April 2004 Devotional

It’s April – no fooling!  And, it’s Bible study time.  How would you like to learn a new way of applying scripture to your life and affirming God’s powerful Word in the process?  I call it “praying through scripture.” 

Take a passage, any passage.  (Well, just about any.  You’ll see what I mean after we’ve done the exercise.)  Let’s try Psalm 144:1-4, with the text from the New King James Version:

 Blessed be the Lord my Rockwho trains my hands for warAnd my fingers for battle.My lovingkindness and my fortress,My high tower and my deliverer,My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,Who subdues my people under me.Lord, what is man that You take knowledge of him?Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow. 

Now, perhaps on first glance you might, as I did, wonder how this could be easily applied to modern life.  That is, unless you are one of our faithful servicemen or women in Iraq.  Well, let’s take it one line at a time, and I’ll show you what I do.

“Blessed be the Lord my Rock.”  That’s a proclamation of how God’s power and steadfastness can be mine when he reigns in my life, right?  So, I’ll begin by praying that concept back to God and putting in some of my own words…

“Father, thank you for being such a solid rock for me every single day.  You provide the stability I need when I feel shaky and when life around me is uncertain.  I want to bless you with my life – help me to do this, dear God.”

Your words will obviously be different, as they will reflect your own heart and life.  But the goal will be the same:  to appropriate scripture to your present situation and affirm God’s truth in the process.  Let’s try the next line,

 who trains my hands for warAnd my fingers for battle. 

Oh boy.  What are we going to do with this one?  I’m not exactly in the midst of a war…or am I?  Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that “…we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  That means when I am dealing with life’s ups and downs, whether it is a cranky teller at the bank or a rude driver on the road, ultimately I am battling sin and the work of Satan.   So I need to be prepared to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10).  In light of that truth, I will pray my verse from Psalms 144 like this:

“Father, I know this earthly life is often a battle ground.  Holy Spirit, fill me with your power so I can flee the enemy and stand firm in the face of difficulty.  Let me love others even when they act ugly.  Use my hands to do good for you every day.  Train me to be like Jesus, to wash the feet of others.”

Let’s take the next two lines…

 My high tower and my deliverer,My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,Who subdues my people under me. 

My prayer might go something like this…

God, your loving arms keep me safe.  I can run into them and let you embrace me anytime, anywhere.  Shield me from the enemy’s attacks and deliver me out of potentially sinful situations.  For you are the One I love and the One I serve.

Well, I’ll bet you’ve got the idea now and can easily pray through scripture on your own.  Why not take a few moments right now to pray these last few lines back to our God, in your own words.  Substitute the male renderings of “mankind” for female ones to make it more applicable.  Or, put in your own name and allow yourself to feel it even more personally:

Lord, what is man that You take knowledge of him?Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath;His days are like a passing shadow. 

By praying through scripture, I find it comes alive for me as I seek ways to apply its truths in my own life.  I know you’ll enjoy benefits by praying through scripture too, and I look forward to hearing about your experiences.

Have a great month.

Love,

Lisa Kinakin