|
Sometimes when we pray we seem unable to find the right words to say
to God. I often find that there’s a Psalm that describes exactly the
way and says exactly what I would like to pray.
If I find myself struggling to find the right words to say in prayer I
turn to the Psalms knowing that amongst them I will find words of
repentance, encouragement, praised guidance.
Each week here on the website we’ll post a psalm, and remember the
more we talk to the Father the easier it becomes. However, He’s our
Father and doesn't require that we talk to him in eloquent language –
just talk to God and see the difference that can make in your life.
The new album from
Worship leader Geraldine Latty came into the office at Swansea Sound
last week. Called 'Devoted' it arrived just in time to be included
on the Valley's Radio edition of Heart and Soul which is recorded on
Thursday and I played a track on the live Swansea Sound Heart and
Soul.
I popped the CD into the car cd played so that I could have a proper
listen to the album and it really blessed me. Already I think it will
be a candidate for Kingsway
Album of the Year.
One track that I really enjoyed was 'Wash me and Cleanse' a song
inspired by Psalm 51.
Psalm 51 is a Psalm of repentance.
David wrote the Psalm after his adultery with Beersheba and is a tear
stained testimony of his brokenness before God.
However the Psalm affirms that confession of sin brings forgiveness
and cleansing.
When we fall and we all. That cleansing and forgiveness enables us to
once again serve the Lord.
Are you hiding dark secrets of sin. There are so many Christians who
'talk the talk' but don't walk the walk'. Use this Psalm as you
prayer of repentance today.
David cried out , not just for pardon but for purity; not just for
acquittal but for acceptance; not just for comfort but for complete
cleansing whatever the cost.
His heart was crushed by his shame and sorrow over sin - Does that
describe you right now? Well David knew the great breadth of God's
mercy. You can know that
same great mercy as 'nothing can separate from the love of God' - It's
that love that brings forgiveness to all that ask.
In Psalm 51 David humbly offers himself to be used as an instrument to
teach other sinners - to be a witness.
Don't let the devil keep you down and out. Confess your sins to God
and humbly ask that he will use you again. David made that plea to the
Lord and Psalm 51
says that God accepted that offer.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of
your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my shameful deeds-- they haunt me day and night. 4
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in
your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your
judgment against me
is just. 5 For I was born a sinner-- yes, from the moment my mother
conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be
wise in my in most being. 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be
clean; wash me, and I will be
whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me -- now let me
rejoice. 9 Don't keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my
guilt.10 Create in me a clean
heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy
Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing
to obey you.
13 Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to
you. 14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will
joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that I may praise you. 16 You would not be
pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them. If I brought you a
burnt offering, you would not
accept it.
17 The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant
heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Look with favour on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem. 19 Then you will be pleased with worthy sacrifices and with
our whole burnt offerings; and bulls
will again be sacrificed on your altar.
New Living Translation
Geraldine Latty - 'Devoted' Now out on
Kingsway Music KMCD2439.
-------------------
It was on a Sunday morning when I introduced a topic to my Sunday
Morning phone in programme that really gave Christians an opportunity
to call in and make a stand for the Christian faith.
We had many calls that morning but none from Christians or Church
leaders. I was very disappointed and dwelt on this right through out
the next few days. By Thursday I was fuming and was not in the right
spirit to record a Heart and Soul programme.
I was sitting in the studio listening to some tracks and I put on a
worship CD recorded at the Keswick Bible Week, the song I played was
the beautiful worship song ‘There is a Wideness’.
Half way through the track the worship leader read some verses from
the scripture,
Psalm 103 vv 8 – 13.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger
forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us
according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above
the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as
the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions
from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD
has compassion on those who fear him;
The words just broke me ‘For as high as the heavens are above the
earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.’
We all face tough days, God hasn’t promised us an easy time, but Jesus
said that,' I will never leave you or forsake you’.
When we find ourselves in difficult situations, Psalm 103 is a
reminder of how much God loves His children. How much He Loves
you!!!!!!
Just last week I was driving along the motorway and listening to ‘Back
Home’ a hymns album by Robin Casey.
It’s a great album to have on in the car when driving alone because
you can sing along as loud as you want with no –one to say sssshhhhh!
The final track on the album is Robin Casey arrangement of the hymn,
‘Great is thy
Faithfulness’.
‘Great is they faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not. Thy compassions they fail not;
as thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
all I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth.
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
all I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
As I sang along in the car on a wet and windy February evening, the
presence of God just overwhelmed me. I became aware of how much God
really loved me. You know he loves us so much. It doesn’t matter what
we do in our lives the Bible says;
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our
Lord. Romans 8 37 – 39.
There in my car. I just wanted to sing praises to the Lord and thank
him for all that he has done for me!!
Sometimes in our personal devotion time we my find it difficult to
praise God. We can petition him’ thank him and tell Him how much we
love Him, but can’t find the words to praise. Use the Psalms, the
Psalms of praise.
Start by reading aloud a psalm and you’ll find that as you come closer
to the Lord in worship then your own words of praise will start
flowing.
Psalm 150 is a Psalm of praise
Praise the LORD . ]
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD .
Praise the LORD .
-------------------
This week I preached a message ‘There is power in the name of Jesus’!
I felt God tell me to declare His power to heal. One of greatest
healings that we can experience is coming to Jesus and receiving His
forgiveness. There are times when the guilt of sin just overwhelms us
and we need to unburden ourselves to God, but words fail us.
Psalm 25 is a Psalm of repentance.
1 [1]
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; 2 in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemy’s triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour,
and my hope is in you all day long. 6 Remember, O LORD, your great
mercy and love, for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his
ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his
way. 10 All the ways of the
LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his
covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it
is great. 12
Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the
way chose
for him. 13 He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants
will inherit the
land. 14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his
covenant known
to them. 15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my
feet from
the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17
The troubles of
my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. 18 Look upon my
affliction and
my distress and take away all my sins. 19 See how my enemies have
increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take
refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in
you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles! AMEN.
|
