Today is May 5th.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from Psalm 31.
Psalm 31:1-5
"1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God."
How are you coming to today’s time of prayer? Are you in a place of quietness or prayerfulness? Do you feel restless, or in need of rescue? What tasks lie before you? How are you feeling, today?
Praying the psalms helps us to understand our own feelings, our own experiences. The psalmists often give us the words we need to describe what’s happening in our own souls. As you listen to this psalm again, pay attention to what word or phrase stands out to you?
"1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God."
The phrase that stands out to me is ‘my faithful God’. I love that the Psalmist refers to ‘my faithful God’… not just ‘a faithful God’ or ‘the faithful God’. The Psalmist has a deep sense of personal connection to God: He’s ‘mine’. For me, today, that is the phrase I will repeat throughout my day: ‘my faithful God’. As we end our time of prayer, take the phrase that stood out to you and write it down, or carry it in your heart, as you walk through your day.
Music Credit:
"The Hidden Place" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)