If there were ever any one chapter that could put into words the very thoughts I have and desire to say to God, it is Psalm 139. I have to count on both my hands the number of my favorite verses. I’m sure by now that through these devotions you can pretty much figure out what many of these are! I just love so many individual verses for many different reasons. They each speak to my heart in a million different ways, but my perpetual prayer, if I could choose just one, is Psalm 139.
Psalm 139:
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
This is my prayer. I want to let God know He is all of these things to me:
• He is my very being. (vs. 3, 8)
• He knows every inch of me. (vs. 1, 2, 4)
• He leads me where I should go. (v. 10)
• He covers me. (v. 13)
• He is more than worthy of my praise. (v. 14)
• He made me in His image. (v. 14)
• He and His words are perfect. (v. 17)
• He helps me win all of my battles. (v. 19)
• He knows me wholeheartedly. (v. 23)
• He is my eternal, loving Guide. (v. 24)
I’m thankful that God is all of these in my life and so, so much more. And the list grows every day as I grow closer to Him and as I truly “let go and let God.”
I want to encourage and challenge each of you to find your perpetual prayer. And it might not be a Psalm or any other prayer recorded in the Bible. Just yesterday I found a letter sealed in an envelope that I had written to God. It was a prayer I wrote a few years ago. Even though I’ve grown up a little bit more since the day I wrote that prayer, I can still say that prayer to my Heavenly Father today. You can write a “letter” to God. You can create a prayer that is basically your heart’s thoughts put down on paper. I encourage you to do this and continue to add to it as your relationship with God grows closer and closer.
I think, and I’m guilty of this, too, but we get into ruts occasionally when we pray. It becomes an item on our “things to do” lists and we simply rush through a prayer here and there to get the job done, as half-heartedly as it may be. God doesn’t need or want to hear those prayers. He doesn’t want to hear us talk incessantly, either. We talk to God to develop our personal relationships with Him. And I know you all know this, but we can all use a reminder once in a while.
Let’s keep an ongoing, perpetual, detailed, loving and edifying prayer to our true best friend.our Lord.