14th April - 20th April 2008

This week, we study psalm 18, full of poetic imagery and wonderful promises. It was written by David, at the end of his wanderings, when he became King of Israel. Background reading see1 Sam 23- 2 Sam. 5 .

Monday 14th April. Adoration
Ps 18 V1 “ I love you Lord, my strength.”
The word used for love is passion. – This is a spontaneous outburst of praise from the Psalmist As we read further on in the psalm, we see that he had been especially conscious of God’s help in times of great need. Can you look back and trace God’s provision & help on your life especially when the “going has been tough”?
Prayer: Father, as I trace your hand of blessing on my life I lift my heart & voice in grateful praise for all your provision.

Tuesday 15th April. Characteristics of God
V 2. “The Lord is my rock ,in whom I take refuge. He is my shield, the horn ( strength ) of my salvation, my stronghold.” 
Here is why the writer was sofull of praise for all God’s dealings with him. God  is described as a rock – a place of security; a refuge – a place of safety; a shield – a place of protection; horn of my salvation – the source of  strength; and a stronghold – a place to hide in the storm.  Notice, the psalmist says, My emphasising the personal nature of this relationship.
Prayer: I count my blessings and name them one by one. What a generous God you are.

Wednesday 16th April. Power comes in answer to Prayer
V 3” I call to the Lord,…… and I am saved from my enemies.”
We could almost say, this is a “spiritual law”- We petition & God answers. Jesus endorses this in Matt.7 vv 7 -8. .”Simple prayer – sure salvation”, says Alec Motyer. How often do we say ,” I will pray for you” as if that is nothing, when it is the best thing we can do for anyone. Is life hard – do your problems seem too difficult to solve?
Prayer: Think of the words of this old hymn –Thou art coming to a King; Large petitions with you bring; For his grace & power are such; None can ever ask too much.

Thursday 17th April. God’s answer to our prayer
Vv 16-17” He reached down from heaven& rescued me; He drew me out of deep waters. He delivered me from my powerful enemies.” Read vv 4 -18
These verses paint a poetic picture of God’s power. The writer recalls the God of Sinai(vv7-8); the God of grace (v 10); the darkness of the 9th plague(v11). David is reminding himself of God’s might & majesty & his infinite power. This is our God, the one to whom we call in times of trouble, the almighty power we invoke on our behalf.
Prayer: Father , forgive me for the times I have tried every other source of help before turning to you. Help me to understand the vastness of your might.

Friday 18th April. A Loving Father
Vv 18 -19 “The Lord upheld me . He led me to a place of safety; He rescued me because He delights in me.” 
This is one of the most amazing verses in this psalm & a truth that we need accept with our minds & in our hearts. God loves us, because He loves us !!  Let go of your fear & low self –esteem, which only serve to strangle you, and live in the freedom of the knowledge God’s love.
Prayer: Father, make me understand that your love will never give up on me. Please help me to contemplate how liberating that thought can be & to live today as your son or daughter.

Saturday 19th April. Walking in Obedience
Vv 27&28 ”You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” Read vv 20-45
At first reading, this section is hard to understand, since David suddenly seems to be justifying himself. David’s life was in no way blameless; in fact the opposite was the case, but in his dealings with Saul, he had carefully followed God’s plan & therefore could claim God’s blessing. The idea of rewards, runs through the Bible (see Matt10v 42 & Rev.3 v11).This means we can put ourselves into the way of blessing, or rule ourselves out of blessing, depending on the way we live our lives.
Prayer: Father, please help me to follow your word as revealed to us in the Bible, in everything I do, that I may be worthy of the name Christian.

Sunday 20th April. Praise to our God
V 46 “The lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!” Read vv 46-50
David looks back on his life with its failures & victories He has seen God’s hand at work & in v 30 can say , “As for God his way is perfect.” That is sometimes hard to say, but we need to recognise that God uses all the experiences of life to shape us & mould us into his plan for us.
Prayer: Father, help me to look back & see your hand of blessing on my life. Thank you, that you use every circumstance however hard, to bless me & others and make me the person you have planned for me to be.

Prayer Points & Daily Readings
21st April - 27th April 2008

‘From everlasting You are God’ You have shown me favour unending; you have given your life for me. And my heart knows of your goodness, your blood has covered me. I will rise and give thanks to you, Lord, my God, and your name I will bless with my whole heart. You have shown mercy, you have shown mercy to me. Source 599 (verse 1)

Psalm 33 ‘Because he is faithful and his word is dependable, we can rejoice and sing, giving thanks and praise’

Monday 21st April. The Lord and his Praise  -  Praising Thankfully, Thoroughly and Thoughtfully
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy. Psalm 33 v 1-3
When things are going well, we focus on our blessings and express our gratitude to God for them. But thanks should be on our lips every day. God wants his people to praise and worship Him in spirit and in truth. He is our creator, He loves us with an everlasting love, and He sheds His mercy and blessings upon us all.
Prayer: Lord, we praise you for your greatness which gives us courage and your mercy which fills us with hope. Lord, we praise you that even in the midst of our anxieties, doubts and fears we can place our trust in you, the giver of life, hope and peace.

Tuesday 22nd April. Lord and his Power  -  The Moral and Manifest Power of his Word
For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Ps 33 v 4, 5
All good things come from the hand of God, and he can even transform pain and suffering into joy and praise. He never lies to us, and His plans are for our peace, and to bring us hope and a future.
Prayer:We pray for those who are ill at present and for anyone who is in any special need.   We pray for anyone whose life is filled with sadness pain or despair.   May Gods grace continue to heal and to bless.

Wednesday 23rd April. The Lord and his Power  -  The Moving and Matchless Power of his Word.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. ……… Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.   For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.   Ps 33 v 6 - 9
God made everything and He sustains His whole creation.   ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’.   What God has planned to do, no man can resist.   God’s power is supreme, and we should stand in awe and reverence before Him.
Prayer: We pray for the world, your world Lord. You created it to be good, beautiful and an exciting place in which to live. May your presence be found in areas which are in great need of your control, your power and your loving touch.

Thursday 24th April. The Lord and his Providence  -  Decisions: Rebellion or Responsiveness.
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for His inheritance. Ps 33 v 10-12
Although we think we can go our own way, when our plans are contrary to God’s, He will defeat them and bring about His own purposes. He is all powerful, He is good, and He is holy. When we join with Him in His work, when we worship Him and Him alone, that is when we are truly blessed.
Prayer: We pray for those with authority in the life of the Church, for those whose words of wisdom and truth have been a channel of God’s healing grace and power. May Christ be evident in all they say and do in His name.

Saturday 26th April. The Lord and his Providence – Destinies: Conflicts and Calamities
No King is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. Ps 33 v 16, 17
Why do we like putting our trust in earthly treasures instead of eternal things?   We place our confidence of success in our own selves.   But God want us to depend on Him.   He wants us to acknowledge that everything we have comes from His hand.   He wants us to put Him first in everything, and to love Him above everything and everyone else.
Prayer: We pray for those who can only cope with certainties; those who are dissatisfied with the way they are living but do not have the courage to take the step that would allow them to walk in the fullness of life with Christ.  May they find the joy that God can bring.

Sunday 27th April. The Lord and his People  -  The Help, the Happiness and the Hope of the Saved
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. We wait in hope for our Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Ps 33 v 18 – 22
God can, and often miraculously does, deliver his followers from pain and death, though sometimes, for purposes known only to him, he chooses not to. When faced with these harsh realities we must focus on the wise judgements of God and ask for His watchful care and protection. He is our hope in times of crisis.
Prayer: We pray for ourselves and for any important decisions that we will need to make soon. May the gentle but firm authority of Christ guard our hearts, rule our minds and guide our footsteps.