Soulfood

The Psalms of the Day for day nineteen of each month are 19, 49, 79, 109, and 139. How do we pray these psalms for each other?

Psalm 19 is a meditation on the glory of God, full of praise and encouragement to remember His goodness. It reflects on the beauty of the work of creation and the word of God. So we can pray for one another, that we would notice and acknowledge God’s handiwork in the world around us and be moved from a place of busyness and distraction to an attitude of awe-filled praise. And we can ask for one another that we would delight in God’s law, and for ourselves and others to humble ourselves and be kept from presumptuous (high-handed) sins. Finally, we ask for ourselves and others, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O YHWH, my rock and my redeemer.”

By Psalm 49 we pray with the psalmist that those who oppose God would come to their senses, rather than perishing like ignorant and foolish animals. In reminding ourselves of the vanity of a godless life, we pray for one another to turn away from foolish and vain living. We pray for wisdom and peace to remain confident in God’s promise to ransom our lives and redeem us from our iniquity – so we ask that He would do so for us, and have mercy on us for Jesus’ sake. O YHWH, have mercy!

As we pray Psalm 79 we are encouraged in knowing that while things are not as they should be – and never have been, since the rebellion of our first parents – yet God has not left us in our sin and misery, but made atonement for our sin and brought us back into His presence where there is life in abundance. So we ask for ourselves and one another that we would be delivered from the penalties due to us for our own sins, and we plead to be saved from the actions of sinful men who hate God and hate those who love God, even us. We ask God to deliver us for the sake of the glory of His name, so that we may see with our own eyes His great salvation and rejoice. Lord, may it be so!

Do you, or anyone you know, have enemies? Psalm 109 is a prayer to pray against them. Are you (or a close friend) acting like an enemy towards someone else? Psalm 109 is a prayer to search our hearts to find out what is evil inside us and repent of it. We pray for one another that, rather than reviling in return for reviling, we would bless those who curse us and seek refuge from them in prayer to God, not seeking to repay them according to what they have done to us. We pray that it will be done to them – not by us! – according to what they have done to us. We ask the Spirit to change our hearts so that rather than delighting in the misery of our enemies, we would be moved to pity – and we pray that we would have hearts that show kindness to the poor, the needy, and the broken-hearted, lest we be like those who are enemies of God. And we ask God to treat us as we have treated others, showing kindness to us who are poor and needy. We don’t ask any of this so that we will be justified or vindicated, but so that YHWH and His name will be praised. He stands at the right hand of the needy one, having sent Jesus to meet our deepest need, even reconciliation with God, so that we are not condemned but can give Him thanks and praise in the midst of the congregation!

When I was in college I spent a year abroad in Germany. As I flew over there for the first time, a stranger in a strange land and friendless, I read Psalm 139 over and over. It comforted me knowing there was nowhere I could go and be left without the presence of God. So when I pray Psalm 139 for myself and others, I pray it for the lonely and the fearful and the discouraged, that we would never forget how close God is and how intimately He knows us. I pray for those who are ridden with guilt and shame, that we would remember there is no thought or word or deed we can ever think or say or do that YHWH didn’t know about from all eternity – and He still loves me enough to die on a cross to bring me back to Himself. And we pray for discernment, that we would be humble to see where there are grievous ways in us and be brought to repentance, so that we will not join with the wicked but will keep following Jesus in the everlasting way. Lord, be with us for Jesus’ sake!