Praying Scripture is a great help when I get stuck and can’t find the words to pray. Some verses that come to mind are Hebrews 4:12

”For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

and John 1:1

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

I don’t understand all that happens when we pray God‘s word back to him, but I believe it’s powerful. Psalm 25 was written by David, and I think it’s a fantastic prayer.

Psalm 25
Of David

In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.

I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.

Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.

Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.

The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.

Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.

Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.

See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!

Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.

Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!

God bless you! Thank you for reading. Please share this!

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In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

The bad news in Romans 8:26 is that it says that I’m weak and I don’t know what I ought to pray. The good news, albeit amazing news, is that the Holy Spirit helps me in my weakness and intercedes for me. The great news continues in verse 27. We learn that the Holy Spirit is interceding according to God’s will, and that God is searching our hearts.

I have never in my 43 years as a Christian thought about what it means that the God of the universe spends time searching my heart. I know that he loves me, but His care and attention to detail is so moving.

Studying these verses showed me that I don’t need to feel a burden that I have to use the perfect words when I pray. I can follow God’s command to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and trust the Holy Spirit is perfecting my prayers and communicating them to the Father.

How beautiful!! I pray you are encouraged! Thank you for reading.

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A consistent bright spot in our lives over the past two years is the young adults’ Bible study that Jon and I have been leading at our church. We meet weekly and have gotten to know so many wonderful new friends.

Recently, one of the women suggested we have a worship night. We’ve held two so far, and they’ve been wonderful. Another woman from the group p…

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There will be nothing in this post that you haven’t heard before, but I found it so interesting to read Old Testament verses that described God as light in my previous post here.

Then to read verses in the Gospels where Jesus described Himself and His followers as light. The Gospel of John is unique in its many mentions of light.

Matthew 4:16

the people li…

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I want to highlight a few verses that I’ve never thought much about. We know that God gives light, but there are many verses in both the Old Testament and New Testament that communicate that God is light. Again, not the biggest news you’ve ever gotten, but I found it interesting and encouraging to look at them individually. It turns out that there are many, so I will post a part two of this post in the coming days with the New Testament verses.

I hope reading these verses encourages you!

Psalm 4:6

Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us.

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 36:9

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

Psalm 44:3

It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

Psalm 76:4

You are radiant with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game.

Psalm 89:15

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Psalm 90:8

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

Psalm 104:2

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent

Isaiah 2:5

Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Isaiah 10:17

The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.

Daniel 2:22

He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.

Micah 7:8

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

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I read Psalm 33 the other day and wrote down verses 18 and 19:

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

That made me curious about the phrase “unfailing love.”

It actually appears in 39 verses, only in the Old Testament. Thirty-three of them are…

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Psalm 20 begins with a beautiful prayer we can pray for ourselves and others - it covers so many aspects of life.

Verse 1-5

May the Lord
Answer you when you are in distress
Protect you
Send you help
Grant you support
Remember your sacrifices (devotion)
Accept your offerings
Give you the desires of your heart
Make all your plans succeed
Grant all your requests
and w…

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Psalm 19 is an awesome psalm, full of imagery and truth about God and His Word. You can read it here.

I want to highlight the last three verses because they are a prayer we can pray all day long.

Psalm 19:12-14

¹² But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I wil…

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Daniel 9:23

As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand t…

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I recently started reading through the book of Psalms again, and something new to me caught my eye. I couldn’t believe all the times David was telling/commanding God to act. The first verse I noticed was Psalm 4:1

David tells God

to answer him

to give him relief

to be merciful and

to hear his prayer.

He’s not asking God; he’s telling God, and that surprised m…

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Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.

This verse has helped me in the past and in the present when my future feels unclear; it has reminded me to put my trust in G…

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I was recently flipping through the book of Psalms hoping it would get me out of my lousy mood when my eyes fell on Psalm 68:19. It reads,

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who da…

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A few weeks ago, in my readings and my conversations with people, God reminded me of two verses. I was very familiar with both of them but had never noticed their similarities.

Psalm 18:33
”He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.”

Habakkuk 3:19
”The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a de…

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I’ve been familiar with Zephaniah 3:17 and have had it underlined in my Bible for a long time.

The Lord your God is with you;
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

The verse, from a different version of the Bible, is on a decorative print on the wall of one of the rooms…

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I have loved the verses Hebrews 12:1-3 for a long time. I’ve been encouraged and inspired by them.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perf…

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I love coming across verses in the Bible that remind me that God is with me. I find it incredibly encouraging. Here are some examples:

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 118:6-7

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do …

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At that point, it literally exploded, and ground beef went everywhere.

All over the floor, the counters, the walls, and even the ceiling.

Some even landed in my water glass 6 feet away.

It w…

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I have a few thoughts on Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Leading up to these verses, God tells us in verses 4 and 5 to rejoice …

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Sometime in the eighties or nineties, the concept of “Bed in a Bag” came about. It was all the linens you needed for a bed in one compact bag (they’re still around today).

Well, Psalm 142 is a “Sermon in a Psalm.”

The handy-dandy notes in my Bible pointed out three points,
(there’s even alliteration, which is necessary for a 10/10 sermon.)

In the psalm, Dav…

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Jesus often taught in parables, but sometimes he spoke in plain, simple sentences so that there would be no misunderstanding Him. Eight times in the book of John, he starts a sentence with “I am” and finishes it with a descriptive noun.

John 4:26
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you-I am he.”

John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of lif…

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