Psalm 118

This free devotional combines conversational prayer - talking to God and listening to Him - with simple prayers and Scripture meditations that build intimacy with God.

We recommend starting your devotional time with worshiping to a praise song, such as "Forever" by Chris Tomlin. You can extend your worship time with "Open for Me", by Heather Clark, which is based on some sections of Psalm 118.


Praise You, God, for Your... Thank You, God, for...

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I tell You my thoughts and share with You my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 118.

• 15 minutes - Read Psalm 118. Here is a way to make this psalm a conversational prayer: Re-write verses 1-6 to be a prayer from you to God. For example, "God, I will say thank You for You are good to me." Re-write verses 6-9 to be from God to you. For example, "I'm with you." Re-write verses 10-12 from you to God, replacing the word nations with the word "enemies". Re-write verse 13-16 and 19-21 from God to you. Re-write verse 24-25 from you to God, and in verse 25, list the things in which you are asking God to give you success. Re-write verse 27 from God to you. Re-write verse 28 from you to God. Re-write verse 29 as God's final response to you.
  

Selah. God, as I pause and reflect on Psalm 118, what do You want me to see?

Psalm 117

This free devotional combines conversational prayer - talking to God and listening to Him - with simple prayers and Scripture meditations that build intimacy with God.

We recommend starting your devotional time with worshiping to a praise song, such as "Great is the Lord" by Michael W. Smith.


Praise You, God, for Your... Thank You, God, for...

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I tell You my thoughts and share with You my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 117.

• 15 minutes - Read Psalm 117. Here is a way to make this psalm a conversational prayer: Make each phrase a prayer from you to God. After each phrase, tell God WHY that phrase is true. For example for verse 1, "God, I will praise You. I will boast in You, telling everyone how great, how magnificent, amazing and powerful You are."
  

Selah. God, as I pause and reflect on Psalm 117, what do You want me to see?

Psalm 116

This free devotional combines conversational prayer - talking to God and listening to Him - with simple prayers and Scripture meditations that build intimacy with God.

We recommend starting your devotional time with worshiping to a praise song, such as "Highest Praise" by Shannon Wexelberg. You can extend your worship time with "You Have Redeemed My Soul", by Waterdeep on the "Enter the Worship Circle" album, which is based on Psalm 116.


Praise You, God, for Your... Thank You, God, for...

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I tell You my thoughts and share with You my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 116.

• 15 minutes - Read Psalm 116, preferably in the New Living Translation if you have it available. Here is a way to make this psalm a conversational prayer: Re-write verses 1-5 to be from you to God. For example, "I love You because You hear me and answer my prayers." Re-write verses 6-9 to be from God to you. Re-write verses 10-14 from you to God. Re-write verse 15 from God to you. Re-write verse 17 from you to God.
  

Selah. God, as I pause and reflect on Psalm 116, what do You want me to see?

Kids Worship #1 - Taste and See

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." Can you learn that with me? (Kids respond.) I’m going to start by saying a few of the words and then you echo after me. "Enter his gates (Kids respond.) with thanksgiving (Kids respond.) and his courts (Kids respond.) with praise..." (Kids respond.) Good job!

What do you think it means by entering his gates? (Kids respond.) The gate is kind of like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. The way we knock on God's door is by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".)

Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter into His courts, which is kind of like God’s living room, by giving God praise. Today we are going to start by giving praise to God with the song "Let Everything that Has Breath (Praise the Lord).” And then we are going to do a second song that is a worship song. But let’s start with our praise song. Can everyone get an instrument so we can make a lot of joyful praise noise to God? (Kids respond.) (Play song from Psalm 150 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids" cd.)

Now we are going to do a quiet and beautiful song. It is a really good dancing song for all our ballerinas. It is also a good song for moving your hands all different ways. The song says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” We are going to be learning more about worship for the next few days/weeks but before we learn HOW to worship, we have to know WHY we worship! We worship God because of who He is and one really important thing to know about God is that He is good! OK, ballerinas, are you ready to do our beautiful song? (Kids respond.) (Play song from Psalm 34:8, 7 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids" cd.)




Search.OK, kids, we are going to get into our circle/s now. (Have children sit down in a circle.) We are going to practice our Bible verse. It is Psalm 51:10 (KJV). I’m going to say a few words and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Kids respond - Create in me) a clean heart (Kids respond - a clean heart) O God (Kids respond - O God) and renew (Kids respond - and renew) a right spirit (Kids respond - a right spirit) within me (Kids respond - within me).

Who remembers how we get our heart dirty? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. When you do wrong things, it is like it builds a wall between you and God. Can you kids help me build a wall with these blocks? (Kids respond.) When there is a wall between you and God, how do you get rid of the wall? (Kids respond.) You can say, "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then that gives Jesus permission to tear down the wall between us. Can you repeat that after me? "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." (Kids respond.) That is how easy it is to ask God to forgive us! Let’s say it again, and this time we will break down the wall. (Say with children "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry" as you knock down the wall of blocks.) (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem? (Kids respond.) Does anyone have a boo boo? (Kids respond.) Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (Kids respond.) (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have children ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. Who remembers the Bible story about Samuel? (Kids respond.) Samuel was lying in bed when he heard a voice say, “Samuel.” And finally the old priest, Eli, helped Samuel understand that God was trying to talk to him! So then he said, “Speak, Lord, I’m listening” (from 1 Samuel 3:10). Do you know that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? (Kids respond.) We want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did.

Now, how do we hear from God? (Kids respond.) Do we hear a voice out loud just like when our moms call us to supper? (Kids respond.) It doesn’t happen that way very often, even in the Bible. Most of the time, it will be an “idea popper”! Can you say that? (Kids respond – idea popper.) An idea will pop into our minds that will be from God. But everybody gets ideas in different ways. We are going to practice right now. Close your eyes and think of your really good friend. What kind of thought popped into your mind? Did you think of their name? Did you see a picture of their face like a photograph? Did you see a memory like a movie in your mind of you and your friend doing something together? Did you get a feeling? (Kids respond.)

That might be the way that God will have ideas pop into your mind: with a word, or idea, or feeling, or picture, or like seeing a little movie. We are going to practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We are going to close our eyes and be very quiet and see if any idea pops into our minds. (Take 20 seconds or so.) Did anyone get an idea pop into their mind? (Kids respond.) How do we know whether that idea was from God or just from ourselves? (Kids respond.) Well, we can start by seeing if that idea is something we see in the Bible. But we have to practice, practice, practice, and the more that we get to know God, the clearer it will be whether the idea was from Him or just from ourselves.



Meditate. Let’s talk about the song that we sang earlier, "Taste and See." It came from a place in the Bible called Psalm 34:8, 7 (NIV). I'm going to read it to you from my Bible. (Read.) Question time: Why do you think the Bible would say, “Taste and see that the Lord is good?” (Kids respond.) Does that mean we can eat God the way we eat an apple? (Kids respond.) When God wants us to understand something, lots of times He will give us a picture that we can see to help us to understand something that we can’t see. What would happen if someone told you that this apple tastes good? (Kids respond.) Would you believe them? (Kids respond.) Wouldn’t you rather just taste the apple and find out yourself if it tastes good? (Kids respond.) That is how it is with God: He wants us to experience Him for ourselves, not just have somebody else tell us about Him! One way that we can find out that God is good is by being thankful. When we say “thank You, God”, then we start paying attention to what God is doing. The more that we notice all the good things God has given us, the more that we will understand how good He really is! Can we practice right now saying, “God, You are good!” (Kids respond.) Can we practice saying, “Thank You, God, for being so good to me!” (Kids respond.)

Hands-on Worship Activity: OK, now we are going to praise God in a different way! Instead of singing, or dancing, or using instruments, we are going to make some paper fruit to remind us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” You can draw some fruit or you can take the colored paper and fold it or cut it out in the shape of fruit. You can make it look however you want but everybody needs to do their very best picture drawing because this is a present of praise to God! At the top we are going to write, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" If you need some help writing it, then the adults will help you. (Listen to the cd again, starting with the song from Psalm 34, as they do their artwork.)


Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Kids Praise #9 - 1 Peter 2:9

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." Can you learn that with me? (Kids respond.) I’m going to start by saying a few of the words and then you echo after me. "Enter his gates (Kids respond.) with thanksgiving (Kids respond.) and his courts (Kids respond.) with praise..." (Kids respond.) Good job!

What do you think it means by entering his gates? (Kids respond.) The gate is kind of like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. The way we knock on God's door is by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".)

Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter into His courts, which is kind of like God’s living room, by giving God praise. Today we are going to give praise to God with the song "You are a Chosen Generation.” Do you know what a generation means? (Kids respond.) A generation is a group of people born around the same time. So all of your moms and dads are one generation and all of you kids are a different generation. And God is saying in this song that YOU are a special generation that has been chosen to proclaim, or say really loud to everyone who will hear, praises to God! (Play song from 1 Peter 2:9 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids" cd.)



Search.OK, kids, we are going to get into our circle/s now. (Have children sit down in a circle.) We are going to practice our Bible verse. It is Psalm 51:10 (KJV). I’m going to say a few words and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Kids respond - Create in me) a clean heart (Kids respond - a clean heart) O God (Kids respond - O God) and renew (Kids respond - and renew) a right spirit (Kids respond - a right spirit) within me (Kids respond - within me).

Who remembers how we get our heart dirty? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. When you do wrong things, it is like it builds a wall between you and God. Can you kids help me build a wall with these blocks? (Kids respond.) When there is a wall between you and God, how do you get rid of the wall? (Kids respond.) You can say, "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then that gives Jesus permission to tear down the wall between us. Can you repeat that after me? "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." (Kids respond.) That is how easy it is to ask God to forgive us! Let’s say it again, and this time we will break down the wall. (Say with children "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry" as you knock down the wall of blocks.) (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem? (Kids respond.) Does anyone have a boo boo? (Kids respond.) Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (Kids respond.) (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have children ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. Who remembers the Bible story about Samuel? (Kids respond.) Samuel was lying in bed when he heard a voice say, “Samuel.” And finally the old priest, Eli, helped Samuel understand that God was trying to talk to him! So then he said, “Speak, Lord, I’m listening” (from 1 Samuel 3:10). Do you know that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? (Kids respond.) We want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did.

Now, how do we hear from God? (Kids respond.) Do we hear a voice out loud just like when our moms call us to supper? (Kids respond.) It doesn’t happen that way very often, even in the Bible. Most of the time, it will be an “idea popper”! Can you say that? (Kids respond – idea popper.) An idea will pop into our minds that will be from God. But everybody gets ideas in different ways. We are going to practice right now. Close your eyes and think of your really good friend. What kind of thought popped into your mind? Did you think of their name? Did you see a picture of their face like a photograph? Did you see a memory like a movie in your mind of you and your friend doing something together? Did you get a feeling? (Kids respond.)

That might be the way that God will have ideas pop into your mind: with a word, or idea, or feeling, or picture, or like seeing a little movie. We are going to practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We are going to close our eyes and be very quiet and see if any idea pops into our minds. (Take 20 seconds or so.) Did anyone get an idea pop into their mind? (Kids respond.) How do we know whether that idea was from God or just from ourselves? (Kids respond.) Well, we can start by seeing if that idea is something we see in the Bible. But we have to practice, practice, practice, and the more that we get to know God, the clearer it will be whether the idea was from Him or just from ourselves.



Meditate. Let’s talk about the song that we sang earlier, “You are a Chosen Generation." It came from a place in the Bible called 1 Peter 2:9 (NKV). I'm going to read it to you from my Bible. (Read.) Question time: Does anyone remember what the word “generation” means? (Kids respond.) A generation is a group of people born around the same time. Why do you think God would choose your generation? (Kids respond.) What do you think is different about your generation than the generation of your mom and dad? (Kids respond.) Your generation has a special purpose in the heart of God. As you grown up, we pray that you will understand that more. But every generation has been chosen to proclaim or say really loud praise to God. Can you say, “Praise You, God!” with me right now? (Kids respond.) Can we say it again even louder? (Kids respond.)

Hands-on Worship Activity: OK, now we are going to praise God in a different way! 1 Peter 2:9 also says that God called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. That means that even when your life seems dark and you don’t know where you are going, God is calling you into His light, which is Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world, and He can show us where we are going and what to do next. Can you draw a picture of a dark place on your paper, and then a child walking toward a light? You can make it look however you want but everybody needs to do their very best picture drawing because this is a present of praise to God! At the top we are going to write, "Called into the light!" If you need some help writing it, then the adults will help you. (Listen to the cd again, starting with the song from 1 Peter 2:9, as they do their artwork.)

Kids Praise #8 - Psalm 145

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)

Today we are also going to give praise to God with two songs. We are going to start out with our "Amen" song, which is fun and fast, and then we are going to sing praise with a quiet song, "The Lord is Faithful." Is the Amen Team ready? (Start with energetic "Let All the People Say, 'Amen'" song and then follow with "The Lord is Faithful" from the Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids cd.)



Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)





Meditate. The song that we sang earlier, "The Lord is Faithful", came from a place in the Bible called Psalm 145:13, 14, 17, 18 (NIV). I'm going to read it out loud to you from my Bible. (Read verses.) Question time: Do you think you could help me with some words from the Bible song? (Kids reply.) I'm going to give four (kids/groups) a word and when I point to you, you are going to say your word really loud, OK? (Kids respond. Assign words to groups or individual children.) You will say the word, "faithful". You will say the word, "loving". You will say the word, "righteous". You will say the word, "near". I will start off by saying, "The Lord is..." (Point to a group to finish the sentences, "The Lord is faithful. The Lord is loving. The Lord is righteous. The Lord is near." Repeat four times or more so that every child/group gets to say their word once or twice.) These are some of the reasons why we can praise God. He is so loving and faithful to us that we need to praise Him over and over again.

Hands-on Worship Activity: We are going to draw a picture of some boys and girls saying, "Amen!" If you are three years old, can you draw three boys and girls? If you are four, can you draw four? If you are five, can you draw five? (Child/parent/teacher can write on the paper, "Amen! So be it!" Play the song/cd again while they are making their art. Note to Charlotte Mason families: Drawing is a form of narration. If your child is writing, have them write the theme, "Amen! So be it!" as Copywork, or Dictation if they are old enough to do so.)

Kids Praise #7 - Psalm 106

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)

Today we are also going to give praise to God with the song "Let All the People Say 'Amen!'" Do you remember that most of the Psalms in the Bible were written as songs? Sometimes when the Israelites were singing a psalm, they would do something called “antiphonal.” That’s a funny word, isn’t it? Antiphonal means that the priest or one group of people would sing something, and then another group would sing something else in response. We are going to do that with our praise song today. The song comes from Psalm 106, and is called “Let All the People Say, ‘Amen!’” So I am going to stand on this side of the room and I will sing, “Let all the people say.” All of the children will stand on the other side of the room, and you will shout back, “Amen!” really loud! You are going to be the Amen Team! Does anyone know what Amen means? (Kids reply.) Amen means, “So be it! Yes! That’s right, God!” Can you say that? (Say with children, “So be it! Yes! That’s right, God!”) OK, is the Amen Team ready to do the song? (Play song from Psalm 106:48 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids" cd.)



Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)




Meditate. Do you remember the song that we sang earlier, "Let All the People Say, 'Amen!'" It came from a place in the Bible called Psalm 106:48 (NIV). I'm going to read it to you from my Bible. (Read.) Question time: Does anyone remember what it means to say, "Amen"? (Kids reply.) It means, "So be it! Yes! That's right, God!" (Kids respond.) Why do you think God would want us to say, "Amen"? (Kids reply.) When we say, "Amen!" or "So be it! Yes! That's right, God!" we are agreeing with God. When we agree with Him, then we get to know Him and what He likes and what is important to Him. It makes God's heart feel really good when we do this. It is a way of telling God that we love Him when we agree with Him.

Hands-on Worship Activity: We are going to draw a picture of some boys and girls saying, "Amen!" If you are three years old, can you draw three boys and girls? If you are four, can you draw four? If you are five, can you draw five? (Child/parent/teacher can write on the paper, "Amen! So be it!" Play the song/cd again while they are making their art. Note to Charlotte Mason families: Drawing is a form of narration. If your child is writing, have them write the theme, "Amen! So be it!" as Copywork, or Dictation if they are old enough to do so.)



Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Kids Praise #6 - Psalm 103

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)


Today we are going to give praise to God with a song called "Praise the Lord, Oh My Soul." This song is good for twirling and dancing with some very graceful moving of your hands. (Play song from Psalm 103:2-5 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids" cd.)

Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)


Meditate. Do you remember the song that we sang earlier, "Praise the Lord, Oh My Soul"? It came from a place in the Bible called Psalm 103;2-5 (NIV). I'm going to read it out loud to you from my Bible. (Read verses.) Question time: Can you remember what it means to praise the Lord? (Kids reply.) Praise is celebrating God and telling Him how wonderful He is. (Kids respond.) What do you think that word "soul" means? (Kids reply.) The soul is the very deepest part of you. It is invisible, that means you can't see it, but it is the part of you that will live forever. It is the very center of you that feels and makes choices and understands things. (Kids respond.) So when we say, "Praise the Lord, Oh my soul," we are telling that deep secret part of us that we want to celebrate God. (Kids reply.)

Hands-on Worship Activity: Can you draw a picture of a child with praise coming out of them? You might want to show praise coming out of their mouth, their hands, and their soul, which is in middle of them? Maybe your praise will look like beautiful colors or wiggly lines or music notes. (Child/parent/teacher can write on the paper, "Praise the Lord, Oh my soul." Play the song/cd again while they are making their art.)

Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Kids Praise #5 - Psalm 63

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)

Today we are going to give praise to God with a song called "As Long as I Live." This song is good for twirling and dancing with some very graceful moving of your hands. (Play song
from Psalm 63:3, 4 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids" cd.)

Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)


Meditate. Do you remember the song that we sang earlier, "As Long as I Live"? It came from a place in the Bible called Psalm 63:3, 4 (NIV). I'm going to read it out loud to you from my Bible. (Read verses.) Question time: Why do you think the Bible verse would say to lift up our hands to God? (Kids reply.) My little girl said that when you raise up one hand, it is like saying, "Hello, God!" Can you wave your arm and say, "Hello, God!" (Kids respond.) What do you think we are doing when we lift both our hands? (Kids reply.) Well, for one thing, when we lift up our hands as high as we can, it helps our whole body to look up toward heaven. If we keep our whole body looking down, we are just going to see our problems. Also, lifting up our hands is a symbol. Do you know what a symbol is? (Kids reply.) A symbol is something that shows us something important that is hard to understand in words. When we lift up our hands, it is a symbol to say to God that He is higher than anyone or anything else. Do you remember when we talked about how God is the Great King over all the earth? (Kids reply.)

Hands-on Worship Activity: We are going to draw an outline around both our hands and then decorate them. This is a picture of us lifting up our hands to God. (Child/parent/teacher can write on the paper, "And in your name I will lift up my hands." Play the song/cd again while they are making their art.)

Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Kids Praise #4 - Psalm 145

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)


Today we are going to sing to God with a song called "Every Day I Will Bless You." Does anyone know what it means to bless God? (Kids reply.) Sometimes when we sneeze, people say, "Bless you." So when we bless God, does that mean God sneezed? (Kids reply.) To bless God is when you say good things about God, such as, "God, You are good and I love You." Now we are going to celebrate God with singing, instruments, marching, and dancing to "Every Day I Will Bless You" (from Psalm 145:2, 10, 11 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship" for Kids cd).

Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)


Meditate. Do you remember the song that we sang earlier, "Every Day I Will Bless You"? It came from a place in the Bible called Psalm 145:2, 10, 11 (NRSV). I'm going to read it out loud to you from my Bible. (Read verses.) Question time: Why do you think we should bless God everyday? (Kids reply.) It says, "All Your works shall give thanks to You." How do you think we can give thanks to God? (Kids reply.) Does anyone have something for which they are thankful? Would you like to say thank you to God? (Kids reply and pray.)

Hands-on Worship Activity: Do you know that God loves colors and rainbows and all sorts of beautiful things? Let's paint a picture that is our most beautiful art picture to God. It is a way that we can say thank you and make His heart feel good. (Play the song/cd again while they are making their art.)

Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Kids Praise #3 - Psalm 135

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)

Can anybody tell me... what does it mean to praise God? (Kids reply.) Praise means to celebrate God and give Him glory. It is like saying, "God, You are the best!" Today we are going to praise God with a song that says, "I know that the Lord is Great." Can you say, "God, you are great!" (Ask each child to say it out loud.) Now we are going to celebrate God with instruments, marching, and dancing to "I Know That the Lord is Great" (from Psalm 135:5-7 on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship" for Kids cd).

Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)


Meditate. Do you remember the song that we sang earlier, "I Know That the Lord is Great"? It came from a place in the Bible called Psalm 135:5-7 (NIV). I'm going to read it out loud to you from my Bible. (Read verses.) Question time: Why do you think it says that God is great? (Kids reply.) Do you think that God knows He is great? (Kids reply.) If God already knows He is great, why do you think that He wants US to tell Him? (Kids reply.) When we tell God that He is great, and that He is the best, then we get to know God. Then He can show us more and more and more! It's like our brain says, "Oh, so that is who God is!"

Hands-on Worship Activity: Because God is the Great King over all the earth, He is in charge of the clouds and the lightening and the rain and the wind. Do you think that clouds make a sound? Can you make a sound of lightening? How about rain sounds? What do you think the wind sounds like? Can you make a picture with clouds, lightening, rain, and wind? (Play the song again while they are making their art. Could use cotton balls for clouds, etc.)

Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Kids Praise #2 - Psalm 47

An interactive way to introduce children to a devotional life with God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)

We are also going to praise God with instruments, singing, marching, or dancing to "God is the King over all the Earth" (Psalm 47) on the "Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship" for Kids cd.

Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)


Meditate. Read Psalm 47:6,7, and 9b (NIV) out loud, which are the words of the praise song used earlier. Question time: Does anyone know what praise means? It means to celebrate God because He is amazing! The Psalms were first written in the language, Hebrew. One Hebrew word for praising God is Hallelujah! Can we say that? (Kids say, Hallelujah!) It is kind of like saying, "God, You are so great - You are the best!" What about singing praise? How can we do that? To sing praise is to celebrate God with a song, with music. And even though it is good to sing a song about God, He really, really likes it when we sing a praise song TO HIM. One way we can sing praise to Him is to make up a song. (I sang a spontaneous song: God, You are good; God, You are good; You are so great, and I love You.") Does anyone want to make up their own praise song TO God and sing it to Him right now?

Hands-on Worship Activity: Because God is the Great King over all the earth, we are going to draw Him a very beautiful and special crown. You can decorate it with diamonds and make it look very fancy and then cut it out. (Play the song again while they are making their crowns.)

Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Kids Praise #1 - Psalm 150

This simple devotional format - an acrostic of Psalms - is a way to introduce children to God through worship, Scripture meditation, confession of sin, and conversational prayer.


Praise and Thanksgiving. When we want to come into God's presence, how do we come in? Does anyone remember? (Kids respond.) Psalm 100:4 (NIV) says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." The gate is kinda like God's door. We go up to God's door and knock, because we want to come in and be with Him. We knock on God's door by giving thanks to Him for something. Who is ready to knock on God's door? (Kids respond.) OK, when you knock on the door, tell God "thank you" for something. (Children knock on a door or a wall and say thank you as they enter the "courts".) Now remember, the Bible verse also says that we enter His courts with praise. After we come in the front door of God's house, we enter His living room, or His courts, by giving God praise. What do you want to praise God for today? (Kids respond.)

Start by praising God with instruments and marching to "Let Everything that Has Breath" (Psalm 150) on the Hide 'Em in Your Heart: Praise and Worship for Kids cd.

Search. (Have children sit down in a circle.) OK, kids, I'm going to say some words from Psalm 51:10 (KJV) and then you echo it after me. Create in me (Create in me) a clean heart (a clean heart) O God (O God); and renew (and renew) a right spirit (a right spirit) within me (within me). Why would we need to get our heart clean? (Kids respond.) The Bible says that everybody does wrong things and it is like our hearts get dirty. But we can say "God, I was wrong and I'm sorry." Then He promises to make our heart clean again. (Depending on age of children, and their understanding of spiritual things, you will have to modify this section. The point is for them to become familiar with confession of sin, so it becomes a natural response.)

Ask. We can ask God to help us when we have a problem or especially when we are hurt or don't feel good. Does anyone need God's help today with a problem or a boo boo? Would you like us to ask God to help you feel better? (If it will work for the children, have one child pray for the other. If not, you can have child ask for themselves or you can do it out loud. The point is for prayer to be modeled in a very natural way.)

Listen. We also want to practice listening for God's voice, just like Samuel did. Do you remember that Samuel was just a kid about as old as you when he heard God talk to him? Let's practice getting very quiet and listening for God. We might get an idea, see a picture, or get a thought from God. We are going to keep practicing listening for God so that someday it will be just like breathing. (Spend about 1 minute being quiet, depending on the age of the children. Then ask the children to share what they experienced. Note to Charlotte Mason families: This develops the habits of attention and thought of God.)


Meditate. Read Psalm 150 out loud. The NIV will correspond to the words of the praise song used earlier. Activity: Draw a picture of instruments, people, and animals praising God. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6 (NIV)

Copyright 2011 by Kendra Lane Barrow. Contact at imintheriver@fuse.net

Psalm 113

This simple devotional format - an acrostic of Psalms - combines conversational prayer, talking to God and listening to Him, with the basic activities of intimacy with God.

We recommend starting your devotional time with worshiping to a praise song, such as "Highest Praise" by Shannon Wexelberg.


Praise You, God, for Your... Thank You, God, for...

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I tell You my thoughts and share with You my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 113.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 113. If you have it available, read it in The Message. Go back to a word or phrase that stands out to you. What thoughts or feelings does it stir?
  
• 15 minutes - Read Psalm 113 in The Message, if you have it available. Re-write the words of the psalm to be from you to God. For example, "Just to speak Your name is praise!"

Selah. God, as I pause and reflect on Psalm 113, what do You want me to see?

Psalm 112

Based on an acrostic of PSALMS, this devotional is a simple way to make the Psalms personal as you pray and meditate on the Bible. Instructions: Finish the sentence or answer the questions. When you get to the M section, you can choose the option that works for the time you have available.


Praise You, God, for Your... Thank You, God, for...

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I tell You my thoughts and share with You my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 112.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 112. Then go back and re-read the beginning of verse 4. Is there an area of your life that feels dark or where you can't see your way? How might this verse be a promise to you in your current situation?
  
• 15 minutes - Read Psalm 112. This psalm works well for intercessory prayer, which means praying on behalf of someone else. If you are single, you can use this psalm to pray for your pastor or a spiritual leader in your life. If you are married, re-write the verses as a prayer for your husband. For example with verse 1, "God, bless my pastor for his love and respect for You." Or, according to verse 7, "God, I pray that my husband will have no fear of bad news (with his job or this upcoming project), but that his heart would be steadfast, trusting in You for his security."

Selah. God, as I pause and reflect on Psalm 112, what do You want me to see?

Psalm 111

Based on an acrostic of PSALMS, this devotional is a simple way to make the Psalms personal as you pray and meditate on the Bible. Instructions: Finish the sentence or answer the questions. When you get to the M section, you can choose the option that works for the time you have available.


Praise You, God, for Your ______________. Thank You, God, for _______________.

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I describe to You my life, my thoughts, and my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 111.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 111.
  
• 10 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 111. Step 2) Using a name of God that feels personal to you, re-write verses 2-4 and 7-10 directly to God. For example, "Your deeds are amazing, Jesus! Everything You do reveals Your glory and majesty." The New Living Translation works well for this particular devotional.
  
• 20 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 111. Step 2) Follow the 10 minute directions. Step 3) Go back and look at verse 2 in NLT, "All who delight in him should ponder [his amazing deeds]." Spend time remembering and pondering the amazing things God has done for you. Remembering them is the first step toward being thankful for them.
  

Selah. God, help me pause and think about what I've read in Psalm 111.

Psalm 108

Based on an acrostic of PSALMS, this devotional is a simple way to make the Psalms personal as you pray and meditate on the Bible. Instructions: Finish the sentence or answer the questions. When you get to the M section, you can choose the option that works for the time you have available.


Praise You, God, for Your ______________. Thank You, God, for _______________.

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I describe to You my life, my thoughts, and my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 108.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 108.
  
• 10 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 108. Step 2) Write out verses 4, 6, 12-13 from God's perspective. For example, "My love is great, higher than the heavens."
  
• 20 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 108. Step 2) Follow the 10 minute directions. Step 3) You are the one He loves! Name the ways you see His love and faithfulness in your life.
  

Selah. God, help me pause and think about what I've read in Psalm 108. What do you want me to understand about it? How do you want me to apply it to my life?

Psalm 107

Based on an acrostic of PSALMS, this devotional is a simple way to make the Psalms personal as you pray and meditate on the Bible. Instructions: Finish the sentence or answer the questions. When you get to the M section, you can choose the option that works for the time you have available.


Praise You, God, for Your ______________. Thank You, God, for _______________.

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I describe to You my life, my thoughts, and my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 107.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 107.
  
• 10 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 107. Step 2) Psalm 107 is about God's great love for us. It describes four types of people: the wanderer, searching for meaning and a place to belong (verses 4-9); the prisoner, depressed and unable to break free (verses 10-16); the fool, who is suffering the consequences of bad choices (verses 17-22); and the sailor in a storm of life, with life circumstances that feel out of their control and overwhelming (verses 23-32). Re-read the section of Psalm 107 that resonates with a current or past situation in your life, noting the way that God responds to and redeems that person.
  
• 20 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 18. Step 2) Follow the 10 minute directions. Step 3) Write out your own cry to God acknowledging the ways you have been a wanderer, prisoner, fool, or sailor in a storm of life. Step 4) Use the last two verses of the applicable section of Psalm 107 as a model for you to thank God for how He has or will redeem you.
  

Selah. God, help me pause and think about what I've read in Psalm 107. What do you want me to understand about it? How do you want me to apply it to my life?

Psalm 18

Based on an acrostic of PSALMS, this devotional is a simple way to make the Psalms personal as you pray and meditate on the Bible. Instructions: Finish the sentence or answer the questions. When you get to the M section, you can choose the option that works for the time you have available.


Praise You, God, for Your ______________. Thank You, God, for _______________.

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I describe to You my life, my thoughts, and my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 18.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 18.
  
• 10 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 18. Step 2) Rewrite these verses as though God is speaking them directly to you - Psalm 18:1-2, 16-19, 28-30, 32-36. For example, starting with verse 1 and 2 based on the NIV, "I am your strength. I am your rock. I am your fortress and your deliverer."
  
• 20 minutes - Step 1) Read Psalm 18. Step 2) Rewrite a few verses in your own words as your own prayer to God today. Step 3) Then rewrite these verses as though God is speaking them directly to you - Psalm 18:1-2, 16-19, 28-30, 32-36. For example, starting with verse 1 and 2 based on the NIV, "I am your strength. I am your rock. I am your fortress and your deliverer."

Selah. God, help me pause and think about what I've read in Psalm 18. What do you want me to understand about it? How do you want me to apply it to my life?

Psalm 105

Based on an acrostic of PSALMS, this devotional is a simple way to make the Psalms personal as you pray and meditate on the Bible. Instructions: Finish the sentence or answer the questions. When you get to the M section, you can choose the option that works for the time you have available.


Praise You, God, for Your ______________. Thank You, God, for _______________.

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I describe to You my life, my thoughts, and my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 105.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 105:1-4. If you are alone, consider practicing verse 2 by actually singing a praise song to God OUT LOUD. Worshiping God by yourself can be a very powerful experience. I sang The Doxology ("Praise God from whom all blessings flow...").
  
• 10 minutes - Read Psalm 105:1-4. Try writing an antiphonal prayer by taking each line of the verse and writing your own response to it. For example, start with the first complete thought in verse 1, "Give thanks to the Lord." Then write a line of prayer in response, such as, "Thank You, God, for loving me."
  
• 20 minutes - Read entire psalm. Focus on verse 19, which is referencing a dream Joseph had as a young man about his future. It took decades for the dream to come true, and in the meantime, Joseph had to wrestle with living in the "not yet" and wondering why his life looked so different from his dream (see Genesis 37, 40-45 for more). The NKJV describes Joseph's situation in Psalm 105:19 as, "Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him." The NLT version says, "Until the time came to fulfill his word, the Lord tested Joseph's character." Are you in a place of wrestling and waiting? Do you have dreams from the Lord that are unfulfilled? Are you wondering if he has forgotten you? See verse 42. Can you re-commit to trust the God of Abraham, Joseph, and Jacob to remember His promises to you? Can you ask God to give you perspective like He gave to Joseph in Genesis 45:5-8?
  

Selah. God, help me pause and think about what I've read in Psalm 105. What do you want me to understand about it? How do you want me to apply it to my life?

Meditation on Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, I tell myself.

You, O Lord, are very great. Everything You do declares You as the Great King over all the earth: majestic, beautiful, and worthy of Your title.

Glorious light surrounds You like a priestly robe. From earth to heaven, You fill space with Yourself - no end, no limit. You use the wind to deliver your messages; You tell fire what to do. You control the stars and every molecule of space. Every single animal, plant, mineral, and water source - it's all Yours. You, in Your wisdom, have made all things.

Everything we have comes from You and You provide for us all that we need to nourish us in body, soul, and spirit. Every living being looks to You for daily needs. It is Your open hand that gives us the good things that we long for: destiny, purpose, hope for a future, faithful love, grace for all our mistakes.

And what You have given me - it, too, is good - and more than I deserve.

Whatever I have, I will share.
Whoever I am, I will embrace.
With all that is within me, I will give thanks.

Psalm 104

Based on an acrostic of PSALMS, this devotional is a simple way to make the Psalms personal as you pray and meditate on the Bible. Instructions: Finish the sentence or answer the questions. When you get to the M section, you can choose the option that works for the time you have available.


Praise You, God, for Your ______________. Thank You, God, for _______________.

Search my heart, God. Show me what is not right so that You can forgive and restore me.

Act on my behalf, God. I ask You to...

Listen to me, God, as I describe to You my life, my thoughts, and my feelings.

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 104.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 104:24-25, and 27-28. Then re-write verses 27-28 from God's perspective. For example, "Every creature looks to Me to give them food..."
  
• 10 minutes - Read Psalm 104:1-4, 13-15, 27-28. Put into your own words why God is great. How has He provided good things for your needs and your desires?
  
• 20 minutes - Read entire psalm. Journal about a phrase or verse that catches your attention. For example, focus on verse 27-28. What does it mean for God to provide for your needs in the "proper time"?
  

Selah. God, help me pause and think about what I've read in Psalm 104. What do you want me to understand about it? How do you want me to apply it to my life?