Psalm 145:8-12
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
Oh, Lord. We are grateful for Your grace- it is so much more than we deserve. Your compassion is overwhelming to us, sinful as we are. You hear the cry of the afflicted, the cry of Your image-bearers and You answer with perfectly designed responses for each one. No cry goes unheard. No cry goes unanswered. Thank You that You hear us and that You care. When You reach down and pull us out of the pit, Your grace and compassion are at work. You set our feet on a rock, with our heads high above our enemies. Even when we were still in our sin, You loved us and ransomed us. Thank You for your plentiful, steadfast love. And thank You that Your anger is slow to kindle- I know we press in and test the boundaries far too often and we ought to receive Your wrath, but instead you show us your steadfast, plentiful love in the form of grace and compassion. You can’t contradict Yourself. Lord, help us to live worthy of You. We are blessed by You in so many ways. Today, help (name) to see your grace and compassion and realize that it is present and plentiful for them. No sin is too great for You to forgive. No distance is too for for You to find them and help them return to You. Lord, show (name) Your rich love today.
9 The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made.
Lord, when I look at this world and the ways people rail against You and defy You, I know we deserve nothing more than Your wrath. But You are good to all, even to those who spit at Your name. You are Good! You nourish the earth with rain and sun. You bring forth fruit and grain for us to enjoy. You provide fellowship and protection. And when it comes to Your children, You nurture and care for us so that we can serve You well. Your compassion is akin to tender mercies- that of a parent cherishing, protecting and loving a growing child. Even when we rebel, You love us. Lord, I pray that You would help (name) to know Your love today. May they reject the lies of this world and follow after You. May they pursue You with their whole heart, overwhelmed by Your goodness and grace, convicted to live a life worthy of the love and mercy You so freely give. Don’t let them go, Lord. Chase after them with your goodness and mercy until they turn and follow you willingly and with joy.
10 All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.
Heavenly Father, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, yet even in that moment, not every heart will be surrendered to You. I pray that (name) would be fully surrendered, living a life of obedience to You. I pray that (name) would praise You with their whole heart. Lord, help them sing with abandon, raising their hands to heaven in powerful praise of who You are and all that You do. Let their hearts be full and overflowing with joy. Lord, I pray that (name) would be counted among your saints, a child of the Most High God, counted worthy to escape everything coming in this world and worthy to stand in glory with You, blessing Your name for all eternity. Give them a head-start in that praise and blessing today and give (name) a glimpse of heaven so they are overwhelmed with the magnificence of what is to come- the promise of eternity with You. Never let Your name leave (name)’s heart and mind. May it always be on their lips, ready to share with those who need to know You.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
The glory of Your kingdom is more than we can explain with words, but I ask that You would give us words that would help bring understanding to those who need to know You; those who need to understand that Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and they can be a part of it!. Compel us to speak of Your power and might. We want to stand in awe of You, Lord, and in so doing, leave others in awe of You as well. I pray, Lord, that (name) would represent You well. Let the legacy of our family bring glory to Your name. Let our place in Your kingdom be a blessing to You and a testimony to others. Lord, wreck us with Your glory and goodness so that we have no choice but to praise and extol Your Name to all that we meet. Help each of us to put ourselves aside for the sake of Your plan and purpose. May our lives radiate the glory of the Lord because we are continually seeking to follow after You with abandon. Lord, help (name) to understand the importance of being sold out for Christ.
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Burden us, Lord, for those who don’t know You. Help us to grieve for those who live in bondage and darkness. Change our plans, get our attention, and use us to bring the gospel to those who need to know Jesus. Give us words to share the wonder of Your mighty acts with those who don’t know. Remind us of your grace, compassion and Your rich love that offers forgiveness and redemption so we can share that hope with others. Give us insight to explain just how glorious Your kingdom is and that You desire that we all have a room in Your house, so that where You are, we can be there too. I pray that (name) would be homesick for You, Lord, and would take every chance to share the way Home with others who need Your hope and salvation. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Pray without ceasing
Praying Psalm 145:1-4
This week we are going to pray through Psalm 145, verse by verse. No devotional. No extra thoughts. Just praying God’s word and watching it work powerfully in and through us.
Each day we’ll take a portion and pray it back to the Lord on behalf of our sons and daughters.
Journal what you see and learn this week as you pray. It will become a testimony for later days and future generations.
Psalm 145
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Lord, I ask today that You would enable my sons and daughters to exalt You. Fill them with wonder at the thought of You. Let their words and actions lift you high. May their life bring glory to Your name. I pray that they would deeply desire to live a life that honors You. Give them strength to praise You forever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
Father, I pray that every day (name) would praise you. Let praise fill their heart and spill out of their lips. Let praise of You be a habit they will not abandon, because Your word says you inhabit the praise of your people. May (name) bless You every morning as they see You work, and Lord, let them see you work, clearly and powerfully so they will never cease their praise and wonder of You.
3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
You are worthy, Lord, of all our praise. I pray that (name) would be amazed and in awe of Who You are and what You do. Lord, never allow us to be satisfied with our knowledge and understanding of You, because that would mean we’ve stopped seeking more of You. You are so much greater than we can imagine and understand. Just as it is impossible to fathom the depths of the deepest seas, so Lord, it is even more impossible to fathom all of You- the immortal, invisible, almighty God.
4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
Oh, Lord, how I pray that my sons and daughters would commend your works to the next generation and that the legacy of believers would continue in our family. Let (name) tell of your mighty acts- all the wonderful ways You’ve provided, protected and led our family through danger, hardship and grief. Let (name) boldly share the blessings You’ve given. May the joy that You pour into to those who love You be evident in (name)’s life. Let my children, my grandchildren and their children after them know Jesus, love Him and commit their lives to Him. May our family be mighty in our faith and humble in our following and may You bless us with generations who will follow after You faithfully, in Jesus’ name, amen.
(Maybe you have a family heritage of believers, or maybe you are the start of that heritage- either way, pray that the Lord continues the testimony of His saving grace through your family. What a beautiful legacy to pass on!)
Tomorrow we’ll pray through verses 5-7