Praying Through Psalm 1:1-6

Lord, let me start with a reminder of where we left off last time as I pray through Psalm 1:1-4.

You taught me how praying through the Bible is holding my thoughts captive. When I pray the Word, I am holding my thoughts captive and am making them obedient to Christ, who is the Word. Wow, Lord. Thank You. I will think on that and pray that thought through.

Praying Through Psalm 1:4:

Father God, Psalm 1:4 says how the wicked are not like this, which means are not like Psalm 1:2-3.

Pause.

The wicked. I’m letting this roll around in my head for a moment, Lord.

Those who do not live verses two through three are wicked. God?

Gulp. The implications of that are pretty staggering. I used to think I wasn’t wicked. Before today, that is, as a matter of fact. Not praying through the Bible 23/7/365, and taking our thoughts captive by being in the word, by not praying, leads to temptation, to sin, to long-term sin, to multiple sins, which are wickedness.

I’m going to do a word study of “wicked” in Psalm 1:1 and 1:4. “Wicked” = rasha (raw-sha) = wicked, criminal, evil, guilty, ungodly, offender, deserving punishment, hostile, sinful, rebellious, wrongdoer, morally or actively, etc. It occurs 262 times in the Bible, according to Strong’s and Englishman’s Concordance.

I must admit how easy it is for me to say I am not or cannot be wicked. However, I have a pulse. Which means I can be. If I am not praying without ceasing, not always giving thanks, and are not meditating on the Bible 24/7/365, I will at the very least have moments of wickedness. The longer I am between not praying through the Bible only adds to the chances of my acting and being wicked, if I were to be totally honest. Which only means… I am wicked at times. Talk about a wakeup call.

The further I am in-between of praying through Your word, Lord, the more my temptation can turn into sin, which can turn into wickedness. Yes. The longer I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing, the more wickedness will sink its teeth into me and not let go, whether in my emotions, thoughts, and/or behavior. Moreover, I may not even realize it, Lord. This is dangerous.

Praying through the Bible is absolutely essential. Being in the Word protects me from myself, others, temptation, sin, and wickedness. It is an inoculation. It’s like a preventative shot in the arm. Praying through Your Word is the first line of defense and offense (since the Word is the Sword of the Spirit—an offensive weapon—see Ephesians 3:17).

Wow, Lord. I keep shaking my head and have a grin on my face one moment and weepy eyes the next moment. Oh, how You have enlightened me, taught me, answered my prayers, and amazed me this morning, Lord! Glory! Thank You, God.

Father God, looking at Psalm 1:4 some more… When we have a wicked nature (which all of us have and should not ignore or deny), we then do not live Psalm 1:2-3. If we do not live verses two through three, we act wicked and act as chaff, which is useless and is easily scattered by the wind. And here in Wyoming, the wind rarely ceases. I would rather live like a big, strong, thriving, solid, fruitful tree (verse 3) than live like a dead leaf which is easily moved.

I just heard of a former neighbor who has to pay three thousand dollars to have a 30-year old willow tree removed because it died. It is now a danger to all around it because it could fall over and smash all underneath it. It is like chaff now. And, this willow warns me what happens if I thrive through praying the Word, and ever stop, everyone around me will be and could be impacted by my lack of self-discipline of praying through the Bible 24/7/365. The more I thrive in the Bible now, if I fall and stop doing so, I will cause more damage to self and others and even other things.

Hah! I have been scattered for years, I realized just now. Furthermore, I haven’t been blown just by the wind, but by even a small, gentle breeze. Wow. I see it and get it, Lord. You have opened my understanding to Your will this morning, Lord (see Isaiah 50:4).

I have been chaff and have caused damage because of my lack of praying through the Bible. This is another big, light bulb moment for me, Lord. I must be firmly planted in praying through the holy Word. I have thought and felt as though something was missing. I have not felt whole. I haven’t been able to write. Not like I could or should, never mind want.

Well, no wonder… I need to pray through the Bible. This is what I was missing. THIS is my purpose—and is all of our purpose, without exception.

Praying Through Psalm 1:5:

The wicked will face condemnation at the time of judgment. Moreover, a sinner will not have a place with the godly. Oh, the importance of praying the Word of God!

Praying Through Psalm 1:6:

The Father watches and observes the way of the godly. But, destruction is where the wicked travel. A fork in the road… Which way do we want to travel? Lord, help us all choose the road which leads to thriving, abundant life—not destruction. Little.  Which road would you rather take? One path is easy. One path demands constant, relentless focus and determination. One path requires no work. The other path requires no breaks and constant work and attention to detail. One way is easy. One way is hard. One requires little. The other way requires much.

I stop and look around at the view as I journey and pray through the Bible, Lord, and I see one path of light and thriving fruit trees and another path of a desert in drought in mid-summer. If I chose life, it requires much of me. But, I will live and prosper. The other road is easy and requires little to none from me, but has no life. I have learned the past two days how praying through the Bible requires 23/7/365 attention and commitment, But, it is more than worthwhile and means I will thrive. Why would I want to be lifeless chaff easily scattered when I can thrive and be fruitful at all times and in all seasons?

And, then, Lord, we wonder what is wrong with us—and with the word. We feel dead, lifeless, empty, pointless, purposeless, and bored if we are not constantly praying through the Bible, Lord. And, we do not just feel it. We are dead. And we wonder why our latest pursuits do not make us feel happy, content, and joyful. We cannot be if we do not personally live Psalm 1:2 24/7/365.

I think I want to pray through all of this a while more, Lord.

To be continued in the next blog post.

(Originally written on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.)