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?

Psalm 103

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 about my life. These are the things I think about and feel...

Move in me, God, as I meditate on Psalm 103.

• 5 minutes - Read Psalm 103:1-2. Re-write these verses as though you are speaking directly to God. For example, "with all my inmost being, I will praise Your holy name."
  
• 10 minutes - Read Psalm 103:1-5. Answer these questions from verses 3-5. How has God forgiven and healed you? How has He redeemed your life from destruction? How has He surrounded you with love and mercy? How has He satisfied your desires with good things? (Questions based on multiple translations: NIV, NKJV, and NLT.)
  
• 20 minutes - Read entire psalm. Step A: With "I will" statements, describe the way you will interact with God as shown in Psalm 103:1-2, 18, and 22. For example, "I will praise You." Step B: With "You will" or "You are" statements, describe the way God treats you or feels about you from Psalm 103: 3-6, 8-14, and 17. For example from verse 3, "You forgive all my sins."
  

Selah. God, help me pause and think about what I've read in Psalm 103.

• What do you want me to understand about it?
  
• How do you want me to apply it to my life?