Category Prayer

Psalm 119 is a psalm of prayers. I am taking this Psalm verse by verse and leading in a daily prayer. I invite you to follow along each day and let the Word of God guide you in your daily prayers.

Vs. 38 — Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.

John Calvin prayed:

Grant, Almighty God, that inasmuch as we are so disposed and inclined to all kinds of errors, to so many and so various forms of superstitions, and as Satan also does not cease to lay in wait for us, and spreads before us his many snares—O grant that we may be so preserved in obedience to you by the teaching of your Word, that we may never turn here and there, either to the right or to the left, but continue in that pure worship which you have prescribed, so that we may plainly testify that you are indeed our Father by continuing under the protection of your only begotten Son, whom you have given to be our pastor and ruler to the end. Amen. (Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 400 Prayers for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)

Prayer:

Father, establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You. Cause Your truth be anchored in Your Church, who is Your servant. You have sanctified, that is separated us, from the world to Yourself by the truth. Continue to make Your word fresh to our hearts; manna to our lives; and hope so that we will persevere to the end. May Your word also keep us in humble and holy fear. Amen.

Vs. 37 — Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.

From Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 221):

Notice this, that he does not say, I will turn away mine eyes; but, “Turn away mine eyes.” This shows that it is not possible for us sufficiently to keep our eyes by our own caution and diligence; but there must be divine keeping. For, first, wheresoever in this world you turn yourself provocations to evil are met with. Wolfgang Musculus, 1497–1563:

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.” From gazing at the delusive mirages which tempt the pilgrim to leave the safe highway. William Kay:

Is it asked—“What will most effectually turn my eyes from vanity?” Not the seclusion of contemplative retirement—not the relinquishment of our lawful connexion with the world—but the transcendent beauty of Jesus unveiled to our eyes, and fixing our hearts.—Charles Bridges.

Prayer:

O’ God, I ask that You would turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. As I have confessed my sin of covetousness, and my need for You to turn my heart to Your testimonies, please begin by turning my eyes from seeing any value in the things that are not of Your righteous hand. If something is of this ungodly world, make to understand its vanity and harm. If something is from Your hand but not for me, then make to realize its blessing to its benefactor and its worthlessness to me. Show me the ugliness and poison that lies wait in the vanity of this world. Refresh my affections in my Savior. Let my eyes, my heart, my soul–all of me, be overwhelmed with His worth and glory.

Vs. 36 — Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.

Prayer:

Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. I ask this because I know the sin nature within and its tendencies to covet. I want to be content with what You provide. What You provide for me is fashioned exclusively by You for me, and what You provide for another is fashioned for exclusively for him. Your provisions are for my good, and what you give to another is not. I am sorry for wanting something that You have not fashioned for me, as if I know what is better for me than You do. Incline my heart to look upon Your works for me as perfect and more than sufficient, even delightful. Help me to see and live in the truth that all I need You provide. And Father, although I do not show it often enough, I hate covetousness. I love what You provide. Thank You for providing what I need. Amen.

Charles H. Spurgeon:

The crime of covetousness is common, but very few will confess it; for when a man heaps up gold in his heart the dust of it blows into his eyes, and he cannot see his own fault. Our hearts must have some object of desire, and the only way to keep out worldly gain is to put in its place the testimonies of the Lord. If we are inclined or bent one way, we shall be turned from the other; the negative virtue is most surely attained by making sure of the positive grace which inevitably produces it. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 210). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

John Stephen:

The contrast is most striking. There are the divine testimonies on the one hand, and there is “covetousness” on the other. God stands on one side, the world on the other. The renewed man chooses between the two; he does not require long to think, and God is his choice. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 219). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Vs. 35 — Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.

Thomas Manton:

DAVID in the former verses had begged for light, and now for strength to walk according to this light. We need not only light to know our way, but a heart to walk in it. Direction is necessary because of the blindness of our minds, and the effectual impulsions of grace are necessary because of the weakness of our hearts. It will not answer our duty to have a naked notion of truths, unless we embrace and pursue them. So accordingly we need a double assistance from God; the mind must be enlightened, the will moved and inclined. The work of a Christian lies not in depth of speculation, but in the height of practice. The excellency of divine grace consisteth in this, that God doth first teach what is to be done, and then make us to do what is taught, ‘Make me to go in the path,’ &c. (Manton, T. (1872). The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (Vol. 6, pp. 360–361). London: James Nisbet & Co.)

Prayer:

Father, Holy God, make me walk in the path of Your commandments. It is not enough to tell me to walk in and on this path, or even to show me the benefits of doing such. For I know my weaknesses and selfish impulses. Too often I give into my flesh nature and think that there are other paths that can fulfill my heart and life. Such a deception; I know. I am sorry. Your Spirit that abides in me must make me to walk in Your path. Push me; do what it takes to keep me in and on the path of Your commandments. I know that Your commandments are good and perfect, they are righteous and just, and therefore my heart desires them. Just as You captured me and sanctified me out of the world and out of the bondage of sin and into the Kingdom of Light, please set me apart and keep me in the path of Your commandments, and I will delight in it. This is my prayer.

Vs. 34 — Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Charles Spurgeon:

He not only needs teaching, but the power to learn: he requires not only to understand, but to obtain an understanding. How low has sin brought us; for we even lack the faculty to understand spiritual things, and are quite unable to know them till we are endowed with spiritual discernment. Will God in very deed give us understanding? This is a miracle of grace. It will, however, never be wrought upon us till we know our need of it; and we shall not even discover that need till God gives us a measure of understanding to perceive it. We are in a state of complicated ruin, from which nothing but manifold grace can deliver us. Those who feel their folly are by the example of the Psalmist encouraged to pray for understanding: let each man by faith cry, “Give me understanding.” Others have had it, why may it not come to me? It was a gift to them; will not the Lord also freely bestow it upon me?

Prayer:

My God, my Father, give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. I do not ask this for myself alone, but for my wife, my children, and all of the saints. An understanding that enlightens and changes us from within. A change on an individual level and also a change to the Church as a whole regarding Your Word. Then we will observe that we might live, and in living we will abide in Your word with our whole heart. Give us understanding of who we are and who we are not. Let us grasp whom we are In Christ, as well as whom we are when we let our pride and self-righteous take the lead. Forgive us for such arrogance and idolatry. Give us understanding, O’ Lord, lest we stray off like sheep and be devoured. We seek Thee to know Thee. Amen.