Make The Psalms A Part Of Your Life
Do you have days
when everything seems to be falling apart? When you have the least amount of
money, your car breaks down, the kids get sick, the plumbing backs up, and the
dog runs away? Don't let these situations drag you down; use God's Word to pull
you back up--read the Psalms!
Read:
Psalms 3
King David wrote
Psalms 3 when he was going through a period in his life when everything was
falling apart. His favorite son,Absalom, was rebelling against him and stole the
hearts of the men of Israel away fro the king.
| II Samuel 15:13 | Then a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." (NAS) |
David was forced
to flee as Absalom gathered an army of thousands to pursue him. In frustration,
fear, anger, and sadness, David asked God:
| Psalm 3:1 | "O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!" (NIV) |
It was as if
David was saying, "Why are my enemies allowed to prosper?" But he knew that with
the power of God and the power of prayer; he would find peace that passes
understanding.
| Phillipians 4:7 | And God's peace (be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Amplified) |
When you read
Psalms 3, you, too, can find the strength to face your problems and overcome
your situations. Sing, pray, or go into the presence of God with it. You will be
overwhelmed with God's mercy and grace instead of being dragged down by the
situations of your life.
Make All the
psalms a part of your life! Memorize them! They can meet your every need. The
psalms can open up your heart and give you the attitude you need to hear from
God! This hymnbook of the Hebrews reveals God's compassion toward you in all the
circumstances of your life. The psalms inspire, comfort, exhort, edify,
instruct, and prophesy.
In the words and
rhythms of each psalm you feel the flow of bitter tears and joyful laughter as
the psalmists express their feelings of despair, fear, hope, faith, and triumph.
And even though these songs were written long ago, they apply to your life
today.
The psalms are
candid, personal thoughts of many different men (David, Solomon, Hezekiah,
Moses, and more) who experienced a wide variety of crises and tribulations. Yet
when faced with life's problems, they found God's grace was more than
sufficient. When you read the psalms, you can pray them to God with an attitude
of praise and you can experience God's presence, power, and provision.
An easy method to
finding you way around the book of Psalms, is this way. The prophet Ezra
organized Psalms by their topics, and he did it in such an easy way for you to
remember! Psalms 1-41, the Genesis Psalms, talk about man and God's counsel with
him; Psalms 42-72, the Exodus Psalms, will help you receive deliverance from
your problems; Psalms 73-89, the Leviticus Psalms, tell you how to worship and
be encouraged about church; Psalms 90-106, the Numbers Psalms, are historical
and encouraging---they show God's mercy when the Israelites transgressed against
Him; and the final group, 107-150, the Deuteronomy Psalms, reveal how to praise
God and how to keep His Word in your heart.
I. WHAT ARE
YOUR NEEDS?
Are you afraid?
Then be still and know that He is God because God is your refuge and your very
present help in trouble.
| Psalm 46:10 | Let be and be still and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! (Amplified) |
| Psalm 46:1 | God is our refuge and strength (mighty and impenetrable to temptation) a very present and well-proved help in trouble. (Amplified) |
King Hezekiah wrote this psalm after his victory over Assyria
(II Kings 18,19), and he knew that in times of trouble, God provides a place for
you to retreat, become refreshed, and be protected from harm.
Read: Psalm 56.
Pray Psalm 56 when you're afraid so you won't panic. This
psalm will help you remain faithful and stand your ground so God can perform a
supernatural in your circumstances. Psalm 56 is loaded with faith-building
statements so memorize them and repeat them out loud the next time fear begins
to grow. And if fear and worry keep you awake at night, read Psalm 63 aloud.
Read: Psalm 63
| Psalm 63:5-6 | My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. (KJV) |
Are you facing an overwhelming financial situation. Do you
wonder where your next meal is coming from:
Read: Psalm 33.
The person who wrote this psalm was facing overwhelming odds,
but he was confident of God's protection and care. Make it YOUR song!
Read: Psalm 74
If you are wondering why you are facing a crisis situation.
Asaph wrote this psalm when he witnessed the destruction of the Temple before
the Babylonian captivity. In this dark tragedy and disaster, Asaph knew he must
trust the Lord's deliverance. You must also rest your faith in God's authority,
love, and justice.
Read: Psalm 7
Has someone accused you of something you didn't do? David was
falsely accused of betrayal by Cush the Benjamite, so he wrote Psalms 7, knowing
God would vindicate him. Don't try to set the record straight yourself because:
| Psalm 7:10 | My defense and shield depend on God, Who saves the upright in heart. (Amplified) |
Psalm 54 gives guidelines for handling a situation when
you've been wrongly accused.
Read: Psalm 10
During any time of injustice, pray Psalm 10. It may be hard to
explain why bad things happen or why crime seems to pay, but you have faith that
God is in control. A Christian lives by faith, not by sight, so don't let the
adversity get you down.
| II Corinthians 5:7 | For we walk by faith (that is, we regulate our lives and conduct our selves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk) not by sight or appearance. (Amplified) |
| Acts 20:24 | But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have obtained of (entrusted to me by) the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest the good news (Gospel) of God's grace; His unmerited favor, spiritual blessings and mercy. |
Pray Psalm 10 with confidence and conviction then read Psalm 12, which says that God will not allow evil to go unpunished.
Are you depressed? The devil would love to wear you down with
illness, poverty, and unemployment. As you stand in faith month after month and
year after year, you may feel like asking:
| Psalm 13:1 | "How long, O LORD? Wilt Thou forget me forever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me? (NAS) |
Read Psalm 13 when you feel this way. In this passage you will find the steps to relieve your depression: trust in God's mercy, rejoice in your salvation, sing to the Lord, and remember all the things God has done for you in the past.
When you're depressed and feel like you don't have anywhere
else to turn, take a look at Psalms 25. This psalm reminds you that you
don't have to fight to break free from your depression; you ARE free in Christ.
And then replace the word "king" in Psalm 45 with "Jesus," and the word
"queen" with your own name. How exciting to know you are the Bride of Christ.
You aren't meant for defeat, sadness, and despair. You are meant for victory,
triumph, and everlasting grace!
When you face a catastrophe like cancer, AIDS, war, and death,
you may wonder: "Where is Your mercy, God?" When this happens turn to:
| Psalm 77:10-12 | "...I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the LORD, surely I will remember thy wonder of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings." |
II. HOW'S YOUR HEART?
Does your worship and praise to God come from your heart or
your head?
| John 4:24 | "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (KJV) |
True worship comes from the Spirit, anything else is formality
and is unacceptable to God. Before you approach God in worship readPsalms 50
and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into true worship. And if your worship is
flat because you are in a spiritual dry spell:
Psalm 105:2 - "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him:
talk ye of all his wondrous works." (KJV)
When you want to seek God's face during your quiet time with
the Lord, personalize Psalms 86. It is an extremely intimate prayer that
speaks to the very heart and soul of your relationship with God. David wrote
this psalm after he brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem from where it
had been during Saul's reign (I Chronicles 13-15). David's prayer in this
psalm is taken from about 20 other psalms and from other books of the
Bible--David was praying the Word! When you pray this psalm to the Lord, be
confident God will hear you because your prayer is saturated with His Word.
You should memorize the psalms for your prayer and safety.
When Satan was trying to tempt Jesus in the wilderness he misquoted Psalms
91:11-12, but Jesus spoke the Word and told the devil to flee. When you
speak the Word, the devil cannot tempt you, frighten you, nor exert any
influence over you.
When you read the psalms, pray this verse so you can
experience the powerful love and peace the psalmists found:
Psalms 119:18 - "Open thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."