Psalm 37 - Finishing 2020 With Confident Hope

 

 Photo by Grant Ritchie on Unsplash

 

Shortly before the start of 2020, the Lord placed Psalm 37 on my heart as a passage of scripture to press into and lean upon in the year ahead. I sensed in my spirit that, somehow, this was going to be instrumental in helping us navigate the year, and season, ahead of us. I had no idea.

 

A year filled with the confusion and fear of a pandemic, nationwide outbreaks of rioting and blatant, open attacks on the very foundations of our governmental system has shaken everything to its core. None of this caught God Almighty by surprise. He has gone out of His way to release strength, encouragement and strategies for His Church to, not just survive these times, but to lead the way out of them. 

As we enter into this last month of 2020, I would like to use the remainder of this post to release a prayer drawn from Psalm 37 (I will be referencing the NLT version). This is a psalm of promises and responsibilities and the Lord clearly defines His part and our part. How we leave 2020 will determine how we enter 2021 and carry out our assignments in this new decade and era. With God's unfailing love and grace, we can walk forward as a people of unwavering faith and obedience and stand in awe as we watch the Lord of all lords work miracles in our midst. Stand firm in faith, joy and thanksgiving and be encouraged!

Father, we thank you that, because You are sovereign over all creation, we do not have to worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.

For we know that like grass they will soon fade away,

and like spring flowers, they will soon wither.

 

By the power of Your Spirit inside us, enable us to trust in You Lord and do good always, so we may live safely in the land and prosper, no matter what the circumstances are around us. 

Thank you that, as we delight in, and bend our hearts toward you, Lord,

You bend toward us and grant us our heart's desires. 

We commit everything we do to You, Lord;

we trust You and believe that You will help us.

We thank You for making our innocence radiate like the dawn,

and the justice of our cause to shine like the noonday sun!

Place Your steady hand upon us and help us to be still in Your glorious presence

as we wait patiently for You to act.

Train us to steward our time wisely and not use it to worry about evil people who prosper,

or fret about their wicked schemes.

As we focus our attention on You, Lord, empower us to stop being angry and turn from our rage.

We will not lose our temper, for we know it only leads to harm.

The wicked will be destroyed,

but as we trust in You, we will possess the land.

Soon the wicked will disappear,

though we look for them, they will be gone.

Thank you Father, for lifting the lowly to possess the land

and live in peace and prosperity.

The wicked may plot against the godly

and snarl at them in defiance,

but the Lord just laughs,

and He doesn't lose any sleep over them,

for He sees their day of judgment is coming.

We see the wicked draw their swords

and string their bows to kill the poor and oppressed,

to slaughter those who do right.

But the Lord administers righteous justice in His perfect time;

their swords will stab their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

Help us to be satisfied with much of You and little of everything else,

to desire the abundance of Your presence more than the endless cravings of the world.

For the strength of the wicked will shatter and amount to nothing;

thank you, Lord, for promising to take care of those who are set apart for you.

Thank you, Father, for taking care of the innocent

and securing for them an inheritance that will last forever.

We will not be separated from,

and no reversing force will be able to overcome,

Your empowering presence in our lives! 

The wicked, however, will die and, like flowers in a field,

they will disappear like smoke.

Help us to remember Your instruction that it is the wicked who borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.

Those You bless will possess the land,

those You curse will die.

Thank you Lord for directing the steps of Your passionate pursuers,

giving Your full attention to every detail of our lives.

Though we stumble, we will never fall,

for You hold us by the hand.

All throughout our lives, we have never seen the godly abandoned

or their children begging for bread.

Cause us to be generous givers

and our children to be a blessing to others.

 

Thank you Father for helping us to turn from evil and do good,

causing us to live in the land forever,

for You love justice and never abandon the godly!

Thank you for Your promise to keep us safe forever.

The children, (the plans and schemes the wicked give birth to), will come to nothing and die.

It is Your godly ones, and ways, that will possess the land 

and will live there forever.

By Your Spirit of Wisdom, enable us to be ones that offer good counsel,

and teach right from wrong.

Write Your perfect law of liberty on the tablets of our hearts so we will make it our own and never slip from Your path.

The wicked may wait in ambush for the godly,

looking for an excuse to kill them.

But we praise you, Lord, for you are faithful and you will not let the wicked succeed,

or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

We place our hope in You alone, O Lord,

and we travel steadily along your path.

Thank you for honoring those who trust in You by entrusting them with the land.

We will see all that is wicked destroyed.

For a time, wicked and ruthless people

flourish like a tree in its native soil,

but when we look again, they are gone!

Though we search for them, they will not be found anywhere!

We believe, Lord, that we will increasingly see those who are honest and good,

and the wonderful future that awaits all those who love peace;

while all that is rebellious will come to nothing and have no future.

We proclaim, Lord, that it is You who rescues the godly,

You are our fortress in times of trouble!

Thank you, Father, for Your faithful help,

rescuing us from the wicked,

saving us,

and inviting us to live in Your shelter at all times!

 

We lift up our prayer, praise and thanksgiving in Jesus' name!

 

 
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

 

 

 Moses said, ‘Please. Let me see your Glory.’ God said, ‘I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I’ll call out the name, God, right before you.’” (Ex 33:18-19a)

Let the whole earth be filled with His glory!