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The Lord is my shepherd... (day 5)


 This week I attended a study where we discussed Psalm 23, thinking on the calming nature of God's presence as our shepherd.  To call ourselves sheep means to take a pretty humble stance before Him:  are we stinky, sometimes unintelligent, stubborn, needy, and helpless without a leader to guide and protect us?  And yet, God loves us, pursues us with His mercy and goodness all of our days, never letting us stray too far from His fold, never leaving our side through the heavy shadows of life, but walking alongside us all the way.

Worship the God who calls Himself our shepherd

What a gift; what wonder that You, the King of the Universe, would choose to lay down your life for a simple-minded sheep like me, oh Lord. That You want a personal relationship with me and made a way so that I could know You. I worship You today as my tender, caring shepherd, who is also fierce and protective.


John 10:14-15

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Appropriate the truth of scripture as you grow in your walk of faith

Lord, I want to know abundant life, to live like someone who has been rescued from death, to be filled with Your life and to walk in the security of knowing I belong to You no matter what happens.


John 10:7-10; 27-28

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.


My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.


Light - Walk in the light by openly confessing your sins and need for God


Lord, I want to have ears that listen for Your voice; ears that hear Your commands and obey them. I want to follow You, but my human nature can be stubborn, leading me down the wrong paths or repeating the same mistakes again and again. Following You takes humility to recognize that I need a leader and I'm not good at making the right choices without paying attention to You.


John 10:2-5

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”


Know Him more and more as you spend time with Him daily

Lord, I come to You, my good shepherd, to find all that I need - peace, rest, restoration, comfort, blessings, goodness, mercy and love. You are sufficient for all I need; You restore my soul and You guide me where I need to go.


Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.



Prayers for others today:

S - Missions

M - Family

T - Church and Friends

W - Work

Th - Community

F - World affairs

Sat - Self


Blessings on your day,

Heather


P.S. If you just jumped into this blog post, you can read the first post explaining how to walk with God through your prayer life and the first day of praying through scripture here.


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