This long prayer of David jumped out at me this morning. It’s a good reminder of the need to wrestle in prayer.
“I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die.
Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.
Do not drag me away with the wicked—with those who do evil—those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planning evil in their hearts.
Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness. Pay them back for all their evil deeds! Give them a taste of what they have done to others.
They care nothing for what the Lord has done or for what his hands have made. So he will tear them down, and they will never be rebuilt!
Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
The Lord gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.
Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd,
and carry them in your arms forever.”
Psalm 28: 1-9 (NLT). #prayer
I prayed for today’s scripture and this is what the Lord dropped into my spirit. Maybe we all need this reminder that God has high standards. Christianity is a come as you are religion, but we are expected to allow Christ and the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out.
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 (ESV).
#Bible #CarolSwainSpeaks
“A Call to Repentance
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Hosea 6:1-3 (NKJV).
Compliments of @patsylevang5 #Jesus #hope #peace #CarolSwainSpeaks
