Joy: Psalm 9:2 The Message (MSG): My new life verse

Psalm 9:2 The Message (MSG): My new life verse

Every now and then, a verse will come around and ruin me. This is one of those verses.

Let me explain, though, what I mean by ruin. It grabs my attention so much, so hard, so powerfully, so awesomely that I cannot think or do much of anything else after I read the verse. I become obsessed with it, in the best form of the word, where I memorize the verse, pray on it, meditate on it and think on it as much as possible. I spend as much time thinking on it and praying on it as possible and I also journal about the verse or verses. 

When a verse grabs me, my heart and mind, it is  challenge of me to look at any other verses for a while. The verse becomes what I eat, drink, and breathe. It becomes part of me and a way of life and living. 

Sometimes my focus on a verse like this lasts days. Sometimes, it lasts weeks. Sometimes, it lasts months. Sometimes, it lasts years. 

This is one such verse. So, stay tuned. I will write a great deal more about it at least in the next blog post.

This is my new life verse:

Psalm 9:2 The Message (MSG)

A David Psalm

9 1-2 I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart,

    I’m writing the book on your wonders.

I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy;

    I’m singing your song, High God.

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Praying the Bible and Psalm 119:1 (and 2 Chronicles 7:14, an everyday prayer)

Note 1 to readers and friends: Every day, I will try to include some blessings counted (with the hopes it inspires you to count your own), additional prayer, thoughts on prayer and the Bible, a devotional of sorts, and the verse to pray the Bible. I will share my areas of sunshine and storm and the lessons I have learned as well. I think you will see there is (or will be) depth to this blog as I hope to inspire you to pray the Bible as well. God bless you.

Note 2 to readers and friends: Each of these prayers are meant to be prayed over and over. They are not meant to be one and done prayers. Hence, this blog can be read in any order and at any time. Each blog post is meant to be timeless for the most part. There are a couple of timely prayers here and there, but I am sure if you read them in the future, they will inspire you to pray for your own prayer and that time regarding the current events of your day.

Lord, thank You for: yesterday, tomorrow, this moment, this day, this week, this month, this year, this decade, this home, this family, and this life. Thank You for every single blessing that surrounds each and for the blessings I will receive today. Help me, Father God, to not miss counting one blessing. The more I count, the more I see You, and the more I am able to see You working my life, around my life, and through my life. It is through Your blessing and favor I see You glory and get to know You all the more.

Thank You for Jesus Christ being born so He could die on the cross and be resurrected, for the forgiveness of my sins, and so I can live in and for eternity with Him.

Thank You for the Bible, Your Word, O Lord.

Thank You for prayer.

And, thank you for teaching me how to pray the Bible more and more each day, and how to get the most out of it as well. To You be the glory.

Father God, You my Rock and Redeemer, my Friend, the Way, The Truth, the Light, the Life, my Father and Daddy, the One Most High, the One and Only. I praise and worship You.

Thank You for a good cup of coffee or tea.

Thank You for breakfast.

Thank You for the feel of sheets as they cocoon me at night.

Thank You for waking to a snuggling grey kitten. Help me to snuggle up to You and Your Word.

Thank You for an orange cat who is hanging out close to me on the sofa and that he is resting so well. Help me rest in You and Your Word.

Lord, teach me how to pray.

Teach me, Father, how to pray the Bible.

Give me the desire and the want to pray and pray the Bible... and to do so all day and night.

Lord, tell me what to pray and when. Put the prayers on my lips, heart, and mind.
Please, Father God, help me to not get sidetracked and to stay on task of praying through Bible 24/7/365 without exception.

I want to begin with this verse first:

A VERSE TO PRAY SEVERAL TIMES A DAY EVERY DAY FOR OUR HOME, NATION, THE CHURCH, AND THE WORLD

2 Chronicles 7:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

I will let you form your own prayers around 2 Chronicles 7:14 first. Then, later, I will write a blog post on the verse.

I was serious, by the way. We really need to pray this verse all day long and save our friends, families, homes, neighborhoods, nations, the Church, and the world.

PRAYING THROUGH PSALM 119

As You know, Lord, there is a chapter in the Holy Bible which has been on my heart and mind for years now. I have tried repeatedly to prayer journal about, to blog about it, and pray it through. However, I usually stop. I unfortunately get sidetracked. Needless to be say, I think it is time to pray through the Psalm and learn everything I can about Your Word and prayer. So, here it goes.

Lord, help me pray this Psalm 24/7/365 AND learn as much as I can from it.

PRAYING THE BIBLE AND PSALM 119:1

Father God, help me understand, live/apply, and remember the verses of Your Word. For, if I do, my way will be blameless and I will be happy.

Help me follow Your teachings and instructions, God, so I can be blessed from living a pure and blameless life.

How fortunate, blessed, and happy am I, if I am undefiled, pure, blameless, and mind upright I and minds when I live and walk according to the Bible.

Lord, this verse shows the importance of being in Your Word and praying through it.  If I do, then I will be happy, blessed, and and fortunate. Let me be honest here. I do not think I could ever get enough of any of those, particularly the blessed part. Your favor is everything. Your blessings are what I can count and they will last for eternity.

Father, help me pray the Bible and counting my blessings all day and night long. (I also pray this for all of the areas of prayer on my prayer list.)

Praying the Bible and Psalm 119:28

Lord, You and your Word have perfect timing. I had no idea I was battling the familiar grief until...

Lord, as You know, I started out praying another verse today. However, I was stopped in my tracks after I read a Christian blog post about Mother's Day. The next thing I knew, I was a sobbing mess, which is rare for me these days, and I had something dawn on me. And, it seems in my times of tears You teach me so wonderfully. I think it is because of the verse I want to pray today.

This thought makes me smile. One that is easily found because I have Your Word tucked in way deep inside so silly emotional moments are short-lived while Your Word, and its impact, are eternal.

Gotta love it when I sit at our dining room table, windows and blinds wide open with multiple houses could look in as I cry. Sheesh. I was too transfixed to move. The blog post got my attention. It was for those who have lost a child or who are childless.

Ugh. I have pulled myself together, Abba. The tears start again. I still sit at the same dining room table. Maybe if I don't sob and just let the tears fall, no one will tell what I'm really doing. Or, why should I care?

Lord, You know how hard Mother's Day around Father's Day is for us, for B (my hubby) and me. It's the days we wish we could lack ourselves away a reminded pretend like it isn't happening. We do not go to church. We try not to make any plans. We just get lost in our own little world.

We do not regret not having kids. We couldn't. And, in many ways, we are at peace we didn't have them. But, there are times we miss what could have been. What should have been. If it wasn't for Eve and that fruit, this would never had been a problem.

I still think it is kind of funny, Lord, how both of us are infertile. Not one. Both. It kind of helps since neither one of us have to feel the guilt since we cannot. We both cannot, so no guilt ever known here. Thank you for that.

There was a verse that got me through the second time IVF didn't work. It comes to mind from time to time still.

It is what held me up after the realization we would never have children of our own. Other than four-leggeds. And, oh how we have invested in them!

What makes Mother's Day particularly difficult this year is how we lost two of our four-leggeds. One at the end of September 2015 and the other at the end of January 2016. Two losses in four months, Lord.

So, Father God, we are childless and have lost two.

Ouch.

I haven't cried about Kara cat, Zack Beagle, or not having children in quite some time. Not a cry like I cried today.

But, that verse, Lord.  That verse came to mind and I realized it is the perfect verse to pray. Particularly  today. Particularly since I am also grieving the pain terrorism has caused. A U.S. Navy SEAL was lost in battle today in Iraq. It is terrible to have to fight war, but terrorists cannot be allowed to torture, rape, and slaughter people like they are. It is necessary to fight this war, but the wounded and deaths that result are terrible losses. I thank You, Lord, for them and their sacrifices so I can sit here blubbering at my dining room table. This loss puts mine into proper perspective.

Lord, I cry for his family, friends, and team. I cry to You to bring comfort and resolve that this war is a just one and that his sacrifice was truly worthwhile and will not be forgotten. I will uphold everyone associated with him in my prayers. His loss. Before Mother's Day... Lord, be with those left behind and bring them this verse...

PRAYING THE BIBLE AND PSALM 119:28

Your Word says how David was weary and heavy and he wept from sorrow and grief. He asked You, Lord, to strengthen and encourage him from and through Your Word and its promises.

Lord, my heart is heavy. Encourage and strengthen me according to the promises of Your Word.

This verse is a prayer and is about the Word. It is a perfect verse to show and display how to pray the Bible and it tells why it is so important to pray the Bible to begin with, God.

Strengthen me by the promises of the Bible, Lord.

My strength is insufficient at best.

I seek real strength. Strength of an all-powerful, all-loving,  ever-present, all-knowing God is truly real strength. And, I get that strength through praying Your Word.

Praying Your Word is like weight training. It's good strength building.

Lord, help me keep turning to the Bible, to You alone, for strength. Your strength, given through praying the Word, is infinitely better than my strength.

Praying the Bible is the answer to everything and everyone.

Thank You, Daddy, for all of this. To You be the glory forever and ever.

Please give Your strength to all associated with the fallen U.S. service member.

Also, give Your strength to all families and friends who have lost loved ones because of terror.

God, encourage and strengthen all of those who have lost a mom, lost a child, or cannot have children.

Anyone hurting today is this crazy, mixed-up world, please let Your beautiful Word encourage them and give them strength.

Strengthen us and encourage us through You Word, Lord. All the time.

Help us to continually seek the Bible to pray all day long so we can continually, moment by moment, be enriched by Your Word.

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.)

Praying through Psalm 1:1-3, Part 2

Lord, as I pray through the Bible, whenever I pray for I or me, unless it is highly personal, I also pray for: My husband, our marriage, our home, our family and friends, our block, our neighborhood, our city, the churches and government in our city, the businesses in our city, our county, the churches and government in our county, the businesses in our county, our state, the churches and government of our state, the businesses in our state, our region in our country, the churches and government in our region, the businesses in oir region, our country or nation, the churches and government and military of our nation, the businesses in our country, the nation's of the world, the churches and governments and militaries of all nations in this world, the businesses of the world, the U.N., NATO, against all terrorism worldwide, for our allies, for the news and current events worldwide, for all believers, and for nonbelievers worldwide (for the Great Commission to be fulfilled every year).

These are the we and us, not just the I or me. It will take me far longer to write out each of those out each time I pray something than just to say I, me, us, and we. Please forgive the abbreviation, Lord, but I think You understand. I, of course, will pray specifically when led by You to do so.

I pray for all of us.

Praying Through Psalm 1:3: The Word makes us thrive and it means we will always have what we need, in abundance, so we will never want because it is already provided for. In advance. Ahead of time. Before we ask, because we pray through the Holy Bible 24/7/365. Period. How marvelous, awesome, amazing! How You, God. This is so You. Glory! You are holy, holy, holy times holy, holy, holy. Wow! Wonder of Wonders.

We will only thrive if we pray through the Bible morning, noon, and night, day in and day out. Then, we will not only thrive, but we will bear fruit in each and every season. Meaning all the seasons. All four of them. Meaning all the time. We will bear spiritual fruit all the time, in every season, even in scorching summer or snowy winters, as well as rainy spring and cooler autumn. We will love an abundant life and will never want or need. Afternall, of we pray through Your Word 24/7/365, then we are on Your path and You, Lord, will be able to work through us, in us, and around us, for we are without need or want, are thriving, and are bearing fruit and having abundant lives.

Moreover, our leaves will never wither, dry up, or die.

After all, we meditate on Your Word, and pray through the Bible, all day and all night, and are like trees planted besides streams of water.

We will not falter, as in verse one, and it is because of verses 2 and 3.

Lord, I have gotten all of this out of reading and praying through Psalm 1:1-3 alone, without Bible commentaries, Bible textbooks, Bible studies, or sermon notes. It has been from praying through Your Word alone.

Praying Through Psalm 1:4: Lord, verse 4 shows the exact opposite of living of verses two and three. But, I imagine verse 4 is true because the wicked do not live verse two. Father God, I am going to pause and let that sink in for a moment.

How easy is it, without even realizing it, to move from temptation to sin to being a wicked mess and multiple sinning when we are not in the Holy Bible. Again, Lord, I am letting this sink in. I do not want to gloss over this and miss it's importance in my life.

A couple of weeks ago, I realized something important. I have never been able to have two thoughts at once (at the same time). I only am able to think one thought, then the other. Sure, the thoughts might come fast and are strung together, but are never at the same time. It is like walking. I cannot stop with both feet at the same time, unless I hop. I have to put one foot in front of the other in order to walk. Needless to say, I cannot think two thoughts at once.

Hence, if I am praying through the Word, it is hard for my thoughts to lead me to sin or wrongdoing because I am already thinking and praying the Word. I cannot pray through the Bible and think wicked thoughts at the same time and then I will jot act on those thoughts if they do come to mind, because I am already thinking, reading, and praying the Word of God.

Is this not why the Bible tells us to always pray, always meditate on the Bible, always be joyful, and always give thanks? Praying through the Word should always be our primary thought because it keeps us out he right path and keeps us from temptation and wrongdoing.

The wicked in verse 4 are not living verse 2. If they were, their primary thoughts would be on praying through the Bible. Praying through the Word of God is keeping our thoughts captive (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and makes us think on godly things (Romans 12:2 and Philippians 4:8).

Wow. This is another big and important light bulb moment. Praying through the Word is holding our thoughts captive is making them obedient to Christ Jesus, who is the Word. Wow, Lord. Thank You.

Praying through Psalm 1:1-3, Part 1

Note:

Today will be the first blog post of actually Praying Through the Bible. I hand wrote this post a couple of days ago and my life has not been the same since. It’s quite a lengthy prayer. I guess we will see if it is one blog post or two. Time will tell. The prayer journaling I hand wrote was over eleven pages long, but I may add to it as I type it up on my computer. We shall see. Time will tell.

Prayer:

Lord, I just read all the way through Psalm so I could familiarize myself with the Psalm again. The initial reading made me a little weepy as I realized, Father, how it was the perfect chapter to start praying through. I realize now how You have really given me my purpose. My purpose for living in general. My purpose for my prayer, Bible reading and study, giving thanks, life in general, my prayer journaling, my blogging, my writing. It is praying through the Bible, no doubt.

I also realize how you have given me this purpose all along, or at least since I was nineteen years old, and here we are over two decades later and I see it come around full circle. This was why You made me. I am to pray through the Bible and share my journey as I do so. What I share on my blog, and later in book form, can inspire others to pray the bible for themselves by using these blog posts as a stepping off point.

Amazing, Lord. Simply amazing.

I cannot wait to create on my blog the Praying Through the Bible resource of every chapter, ever verse of the Bible in time. It will also be a resource on prayer in general. The blog, in time, will also be able to be used as a Bible reading and Bible study resource, as well as a daily devotional. In short, it is everything You ever put into my heart spiritually and professionally rolled up into one—and Psalm 1 is the perfect stepping off point. Thank You, Lord.

What an answer to prayer, God, You showing me how everything through my life has come together to bring me to this point. To You be the glory forever and ever. For, this is all about You and is not about me. If it were left to me, I would still be shriveled up in a corner twiddling my thumbs, trying to figure out how to heal from my hurts and fix my writing. Thank You for working in me, through me, and around me up to this point and I cannot wait to see where You take me and us (readers of the blog) on this journey.

I was made for this, Lord. I can see that now. Then again, looking back on this a couple of days later, I can honestly say I believe wholeheartedly every single human being on the planet was made for this. Thank You for opening my eyes to this.

Last night, Lord, I shared Your vision of my personal prayer journaling being typed up and turned into a blog post, and the blog posts then being turned into a book over time to my husband. He got a faraway look for a moment and said, “This truly is. I will do everything I can to support you so you can fulfill the vision God has in your life.” And, bless his soul, I know he meant every word. Thank You, Lord, for such a fine husband, and for confirming things through him.

April 19^th was Day 1 for me in my personal prayer journal, but April 20^th was the first blog post. Therefore, this will be the anniversary date, Lord. I look forward to looking back in a week, in a month, every three months, and over a year and see what all I/we have prayed through. I am pretty sure it will be absolutely amazing, Father.

Oh, dear, Lord. This blog post, as I pray through Psalm 1 again as I type, is growing by the second and I am afraid I have been quite babbly in prayer. I would say forgive me, but I am pretty confident You would rather have me babble for a minute or two than be silent for a minute or two.

Lord, verse 2 shows how I avoid verse 1. I have always wondered how it is possible to meditate on the Word night and day (verse 2), pray without ceasing (Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and always be thankful (give thanks, 1 Thessalonians 5:18)—at the same time. Now I know how. It is by praying through the Bible every day, all night and day long.

Abba, how should I proceed? Should I pray one book at a time? Should I pray one chapter or one verse at a time? I am, obviously starting with Psalms. Wait. Or, am I? I will hush and will follow Your lead as to what I pray through in Your Word next. Lead me, Father. Help me hear You every clearly as to what to do and when, and how and what to pray. But, first, I should get back to Psalm 1, Lord.

I just read through Psalm 1 again.

Your Word seems to ask: Want joy? (Joy is found in verse 1.) Then, do verse 2. Want delight? Verse 2 is also the answer. Want both joy and delight? Verse 2 is still the answer. Do you want to learn how to have true joy and true, absolute delight in the Holy Bible? See verse 2. If we meditate on the Word of God, the Holy Bible, Lord, and do so night and day, we will have joy and will then develop delight in the Bible. But, neither joy or delight develop until then… until we meditate, ponder, contemplate, think on, and pray through the Bible morning, noon, and night.

God, I cannot help but think how if I am praying through the Holy Bible all night and day, it becomes harder to be tempted and sin. It makes it difficult to live a sinful lifestyle of Psalm 1:1. See, Lord. I am liking the sound of that already.

Verse 3 is the answer to prayer and is an answer in advance, ahead of time. If we pray through the Bible morning, noon, afternoon, evening, and night… then verse 3. Then, we will be like trees which are planted by the bank of a river… never of need. Never thirsty. Thriving. Tall. Wide. Built up. Strong. Wow. Weepy again. This is what Your Word offers. Thank You Lord.

To be continued…

Praying Through Psalm 1, Part 2

Lord, as I pray through the Bible, whenever I pray for I or me, unless it is highly personal, I also pray for: My husband, our marriage, our home, our family and friends, our block, our neighborhood, our city, the churches and government in our city, the businesses in our city, our county, the churches and government in our county, the businesses in our county, our state, the churches and government of our state, the businesses in our state, our region in our country, the churches and government in our region, the businesses in oir region, our country or nation, the churches and government and military of our nation, the businesses in our country, the nation's of the world, the churches and governments and militaries of all nations in this world, the businesses of the world, the U.N., NATO, against all terrorism worldwide, for our allies, for the news and current events worldwide, for all believers, and for nonbelievers worldwide (for the Great Commission to be fulfilled every year).

These are the we and us, not just the I or me. It will take me far longer to write out each of those out each time I pray something than just to say I, me, us, and we. Please forgive the abbreviation, Lord, but I think You understand. I, of course, will pray specifically when led by You to do so.

I pray for all of us.

Praying Through Psalm 1:3: The Word makes us thrive and it means we will always have what we need, in abundance, so we will never want because it is already provided for. In advance. Ahead of time. Before we ask, because we pray through the Holy Bible 24/7/365. Period. How marvelous, awesome, amazing! How You, God. This is so You. Glory! You are holy, holy, holy times holy, holy, holy. Wow! Wonder of Wonders.

We will only thrive if we pray through the Bible morning, noon, and night, day in and day out. Then, we will not only thrive, but we will bear fruit in each and every season. Meaning all the seasons. All four of them. Meaning all the time. We will bear spiritual fruit all the time, in every season, even in scorching summer or snowy winters, as well as rainy spring and cooler autumn. We will love an abundant life and will never want or need. Afternall, of we pray through Your Word 24/7/365, then we are on Your path and You, Lord, will be able to work through us, in us, and around us, for we are without need or want, are thriving, and are bearing fruit and having abundant lives.

Moreover, our leaves will never wither, dry up, or die.

After all, we meditate on Your Word, and pray through the Bible, all day and all night, and are like trees planted besides streams of water.

We will not falter, as in verse one, and it is because of verses 2 and 3.

Lord, I have gotten all of this out of reading and praying through Psalm 1:1-3 alone, without Bible commentaries, Bible textbooks, Bible studies, or sermon notes. It has been from praying through Your Word alone.

Praying Through Psalm 1:4: Lord, verse 4 shows the exact opposite of living of verses two and three. But, I imagine verse 4 is true because the wicked do not live verse two. Father God, I am going to pause and let that sink in for a moment.

How easy is it, without even realizing it, to move from temptation to sin to being a wicked mess and multiple sinning when we are not in the Holy Bible. Again, Lord, I am letting this sink in. I do not want to gloss over this and miss it's importance in my life.

A couple of weeks ago, I realized something important. I have never been able to have two thoughts at once (at the same time). I only am able to think one thought, then the other. Sure, the thoughts might come fast and are strung together, but are never at the same time. It is like walking. I cannot stop with both feet at the same time, unless I hop. I have to put one foot in front of the other in order to walk. Needless to say, I cannot think two thoughts at once.

Hence, if I am praying through the Word, it is hard for my thoughts to lead me to sin or wrongdoing because I amp already thinking and praying the Word. I cannot pray through the Bible and think wicked thoughts at the same time and then I will jot act on those thoughts if they do come to mind, because I am already thinking, reading, and praying the Word of God.

Is this not why the Bible tells us to always pray, always meditate on the Bible, always be joyful, and always give thanks? Praying through the Word should always be our primary thought because it keeps us out he right path and keeps us from temptation and wrongdoing.

The wicked in verse 4 are not living verse 2. If they were, their primary thoughts would be on praying through the Bible. Praying through the Word of God is keeping our thoughts captive (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and makes us think on godly things (Romans 12:2 and Philippians 4:8).

Wow. This is another big and important light bulb moment. Praying through the Word is holding our thoughts captive is making them obedient to Christ Jesus., who is the Word. Wow, Lord. Thank You.

Psalm 1 will be continued in the next blog post.

Praying Through Psalm 1, Part 1

Note:

Today will be the first blog post of actually Praying Through the Bible. I hand wrote this post a couple of days ago and my life has not been the same since. It’s quite a lengthy prayer. I guess we will see if it is one blog post or two. Time will tell. The prayer journaling I hand wrote was over eleven pages long, but I may add to it as I type it up on my computer. We shall see. Time will tell.

Prayer:

Lord, I just read all the way through Psalm so I could familiarize myself with the Psalm again. The initial reading made me a little weepy as I realized, Father, how it was the perfect chapter to start praying through. I realize now how You have really given me my purpose. My purpose for living in general. My purpose for my prayer, Bible reading and study, giving thanks, life in general, my prayer journaling, my blogging, my writing. It is praying through the Bible, no doubt.

I also realize how you have given me this purpose all along, or at least since I was nineteen years old, and here we are over two decades later and I see it come around full circle. This was why You made me. I am to pray through the Bible and share my journey as I do so. What I share on my blog, and later in book form, can inspire others to pray the bible for themselves by using these blog posts as a stepping off point.

Amazing, Lord. Simply amazing.

I cannot wait to create on my blog the Praying Through the Bible resource of every chapter, ever verse of the Bible in time. It will also be a resource on prayer in general. The blog, in time, will also be able to be used as a Bible reading and Bible study resource, as well as a daily devotional. In short, it is everything You ever put into my heart spiritually and professionally rolled up into one—and Psalm 1 is the perfect stepping off point. Thank You, Lord.

What an answer to prayer, God, You showing me how everything through my life has come together to bring me to this point. To You be the glory forever and ever. For, this is all about You and is not about me. If it were left to me, I would still be shriveled up in a corner twiddling my thumbs, trying to figure out how to heal from my hurts and fix my writing. Thank You for working in me, through me, and around me up to this point and I cannot wait to see where You take me and us (readers of the blog) on this journey.

I was made for this, Lord. I can see that now. Then again, looking back on this a couple of days later, I can honestly say I believe wholeheartedly every single human being on the planet was made for this. Thank You for opening my eyes to this.

Last night, Lord, I shared Your vision of my personal prayer journaling being typed up and turned into a blog post, and the blog posts then being turned into a book over time to my husband. He got a faraway look for a moment and said, “This truly is. I will do everything I can to support you so you can fulfill the vision God has in your life.” And, bless his soul, I know he meant every word. Thank You, Lord, for such a fine husband, and for confirming things through him.

April 19^th was Day 1 for me in my personal prayer journal, but April 20^th was the first blog post. Therefore, this will be the anniversary date, Lord. I look forward to looking back in a week, in a month, every three months, and over a year and see what all I/we have prayed through. I am pretty sure it will be absolutely amazing, Father.

Oh, dear, Lord. This blog post, as I pray through Psalm 1 again as I type, is growing by the second and I am afraid I have been quite babbly in prayer. I would say forgive me, but I am pretty confident You would rather have me babble for a minute or two than be silent for a minute or two.

Lord, verse 2 shows how I avoid verse 1. I have always wondered how it is possible to meditate on the Word night and day (verse 2), pray without ceasing (Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and always be thankful (give thanks, 1 Thessalonians 5:18)—at the same time. Now I know how. It is by praying through the Bible every day, all night and day long.

Abba, how should I proceed? Should I pray one book at a time? Should I pray one chapter or one verse at a time? I am, obviously starting with Psalms. Wait. Or, am I? I will hush and will follow Your lead as to what I pray through in Your Word next. Lead me, Father. Help me hear You every clearly as to what to do and when, and how and what to pray. But, first, I should get back to Psalm 1, Lord.

I just read through Psalm 1 again.

Your Word seems to ask: Want joy? (Joy is found in verse 1.) Then, do verse 2. Want delight? Verse 2 is also the answer. Want both joy and delight? Verse 2 is still the answer. Do you want to learn how to have true joy and true, absolute delight in the Holy Bible? See verse 2. If we meditate on the Word of God, the Holy Bible, Lord, and do so night and day, we will have joy and will then develop delight in the Bible. But, neither joy or delight develop until then… until we meditate, ponder, contemplate, think on, and pray through the Bible morning, noon, and night.

God, I cannot help but think how if I am praying through the Holy Bible all night and day, it becomes harder to be tempted and sin. It makes it difficult to live a sinful lifestyle of Psalm 1:1. See, Lord. I am liking the sound of that already.

Verse 3 is the answer to prayer and is an answer in advance, ahead of time. If we pray through the Bible morning, noon, afternoon, evening, and night… then verse 3. Then, we will be like trees which are planted by the bank of a river… never of need. Never thirsty. Thriving. Tall. Wide. Built up. Strong. Wow. Weepy again. This is what Your Word offers. Thank You Lord.

To be continued…

Psalm 90:12

December 23, 2015, Wednesday, 636 a.m.

Psalm 90:12 New Living Translation (NLT)
12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
    so that we may grow in wisdom.
-- New Living Translation (NLT). Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Psalm 90:12 Expanded Bible (EXB)
12 ·Teach us [Make us know] ·how short our lives really are [L to count our days]
    so that we ·may be wise [L gain a wise heart].
-- Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.

Psalm 90:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.
-- Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Psalm 90:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
-- New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

If we truly realised how brief life was here on earth, we would live it drastically differently and would make every single moment count.

How do we make every moment count? Live it fully.

How do we live every moment fully? We find every single blessing we can of each and every moment, we thank God for them, and we capture them on the page to remember, review, and count again.

S.O.A.P. Bible Study of Psalm 141

Scripture:
Here are what I think the key verses are:
Psalm 141:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
    Listen when I cry to you for help!
2 Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
    and my upraised hands as an evening offering.
3 Take control of what I say, O Lord,
    and guard my lips.
4 Don’t let me drift toward evil
    or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
    of those who do wrong.
-- New Living Translation (NLT). Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Here is another translation or version:
Psalm 141:1-4 Expanded Bible (EXB)
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, I ·call [pray] to you. Come quickly to me.
    ·Listen to me [L Give ear to my voice] when I ·call [pray] to you.
2 Let my prayer be like incense placed before you [Ex. 30:7–8; Rev. 5:8],
    and ·my praise [L the lifting of my hands] like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, ·help me control my tongue [L set a guard on my mouth];
    ·help me be careful about what I say [L keep watch on the door of my mouth; Prov. 13:3; 21:23; James 3:1–12].
4 ·Take away my desire to do evil [L Don’t incline my heart to an evil matter]
    or to join others in doing wrong.
Don’t let me eat tasty food
    with those who do evil.
-- Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
For me, the key verse is:
Psalm 141:3 New Living Translation (NLT)
3 Take control of what I say, O Lord,
    and guard my lips.
-- New Living Translation (NLT). Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Psalm 141:3 Expanded Bible (EXB)
3 Lord, ·help me control my tongue [L set a guard on my mouth];
    ·help me be careful about what I say [L keep watch on the door of my mouth; Prov. 13:3; 21:23; James 3:1–12].
-- Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Psalm 141:3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.
-- Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Psalm 141:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
-- New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Observations:
Psalm 141:3 New Living Translation (NLT)
3 Take control of what I say, O Lord,
    and guard my lips.
I sure need this prayer. Especially today. It was another one of those everything that could possible go wrong, did, mornings. Hence, out of frustration, I flapped my mouth--internally and externally.
You know, Lord, it just hit me. Just because I think it, does it make it any.less bad? A bad thought is not as bad as a bad word. Both are ugly, are sinful, and get my eye and heart off of You.
And, as I complain, vent, gripe, it only leaves me feeling ugly and tarnished. Never mind who I vent to.
How does this help?
The personalized prayer of Psalm 141:3 would have made far more sense.
Application:
Allow God to speak through me.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to bite my tongue so You can speak through me instead. Your words, not mine.

Bible Verse of the Day: Psalm 62:7

Psalm 62:7

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

7 My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.(A)

Cross references:

1. 62:7 : Ps 18:2

-- HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

-- Original Source: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=HCSB&search=Psalm%2062:7

Day 14 Psalm 1:2

Day 14 Psalm 1:2

EXPLANATION OF SLOWNESS OF THE SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY THROUGH PSALM 1 AND 2
Today, we will continue looking at the cross-references for Psalm 1:2. We've been taking it at a slow pace in order that we might meditate on the Word day and night where I lave tried not to overwhelm us, but give us a great deal to meditate on because we can remember it.
Moreover, we are also having our daily Bible reading, so we are getting more of the Bible than just the Psalms and just the cross-references. That being said, it's important to meditate on what God reveals to us throughout the day in His Word, whether through this devotional Bible study, or through our daily Bible reading, so it's a good idea to do things in smaller chunks so we can remember what to meditate on. I hope that helps.
The more we meditate on the Word of God, the Bible, the more blessed we will be (see Psalm 1).

ANOTHER DAILY BIBLE READING OPTION
Here's a source I've used for several years now. I just wanted to share this daily Bible reading option with you in case you might be interested. I subscribe to the email and really enjoy it. It does not give you a reading to cover every single chapter and verse of the bible, though, be warned. So, what I do is I keep the previous day's email and see what today's email is and I read the chapters and verses in-between. That way, I read through the Bible in a year.
It's called Bible Pathway and here it is to look at:

http://www.oneplace.com/devotionals/bible-pathway/

What I like about it is how it gives me some background and commentary and gives me things, places, people to pray for each day. Also, there's optional reading, options for further study, and a weekly memory verse. It also gives a thought for the day. At least look at it. I guarantee you'll get a great deal out of it.
I save all of these for Bible study later. If I'm doing a study on the book of Mark, I do a search in my email for "Bible Pathways Mark" and they pop up and I can study about Mark. The same goes with topics. For example, if I want to do a study on grace or love or something like that--and with character studies of people (like Barnabas or Paul or David). It's been an incredible study tool beyond the daily Bible readings.

CROSS-REFERENCES

Let's first review the cross-references we discovered on Days 12-13. Let's go back and look again at the reading from this book, along with the verses and our prayer journaling. Prayer journal anything else that comes to mind at this point.
Now, let's continue.
Psalm 119:14 is another cross-reference. Let's look it up in our favorite version and prayer journal about each of the following:
1 What jumps out at you?
2 What does this verse mean?
3 What did you learn?
4 What can you apply to your life, if anything? And, if so, how will you do it and when?
5 How does this expand your understanding for Psalm 1:2?
6 What did God say to you?
7 What did you say to God?  

Seriously. Do you want to rush ahead and read several other cross-references? Or, would you like to linger here for a bit and meditate on this verse day and night? Let's linger. 

Prayer journal your thoughts.

Synonyms: Any time you read law, laws, rules, regulations, testimonies, etc., substitute Bible, Word of God, and/or Scripture. 

Psalm 119:14 / New Living Translation (NLT)
14 I have rejoiced in your laws
    as much as in riches.  

-- NLT: Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.  

Prayer journal about each of the following:
1 What jumps out at you?
2 What does this verse mean?
3 What did you learn?
4 What can you apply to your life, if anything? And, if so, how will you do it and when?
5 How does this expand your understanding for Psalm 1:2?
6 What did God say to you?
7 What did you say to God?  

Psalm 119:14 / Expanded Bible (EXB)
14 I enjoy ·living by your rules [the way of your decrees/testimonies]
    as people enjoy great riches. 

--  EXB: Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.  

Prayer journal about each of the following:
1 What jumps out at you?
2 What does this verse mean?
3 What did you learn?
4 What can you apply to your life, if anything? And, if so, how will you do it and when?
5 How does this expand your understanding for Psalm 1:2?
6 What did God say to you?
7 What did you say to God?   

Psalm 119:14 is the key verse / The Message (MSG)
9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
    By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
    don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
    so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
    train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
    all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
    than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
    I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,

    I won’t forget a word of it. 

-- MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

Prayer journal about each of the following:
1 What jumps out at you?
2 What does this verse mean?
3 What did you learn?
4 What can you apply to your life, if anything? And, if so, how will you do it and when?
5 How does this expand your understanding for Psalm 1:2?
6 What did God say to you?
7 What did you say to God?    

CONCLUSION FOR THE DAY
Prayer journal the following:
What jumped out at you? Why?
What did you say to God?
What did God say to you?
What are you going to apply to your life?
What did you learn?
Write a summary in conclusion for today's devotional Bible study.

Write a prayer to God about all of this.  

Day 13 Psalm 1:2

Day 13 Psalm 1:2

CROSS-REFERENCES
Let's first review the cross-references we discovered on Day 12. Let's go back and look again at the reading from this book, along with the verses and our prayer journaling. Prayer journal anything else that comes to mind at this point.
Now, let's continue.
Psalm 25:5 is another cross-reference. Let's look it up in our favorite version and prayer journal about each of the following:
1 What jumps out at you?
2 What does this verse mean?
3 What did you learn?
4 What can you apply to your life, if anything? And, if so, how will you do it and when?
5 How does this expand your understanding for Psalm 1:2?
6 What did God say to you?
7 What did you say to God?

Psalm 63:4-6 / Names of God Bible (NOG)
4 So I will thank you as long as I live.
    I will lift up my hands to pray in your name.
5 You satisfy my soul with the richest foods.
    My mouth will sing your praise with joyful lips.
6 As I lie on my bed, I remember you.
    Through the long hours of the night, I think about you.  

-- NOG: Scripture is taken from NAMES OF GOD BIBLE (WITHOUT NOTES) ®, © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.

Let's look up the previous cross-reference verse in our favorite version and prayer journal about each of the following:
1 What jumps out at you?
2 What does this verse mean?
3 What did you learn?
4 What can you apply to your life, if anything? And, if so, how will you do it and when?
5 How does this expand your understanding for Psalm 1:2?
6 What did God say to you?
7 What did you say to God?

Psalm 112:1 / Expanded Bible (EXB)
112  Praise the Lord!
Happy [Blessed] are those who ·respect [fear] the Lord [Prov. 1:7;31:30],

who ·want [take great delight in] ·what he [his] commands.  

-- EXB: Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.  

Let's look up the previous cross-reference verse in our favorite version and prayer journal about each of the following:

1 What jumps out at you?

2 What does this verse mean? 

3 What did you learn?

4 What can you apply to your life, if anything? And, if so, how will you do it and when? 

5 How does this expand your understanding for Psalm 1:2?

6 What did God say to you? 

7 What did you say to God?

CONCLUSION FOR THE DAY

Prayer journal the following:

What jumped out at you? Why?

What did you say to God?

What did God say to you?

What are you going to apply to your life?

What did you learn?

Write a summary in conclusion for today's devotional Bible study.

Write a prayer to God about all of this.