Bryan

A Prayer for Righteousness

by

Psalm 5 (NLT)
O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I will never pray to anyone but you.
Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the slightest sin.
Therefore, the proud will not be allowed to stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil.
You will destroy those who tell lies.
The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.
Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; with deepest awe I will worship at your Temple.
Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me.
Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn.
My enemies cannot speak one truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their speech is filled with flattery.
O God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins, for they rebel against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.
Protect them, so all who love your name may be filled with joy.
For you bless the godly, O LORD, surrounding them with your shield of love.

A Theme to Remember:
Our prayers need to be focused upon the present, We must trust God today, and leave the morrow entirely with Him. The present is ours; the future belongs to God. Prayer is the task and duty of each recurring day; daily prayer for daily needs. (Adapted from E.M. Bounds, The Necessity of Prayer)

Words to Remember:
The humblest citizen of all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause is stronger than all the hosts of Error.
–William Jennings Bryan

A Prayer for Decisions

by

Judges 6:36-40 (ASV)
And Gideon said unto God, “If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken.” And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. And Gideon said unto God, “Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.” And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

A Theme to Remember:
When making an important decision, turn to the Lord in prayer and seek His wisdom in the pages of Scripture. Laying out a “fleece” may provide direction, but it is a poor alternative to developing an abiding relationship with God and gaining a deep understanding of His ways and will.

Words to Remember:
Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieve.
–William Jennings Bryan