Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Devotion for 4 January 2008PSALM 4
An Evening Prayer To Let Go
Night times, before we fall asleep, are when our guards are lowest. David strengthens his spirit by praying. He prays for his enemies, those who were deceived by his son Absalom (v2), he prays for his friends who shared his burden and could well end up getting angry with Absalom & gang (v4-5) and he acknowledges God’s hand in his day:
- Granting him gladness more than most happy & celebrated moments in life, v7
- Giving him peace so that he can lie down & sleep, v8a
- Providing safety in the whole journey, v8b
A deliberate closing of our day with prayer sure beats the accidental looping of negative thoughts and attitudes in our head. It has been said that our subconscious minds would repeat 6 to 7 times what we had contemplated in the last 30 minutes prior to falling asleep.
Examine your thoughts: are you worried, anxious, pessimistic, or uptight about something? Do not allow yourself to sink lower. Set yourself free today by praying against deception, anger and ask God to grant you gladness, peace & safety.
References for the short write-ups for all 5 books of Psalms:
1. Psalms, classic Libray Edition by Marilyn Hickey
2. ‘Be Worshipful’ / ‘Be Exalted’ by Warren W. Wiersbe