubled heart. For that I thank You and continue to put my HOPE in You. In Jesus' name, amen!

May God arise, may His enemies be scattered; may His foes flee before Him (Ps. 68:1 NIV). In Jesus' name I pray, amen!

Song: Faith in God
Faith in God can move a mighty mountain,
Faith in God can calm the troubled sea;
Faith will make the desert like a fountain,
Faith will bring the victory.
(Inspiring Choruses) 

May the Lord bring peace to your troubled heart today.

Intercede for Stubborn People (6/26-27)

Psalm 78:7 "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”

Prayer to our Lord God from Psalm 78.

O Lord God, the children of Israel forgot You.
            Help us not to be stubborn.
Their spirit were not steadfast with You.
            Help us to stay faithful to You.
The children of Israel did not keep the covenant with You!
            Help us to study Your Word and keep our Covenant with You.
The children of Israel forgot Your wonders and Your miracles.
            Help us to remember that:

a)  You divided the Red Sea and caused them to pass through.
b)  You led them through the day with clouds to keep them cool and night with

           a light of fire to keep them warm.
c)  You brought streams of the rock, and caused the water to run down like rivers 
           so 2.5 millions of Your Israelite children could drink the cool water.
d)  You rained down manna so they could eat and it tasted like angels' food.
e)  You have done many miracles and nothing is too hard for You.

So You Lord God, being full of compassion, forgave their sins and destroyed
them not because You remembered that they were flesh like a wind that passed 
away and not come again.

Thank You for the Holy Spirit that You sent to help us stay true and faithful to You. 
You sent Your Words and healed us in Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Song: How Great is Our God
How great is our God,
How great is His name.
He's the greatest One,
Forever the same.
He rolled back the waters
Of the mighty Red Sea
And He said, "I'm going to lead you,
Put your trust in Me."
(Inspiring Choruses)

Intercede Our Soul to God (6/23-25)

Psalm 42:5 KJV: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (face). (Disquieted means restless, uneasy feeling, feel disturb or something that bother you.)

David, the Psalmist was interceding his soul to turn to God. David’s soul was cast down which means he had lost hope. So David intercede his ‘cast down’ soul to look up to God. David intercede his soul to hope in God. Ps. 42:5 NCV:  “Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising Him, my Savior and my God.”

Are you beginning to lose faith in God? Just because we don’t see what God is doing with your life, doesn’t mean “He doesn’t care about you?” Your feeling is like roller coaster, going up and going down. So let us intercede our soul from losing our hope in God. It will be good to use part of Psalm 42 as an intercession prayer for us.

“O Lord God, I cry to You from a broken heart and body. Sometimes I felt like David who said to You, "Why have You forgotten me?" My afflictions in my body are like enemies who troubled me again and again. They are saying, "Where is the God who heals you?" I asked my soul, "Why are you so discouraged? Why are you losing hope?" 

I tell my soul, "Look up to God and put your hope in Him, not in yourself. Keep praising God who is your Savior." O Lord God, my soul thirst for You like a deer thirsts for streams of water. I yearn for Your Presence with healing in its wings. By faith I will leap like calves released from the stall (Malachi 4:2).

The stall that confined me like a prison, I shall be free from my afflictions. I will praise You for anointing oil of Holy Spirit that flows through my body in Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!  "My soul, look up to God!"

May the Lord bless you and heal you today!

Song: Near to the Heart of God

There is a place of quiet rest
Near to the heart of God,
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.
Chorus:
O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us who wait before Thee
Near to the heart of God.
(Lyrics: Cleland Boyd McAfee, Sing His Praise)

Intercede our Infirmities (6/20-22)

Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (KJV).

Several translations are a blessing to interpret this KJV Heb. 4:15. NCV: For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. When He lived on earth, He was tempted in every way that we are, but He did not sin. NIRV: We have a high priest who can feel it when we are weak and hurting. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But He did not sin.

NLT: This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive the mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Jesus is like us because He experienced temptations throughout His life as a human being. We need to trust Jesus that He can understand our situations. When you suffered deeply, you need to believe that He understand that suffering. The temptation that we often felt like, “He doesn’t know how I feel.” Remember Satan is fighting us and wants us to believe that “Jesus doesn’t care how we feel.” Jesus called Satan, “the father of lies.”  

Hebrews 4:15 NKJV reminds us “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” This means you cannot say that He cannot feel our weaknesses. “Since He Himself has gone through suffering and temptation, He is able to help us when we are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:16 NLT).

Let us be encouraged knowing that Christ suffered pain and faced temptation helps us to face our trials. Jesus understands our struggles because He faced them as a human being. We can trust Christ to help us survive suffering and overcome temptation. Remember Calvary!

When you face trials, go to Jesus for strength and patience. He understands your need and is able to help you. You need to believe this with all your heart. Quote this verse and confess it to Satan that “Christ is interceding my infirmities and that you, Satan, need to back off and leave us alone in Jesus’ name.” Amen! And be healed in Jesus’ name.

So let us trust Jesus that He holds your hand!

Song: He Holds My Hand

He holds my hand, Jesus holds my hand;

Safely to heaven He leads the way,

He is my keeper from day to day;

He holds my hand, Jesus holds my hand,

The road may be long, but my Savior is strong,

And He holds my hand.

(Inspiring Choruses)

I Am With You Always (6/18-19)

Matthew 28:20 “Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age” (NCV).

Do you sometimes have a little bit of fear, wondering what the future holds since we kept hearing troublesome news all over the world? Do you sometimes wonder what was God up to when things are getting worse all the time? Maybe you are beginning to doubt a little … wondering …

Here in this verse, the disciples was with Jesus for three years and now He was leaving … Jesus encouraged them to focus one thing, “Teach them everything I taught you.” What was Jesus’ promised to assure them all that they would do? Jesus said, “Look, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

This made me realize the value or the important of studying the Bible, God’s Word and sharing an inspiration Manna with you, teaching you to observe all things whatsoever Jesus has commanded you and that He promised to be with me and to be with you all the way.

His Word, “I am with you always” is the Christian’s answer to every fear, every doubt, every trouble, every heartache, and every discouragement. No matter what your condition is—weak, poor, humble, something seem unimportant—He cares for you, watches with you every details of your life’s trials, and struggles.

He gives you His grace and plenty of it and that is sufficient for you. God said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor.12:9).

So let us trust our God once again!

Song: If Jesus Goes With Me

If Jesus goes with me,

     I’ll go … anywhere!

‘Tis heaven to me,

     where’er I may be,

           if He is there.

I count it a privilege here –

     His cross to bear;

If Jesus goes with me,

     I’ll go … anywhere!

        (Inspiring Choruses)