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

Faithful Through the Generations

Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God  who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,”

Often when we gather as families, we reminisce about significant events, fun times, funny things that happened to us.  We laugh and recall with joy those things that stand out in our memories.  But do we take time to recount the ways God has been good to us?  Do we really share the miraculous and mundane ways God made Himself known?

Friends, if we are believers, we are building a legacy of faith for our children, grandchildren and generations yet to come, if the Lord tarries.  It’s hard to imagine next week, but a thousand generations?  Yet, this is what God promises!!  It’s likely very few people in history thought their story would have significance, yet, how beautiful is it to read stories of those who lived faithfully for the Lord?  What about the stories of those who left all they knew to carry the gospel to another land and people?  They were doing what God called them to- yet we learn so much about His faithfulness in the midst of their daily obedience.  What is it that we want our children, grandchildren and future generations to know about God’s faithfulness to us?  

Let’s be bold and share those stories of God’s faithfulness.  Write them down.  Share them with your family.  Record them where they can be heard.  Someone, someday, will read or hear them and be encouraged.  They will become the treasured stories that evidence God’s goodness and faithfulness to your family through the generations.  What accounts of God’s faithfulness can you recall today? 

Today, take some time to write out the accounts of God’s faithfulness to you...then share it with your sons and daughters.  It may feel awkward at first, but go on and do it.  The more you testify, the more excited and appreciative you will be of God’s faithfulness and the more you will come to love Him.  Create those ‘Stones of Remembrance’ so that when future generations ask “What is that?” You can beautifully testify to God’s loving faithfulness to you...and to them!

Pray without ceasing!