...following SPU's Lectio Guides
November 18 - 24
First.
Read the assigned Psalms (or plan out a reading schedule for the week)
- Psalm 85
- Psalm 89
- Psalm 90
- Psalm 91
Second.
Read or Listen to Dr. Frank Spina's Presentation
Third.
Take a Deep Breath...make the words of the Psalm your very own prayer.
Follow this guide for praying Psalm 90.
__________
Praying Psalm 90
This psalm affirms that the Lord is our “dwelling place”
throughout all generations. Many
generations of God’s people have lived and died, but God is still walks with
and shelters His people. As human beings
we are mortal, mere dust when compared to the rock solid existence of God. Understanding our fragile human condition is
the key to wisdom, and leads us seeks the Lord’s eternal love and favor.
Psalm 90:1-2
*Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout
all generations. *Before the mountains
were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting
you are God.- Breath prayer. Memorize and repeat this prayer early & often during your day: Lord, you are my eternal dwelling place; from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
- Prayer of Confession & Spiritual Renewal. Pray something like this if you feel like you've been living "away from home:" Lord, even though you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations, I don’t feel like I’ve been dwelling with you. I've been too busy to spend time talking with you in prayer, or listening to your word in scripture. And the words I've heard from you I haven’t applied to my life. Be my dwelling place. Draw me away from what distracts me from you. Bind my heart to yours, and hold my entire life in your embrace.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, v. 3
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Psalm 90:9-12
*Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our
strength endures; *yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and
we fly away. *If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as
great as the fear that is your due. *Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a
heart of wisdom.- Prayer of Vulnerable Honesty. Pray something like this to get honest with God (and yourself) about the reality that your life on this earth will some day come to an end: Lord, teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. As hard as it is for me to face, I realize that I won’t live forever. But you are a dwelling place that is everlasting. Even after I take my last breath, our relationship will continue. Guide me deeper in our eternal relationship. Remind me today that the time we spend together is more important than the temporary stresses and challenges of this life.
- Listen to & Sing along with a Similar Prayer. The song "Bring Him Home" sung by Jean Valjean to the nearly-dying Marius from the musical Les Miserables (Claude-Michel Schonberg) features a similar prayer that gets honest with our limited number of days on this earth.
God on high, Hear my prayer; In my need You have always been there
He is young, He's afraid; Let him rest Heaven blessed.
He's like the son I might have known, If God had granted me a son.
The summers die one by one, How soon they fly on and on, And I am old And will be gone.
Bring him peace, Bring him joy; He is young, He is only a boy.
You can take, You can give; Let him be, Let him live.
If I die, Let me die; Let him live.
Bring him home.
Psalm 90:14
*Satisfy us in the morning with your
unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.This verse forms the opening response in the Presbyterian service of Daily Morning Prayer. I have vivid memories of this responsive refrain introducing prayers in Caldwell Chapel of Louisville Seminary:
Leader: Satisfy us with your love in the morning
People: And we will live this day in joy and praise
- Morning Prayer. Try incorporating these psalm words into your morning prayers: Lord, satisfy me with your unfailing love this morning, and today I will sing for joy and be glad.
- “It goes without saying that if we find ourselves in difficulty then the psalm cannot be understood as a guarantee. The ultimate security that God’s people have is that God will be with them no matter what befalls them. If they escape harm generally, that is simply a blessing and a bonus. In either case, the final guarantee is God’s presence.” (Dr. Frank Spina, Lectio)
Our safety may not be guaranteed, but our dwelling place
with the Lord is a sure thing for all eternity.
Words of Blessing
May the Lord be your dwelling place this day and forever more. May he satisfy you each morning with
steadfast love that fills you with joy and gladness. Amen.
Pastor Kurt
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