praying effectively: Lift Up Your Hands (Ps.134-136)

(Psalm 134:1-3)

 Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who serve by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.

(Psalm 135:1-21)

 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, O servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession.

5 For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He smote many nations and slew mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people.
13 Your name, O Lord, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O Lord, throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will judge His people and will have compassion on His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, the work of man’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear, nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them, yes, everyone who trusts in them.

19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord; O house of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord; you who revere the Lord, bless the Lord.
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

(Psalm 136:1-26)

 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
4 To Him who alone does great wonders, for His lovingkindness is everlasting;
5 To Him who made the heavens with skill, for His lovingkindness is everlasting;
6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His lovingkindness is everlasting;
7 To Him who made the great lights, for His lovingkindness is everlasting:
8 The sun to rule by day, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
9 The moon and stars to rule by night, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

10 To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
11 And brought Israel out from their midst, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
12 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
13 To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, for His lovingkindness is everlasting;
15 But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness, for His lovingkindness is everlasting;
17 To Him who smote great kings, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
18 And slew mighty kings, for His lovingkindness is everlasting:
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
20 And Og, king of Bashan, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
21 And gave their land as a heritage, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
22 Even a heritage to Israel His servant, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

23 Who remembered us in our low estate, for His lovingkindness is everlasting,
24 And has rescued us from our adversaries, for His lovingkindness is everlasting;
25 Who gives food to all flesh, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:
- that we are not afraid to lift up our hands when worshiping the Lord (134:2)
- that we praise the Lord (135:1, 3, 21)
- that we praise the name of the Lord (135:1)
- that we give thanks to the Lord (136:1-3, 26)
- that we sing praises to the Lord's name (135:3)
- that we bless the Lord (134:1-2, 135:20)
- that Israel as a nation bless the Lord (135:19-21)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your everlasting lovingkindness.  Thank You for being our Savior and our refuge.  Let us not be ashamed to praise You, and bless Your name, and lift up our hands to You.  To physically lift our hands to You as a show of commitment and honor.

I apologize for all those years of stubbornly feeling like "I didn't have to" - because in my mind I was lifting my hands to You - and that should have been good enough.  But You deserve our everything.  And since putting down my pride and actually lifting my hands to You - I see and feel the difference, and I am humbled in Your presence.  And I do not care what people around me are thinking.  Help me to stay focused on loving, worshiping, and serving You.  Amen.

praying effectively: Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Ps.122, 130, 131)

(Psalm 122:1-9)

 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;
4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord— an ordinance for Israel— to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there thrones were set for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
7 “May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

(Psalm 130:1-8)

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption.
8 And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

(Psalm 131:1-3)

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.
2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:
- that Israel as a nation will hope in the Lord (130:7, 131:3)
- that Israel as a nation gives thanks to the Lord (122:4)
- that we pray for Israel as a nation to find peace and prosperity in the Lord (122:6-7)

Today's prayer:

Our heavenly Father, You have the whole world in Your hands, so we do not have to worry about politics and global peace, but we are to put our hope in You and pray for our countries, for other countries, and especially for Israel.  Let them as a nation find peace and prosperity in You, and You alone.  Let all our countries be pursuing Your peace and prosperity.

When believers hear the call to specifically go to other countries to spread the gospel - equip them physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Give them the courage and the wisdom to be most effective in sowing seeds of good news.  Convict the hearts of the unsaved, and tear down the cultural and spiritual barriers in their way, so that they will have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Thank You that You forgive sins so that there is hope.  May we fear and rest in You, and allow our Light to shine out to others.  Amen.

praying effectively: Trust in the Lord (Ps.115)

(Psalm 115:1-18)

 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
2 Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?”
3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see;
6 They have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell;
7 They have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; they cannot make a sound with their throat.
8 Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, the small together with the great.
14 May the Lord give you increase, you and your children.
15 May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.

16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence;
18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:
- that Israel trusts in the Lord (Ps.115:9-10)
- that all believers trust in the Lord (Ps.115:11)
- that we don't glorify ourselves, but that we give glory to the Lord's name (Ps.115:1)
- that we praise the Lord (115:18)

Today's prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your many blessings.  I praise Your name for who You are and what You do.  Help me always to be ready to praise Your name.  Help me always to glorify You through what I say and do.  You are the only God!  And You are the only One able to save us and protect us!  Help the unsaved see this and realize this.  Help especially Israel as a nation to see this and realize this.  Amen.